More Than 240 Runners Complete 150-Mile Relay From Pittsburgh To Maryland On Great Allegheny Passage
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Great Allegheny Passage Relay was back to in-person this year and 40 relay teams comprised of more than 240 runners from across 16 states participated in the two-day, non-stop relay.
This year, the relay began in Pittsburgh and ended in Cumberland, Maryland, and teams of four, six, or eight began the relay at 5:30 p.m., running the GAP for 16-28 hours.
Teams crossed the finish line in Cumberland on Saturday.
"I like to call it Christmas morning," said Lindsay Aroesty, a yearly participant. "It is that much fun for us and our team. I am beaming as we get closer and closer to GAP. It gets me in shape again, but also, I just love our team. Everyone is easygoing. What an adventure it is."
Team DiMarco Workhouse III got their third win, crossing the finish line in Cumberland with a time of 16 hours and 40 minutes.
While teams started the relay in Pittsburgh with partly sunny skies, as they continued along the trail, they were faced with rain showers and downpours in parts of the race.
P3R partnered with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council to offset the carbon footprint at the relay, working with GAP Conservancy to estimate carbon emissions from electricity use, transportation, and water use along the trail.
Those estimates led to P3R and PEC purchasing carbon offsets through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, which funds projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"Giving back to the trail and the local communities along the GAP is so important to all of us working on this race," said Troy Schooley, P3R CEO. "We wanted to make sure that we left the trail and its surroundings in even better condition than we found them."
This year's relay was the first time the event began in Pittsburgh.
