The Highs and Lows of The Pittsburgh Marathon

The Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon generated $21.6 million in spending and another $900,000 in state, city and county tax revenues, a tidy sum that means its back to stay.

"We knew we had impact, but knowing exactly what it was is really beneficial in terms of showing its value to the city of Pittsburgh," says race director Patrice Matamoros. "We're already well on our way to planning the 2010 race with more than 1,700 registered participants, which is way up from where we were last year at this time."

Some 10,600 runners hit the streets last May; more than 5,500 arrived from outside of Allegheny County. The marathon attracted more than 45,000 racers and participants to the Golden Triangle and another 50,000 lined the streets to cheer. The 3-day weekend contributed $2.4 million to restaurants and bars another 21.7% of the runners stayed in local hotels, pumping $275,000 into local hotel revenues.