BEFORE AND IS READY TO CELEBRATE WITH RUNS IN BOTH CITIES. DAVID HAYMAN HAS RUN ALL OVER THE WORLD. MOST OF THE TIME IT’S ROOTS NOT FAR FROM HIS HOME HERE IN SHADYSIDE, BUT HE’LL TELL YOU HIS FAVORITE SPOTS ARE A BIT FURTHER AWAY. I’M GOING TO BE MAKING MY 12TH TRIP TO ICELAND. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT IT? SO ICELAND IS A PLACE LIKE NO OTHER. IT’S GOT LAVA FIELDS. I’VE BEEN A FEW HUNDRED METERS FROM AN ACTIVE VOLCANO. IT’S GOT WATERFALLS, GLACIERS, PUFFINS, BLACK SAND BEACHES. IT’S A PLACE THAT’S JUST MAGICAL, A MAGICAL PLACE WHOSE CAPITAL CITY OF REYKJAVIK HAPPENS TO BE MORE THAN 2800 MILES FROM PITTSBURGH BY AIR. BUT P3R THE MACHINE BEHIND THE PITTSBURGH MARATHON, IS HOPING TO BRIDGE THAT GAP BY PARTNERING WITH ICELAND’S CAPITAL CITY AND THEIR ANNUAL MARATHON EVENT. SO TRULY, THERE IS NO ONE BETTER TO SERVE AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR THIS NEW RELATIONSHIP. WHEN I SAW THAT PITTSBURGH AND REYKJAVIK WERE TEAMING UP FOR THEIR MARATHONS, I GOT REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE I’VE RUN THE PITTSBURGH HALF MARATHON FOUR TIMES. I’VE RUN THE REYKJAVIK HALF MARATHON THREE TIMES. I THOUGHT, WHO ELSE IN PITTSBURGH HAS THAT EXPERIENCE AND CAN TALK ABOUT THE TWO RACES A SISTER, MARATHONS, P3R SAYS THE TWO EVENTS WILL WORK CLOSELY, COLLABORATING ON DESTINATION DRIVEN STORYTELLING, HIGHLIGHTING RUNNERS TRAVELING BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES, AND THAT TRAVEL JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT EASIER THANKS TO A NONSTOP FLIGHT NOW AVAILABLE FROM PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. NOW WE HAVE THE STRAIGHT FLIGHT WITH ICELANDAIR BECAUSE IT’S LIKE A NEW OPPORTUNITY, SO NO ONE SHOULD MISS OUT ON THAT. IT’S IT’S EASY ACCESS. SO OF COURSE, IF FOR NEW ADVENTURES OPENS A LOT OF DOORS FOR EVERYBODY. THIS IS HALF. SHE’S THE RACE DIRECTOR OF THE REYKJAVIK MARATHON. SHE HAS NEVER BEEN TO PITTSBURGH. BUT THAT CHANGES THIS WEEK. WE HAVE SUCH A BIG. ARE TIGHT SCHEDULE, SO I MEANT WHAT I SAID EARLIER. I THINK I’M GONNA BE IN MY RUNNING SHOES WITH THE FRESH, WITH THE FRESH T SHIRT AND A JACKET IN THE FINISH LINE AND GO STRAIGHT INTO THE PLANE AFTER THE RUN. SO YEAH, MY GOAL IS TO DO THE HALF ON, ON SUNDAY AND I’M REALLY EXCITED, SHE SAYS. THE TWO CITIES ARE VERY DIFFERENT, BUT THEY DO SHARE SOME SIMILARITIES. WE HAVE KIND OF THIS LIKE A FLAT, SCENIC SCENARIO WITH LIKE MOUNTAINS AND VOLCANIC ATMOSPHERE, AND YOU HAVE LIKE THE SKYLINE AND ALL THE BRIDGES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO YEAH, THAT IS TOTALLY VERY DIFFERENT. SO IT’S KIND OF LIKE THERE’S A, BUT THERE’S THIS SPORTS CONNECTION AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITY ATMOSPHERE IN BOTH CITIES THAT KIND OF CONNECTS AS WELL. AND TAKE IT FROM DAVID, WHO’S EXPERIENCED BOTH RACES FIRSTHAND. WELL, IT’S NO SECRET THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE PITTSBURGH RUNNING COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT. THAT FEELING FOR HIM WAS REPLICATED HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD. YOU’RE INTEGRATED INTO THE COMMUNITY. BOTH RACES START AND END IN THEIR DOWNTOWN, SO IT’S JUST REALLY YOU’RE GETTING AN AUTHENTIC EXPE
Racing together, a world apart: Pittsburgh Marathon unveils partnership with race in Iceland
A new collaboration between the Pittsburgh and Reykjavik marathons aims to unite runners from both cities, with direct flights simplifying travel.
David Heyman has run all over the world, often choosing routes close to his home in Shadyside, but his favorite running spots are farther away.”I’m going to be making my 12th trip to Iceland,” Heyman said. When asked what he loves about Iceland, Heyman said, “It’s a place like no other. It’s got lava fields. I’ve been a few hundred meters from an active volcano. It’s got waterfalls, glaciers, puffins, black sand beaches. It’s a place that’s just magical.” Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city, is more than 2,800 miles from Pittsburgh by air. P3R, the organization behind the Pittsburgh Marathon, is working to bridge that gap by partnering with Reykjavik and its annual marathon event. “When I saw that Pittsburgh and Reykjavik were teaming up for their marathons, I got really excited because I’ve run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon four times, and I have run the Reykjavik Half Marathon three times. I thought, ‘Who else in Pittsburgh has that experience and can talk about the two races?'” Heyman said. Your guide to the Pittsburgh Marathon >> Events, road closures, and race highlightsAs sister marathons, P3R said the two events will collaborate on destination-driven storytelling, highlighting runners traveling between the two cities. Travel between Pittsburgh and Reykjavik has become easier with a new nonstop flight available from Pittsburgh International Airport. “Now we have the straight flight with Icelandair with this, like a new opportunity. So no one should miss out on that. It’s easy access. So of course, for new adventures, it opens a lot of doors for everybody,” said Hrefna Hlín Sveinbjörnsdóttir, race director of the Reykjavik Marathon. Sveinbjörnsdóttir has never been to Pittsburgh, but that will change this week. “We will have such a big, tight schedule. So I think I’m going to be in my running shoes with a fresh T-shirt and jacket after the finish line and go straight into the plane after the run. My goal is to do the half on Sunday, and I’m really excited,” she said. She noted that while the two cities are very different, they share some similarities. “We have kind of this flat scenic scenario with mountains and volcanic atmosphere, and you have the skyline and all the bridges and stuff like that — it’s totally different. But there’s a sports connection and outdoor activity atmosphere in both cities that kind of connects as well,” Sveinbjörnsdóttir said. Heyman, who has experienced both races firsthand, said the sense of community in Pittsburgh is something special, but he found that feeling replicated halfway around the world. “You’re integrated in the community. Both races start and end in their downtown. So it’s just really, you’re getting an authentic experience and exposure to both the people and the geography of both cities,” Heyman said.PITTSBURGH MARATHON: WHAT TO KNOWFor more information about the marathon, visit these links:2026 Pittsburgh Marathon guideRoad closures and detoursCourse map and list of neighborhoodsFind your finishLive Well Expo
David Heyman has run all over the world, often choosing routes close to his home in Shadyside, but his favorite running spots are farther away.
“I’m going to be making my 12th trip to Iceland,” Heyman said.
When asked what he loves about Iceland, Heyman said, “It’s a place like no other. It’s got lava fields. I’ve been a few hundred meters from an active volcano. It’s got waterfalls, glaciers, puffins, black sand beaches. It’s a place that’s just magical.”
Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city, is more than 2,800 miles from Pittsburgh by air. P3R, the organization behind the Pittsburgh Marathon, is working to bridge that gap by partnering with Reykjavik and its annual marathon event.
“When I saw that Pittsburgh and Reykjavik were teaming up for their marathons, I got really excited because I’ve run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon four times, and I have run the Reykjavik Half Marathon three times. I thought, ‘Who else in Pittsburgh has that experience and can talk about the two races?'” Heyman said.
Your guide to the Pittsburgh Marathon >> Events, road closures, and race highlights
As sister marathons, P3R said the two events will collaborate on destination-driven storytelling, highlighting runners traveling between the two cities.
Travel between Pittsburgh and Reykjavik has become easier with a new nonstop flight available from Pittsburgh International Airport.
“Now we have the straight flight with Icelandair with this, like a new opportunity. So no one should miss out on that. It’s easy access. So of course, for new adventures, it opens a lot of doors for everybody,” said Hrefna Hlín Sveinbjörnsdóttir, race director of the Reykjavik Marathon.
Sveinbjörnsdóttir has never been to Pittsburgh, but that will change this week.
“We will have such a big, tight schedule. So I think I’m going to be in my running shoes with a fresh T-shirt and jacket after the finish line and go straight into the plane after the run. My goal is to do the half on Sunday, and I’m really excited,” she said.
She noted that while the two cities are very different, they share some similarities.
“We have kind of this flat scenic scenario with mountains and volcanic atmosphere, and you have the skyline and all the bridges and stuff like that — it’s totally different. But there’s a sports connection and outdoor activity atmosphere in both cities that kind of connects as well,” Sveinbjörnsdóttir said.
Heyman, who has experienced both races firsthand, said the sense of community in Pittsburgh is something special, but he found that feeling replicated halfway around the world.
“You’re integrated in the community. Both races start and end in their downtown. So it’s just really, you’re getting an authentic experience and exposure to both the people and the geography of both cities,” Heyman said.
PITTSBURGH MARATHON: WHAT TO KNOW
For more information about the marathon, visit these links: