Pittsburgh Marathon 2015 Results: Men and Women's Top Finishers

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Competitors from 49 states and 20 countries descended on Pittsburgh for the 2015 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, according to WPXI-TV, but it was a local runner who fittingly made the most headlines Sunday.

Dilliner, Pennsylvaniam native Clara Santucci defended her 2014 Pittsburgh Marathon title with a 2015 championship. Kenya’s Stephen Njoroge took home the title on the men’s side.

Here is a look at the top finishers for both the men and women, per Craig Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Santucci was the big story considering the location of the race and her two-marathon winning streak in Pittsburgh. She was unable to match last year’s time of two hours, 32 minutes and 23 seconds, which was the fastest women’s time since the Pittsburgh Marathon returned from a six-year break in 2009, but has now established herself as something of a local legend at this event.

Bob Hertzel of the Times West Virginian noted that Santucci also starred in track at West Virginia University, which is less than a two-hour drive from Pittsburgh. 

The Pittsburgh Marathon shared a picture of Santucci crossing the finish line:

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Santucci commented on what drives her to succeed at various marathons, per Mike Kovak of the Observer-Reporter:

When you look at me or talk to me or are around me, I don’t seem intense. I’m laid-back. When it comes to running, I’m hard-nosed. I’m just a tough runner. It’s how I got where I am.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Considering the fact that there were thousands of competitors who hit Pittsburgh’s streets for the 26.2-mile race, Santucci needed that hard-nosed toughness to pick up her second consecutive title.

On the men’s side, Njoroge didn’t wait until the end to establish himself as the one to beat in the race. Megan Ryan of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pointed out that he and two other runners were far clear of the rest of the field before the stretch run:

From there, Njoroge took control, and there was little doubt who the eventual winner would be Sunday, per Ryan:

The Pittsburgh Marathon also shared a picture of Njoroge crossing the finish line:

While the champion hails from Kenya, there was also some local Pennsylvania flavor on the men’s side. Tyler McCandless, who is a former All-American at Penn State, finished with the top American male time of 2:18.29. His efforts were good enough for a fourth-place finish.

As with any marathon, the course also took center stage in Sunday’s race. 

The Pittsburgh Marathon started on Liberty Avenue and featured spectators and musical celebrations along the route. In all, it went over each of the three rivers that intersect in Pittsburgh, through 13 different neighborhoods and over five bridges before finishing on the Boulevard of the Allies.

The half-marathon also took place Sunday, and Kenya’s Kimutai Cheruiyot took home the men’s title in 1:03.16. It was a dramatic finish, and Julius Kogo (who owns the record time for the half-marathon) finished a mere three seconds behind the winner.

Kenya’s Susan Jerotich won the women’s half-marathon by 10 seconds over Hellen Jemutai.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

While every performer deserves plenty of credit just for participating in a 26.2-mile run, Santucci drew the most headlines. Attention now moves forward for the Pennsylvania native after she conquered her local marathon yet again.

Santucci plans on participating in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Los Angeles in February with the dream of representing her country in the Olympic marathon.

Considering her 2:29.54 time in her first marathon (the 2011 Boston Marathon) and the two Pittsburgh Marathon titles on her resume, it is not difficult to envision Santucci on the Olympic team with another impressive performance.

She will certainly have plenty of people back in Pennsylvania supporting her every move.