Three Rivers Heritage Trail
By Patrice Matamoros
Director of Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon
No matter the season, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail hosts runners of all types and abilities. It isn’t the start line or the finish line, but the place where all the hard work and tenacity happens. On the trail, runners log their training miles and overcome their biggest obstacles.
Summer is meant for distractions, and runners can find plenty on the trail on a July day. Sports fans walking to a Pirates game, couples on a romantic stroll, photographers capturing the skyline–all are sights to take in during the training. Runners adjust their habits as the weather warms. Some run earlier, others run a little slower, and still others focus on speed.
When the weather is absolutely perfect in October, runners drop their other plans and head out for a run. The smell of autumn is in the air and the trail welcomes its guests with a golden carpet of fallen leaves.
When winter comes, some runners choose to stay inside and pound out their miles on the treadmill. Many other brave souls, though, face the trail even on January’s coldest days. They wear hats, gloves and layers and carefully trudge through the snow and ice. The river may be frozen, but these runners keep moving and think about the goal they have set.
The first spring day is glorious. Runners wear shorts for the first time all season and feel a new sense of freedom and possibility. Maybe this will be the year they set a new personal best, or try a new race. The first spring run feels like a new beginning.