Pittsburgh native Nicole Hilton wins women’s full marathon in event’s in-person return

Michael Love | Sunday, May 1, 2022 11:42 a.m.

Shane Dunlap | Tribune-Review

First-place finisher Nicole Hilton crosses the finish line in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon on Sunday, May 1, 2022, on Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh.

Nicole Hilton’s first full marathon finished in victory and with an American flag around her shoulders.

The 2011 South Fayette graduate soaked in all the cheers from the thousands of spectators while rain showers soaked her for much of the race Sunday as the Pittsburgh Marathon returned with much celebration after a two-year in-person hiatus because of covid.

“I saw a woman with a sign that said, ‘At least it’s not snowing,’ ” said Hilton, who won in a time of 2 hours, 49 minutes, 49 seconds.

“I swear, all of my long runs this year were in snow. It was either snowing or raining or there was ice. I was ready for the rain. It was fun. I had a great time.

“It was great to see the support and excitement from everyone. It was that way all along the course. I went to Ohio State, and there, everyone knew that Nicole was from Pittsburgh. This is my city. This is home. This event is so special every time. The organizers, officials and other workers were out there in the pouring rain to make sure we had the best experience.”

Pittsburgh Marathon women's full marathon winner: South Fayette and Ohio State grad Nicole Hilton@TribLIVE @TribSports @pghpittsburgh pic.twitter.com/fPwKtnL6om

— Michael Love (@Mlove_Trib) May 1, 2022

Hilton is the first female runner from Pittsburgh to capture the full marathon since Clara Santucci went back-to-back in 2014 and ’15.

“My very best friend, Mallory, runs full marathons, and I was at her house in October of last year, and she was like ‘Do you think you want to try the marathon?’ ” said Hilton, who also ran at Ohio State.

“I was like, ‘No, I’m not running the marathon.’ Then I went home and thought about it, and I was like, ‘You know what? I have the time. I’ll give it a shot.’ Pittsburgh is one of the races that I hadn’t checked off the list.”

Hilton was among nearly 20,000 runners of various levels who celebrated the first Pittsburgh Marathon since 2019.

It was a 1-2 finish for Pittsburgh as Hilton bested Seton LaSalle and Notre Dame grad Ann Mazur, a 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials participant.

Mazur, 36, a Charlottesville, Va., resident, finished her first full Pittsburgh Marathon and first full marathon since the Olympic Trials in 2:53.50. She said she was buoyed by support from a number of family members and friends who lined the course that wound its way through 14 city neighborhoods and crossed three bridges.

“I know all the roads here, and there were so many people from my entire life who were out there along the course, even in the rain,” said Mazur, who has completed 13 full marathons.

“The weather was wild, but it kind of made it more exciting. My dad was popping up all over the course. My husband got one of those electric scooters. They don’t go that fast, so he was part using the scooter and part running fast to see me at various spots. He had quite the adventure with the rain, too. He got quite the workout.

“I just wanted to come to Pittsburgh, have fun and run with no pressure.”

Mazur said she was inspired to do the full Pittsburgh Marathon after running the Pittsburgh 10 Miler in November.

“After the 10 Miler, it made me so happy to run here,” said Mazur, who plans to return for next year’s Pittsburgh Marathon. “This is my home.”

On the men’s side, Dominican Republic’s Alvaro Abreu completed the 26.2-mile course in a winning time of 2:16.07, nearly five minutes ahead of runner-up Joseph Whelan (2:21.08), a Buffalo-area native.

Brent Kennedy, a 2014 Kiski Area graduate, placed sixth in 2:29.47.

Nick Wolk, a Peters Township and Pitt grad, took seventh in 2:05.37. That was two one-hundredths of a second behind U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman.

“There was a light drizzle at points, but nothing too bad, and it was cool,” said Wolk, a member of the Pittsburgh Track Club. “It sure beats the heat for these distances. If it’s too hot for too long, it gets rough. The cool drizzle was refreshing, actually.”

“I am so glad to be here for the first marathon in Pittsburgh after the shutdowns. It was so awesome to see so many people come to Pittsburgh and celebrate the event and the city. There were so many people with signs and others enjoying our sport.”

Kenyan Wesley Kiptoo, a junior on the Iowa State track and field team, captured the men’s half-marathon in a record time of 1:01.25. He bested the previous record of 1:02.32 set in 2013.

Right on Wesley’s heels was fellow Kenyan James Ngandu, the 2022 Houston Marathon winner who finished runner-up by two-one hundredths of a second.

Kenyan Caroline Rotich, the 2015 winner of the Boston Marathon, won the women’s half with a record time of 1:09.30.

She outdistanced runner-up Aliphine Tuliamuk, a U.S. Olympian who held the previous Pittsburgh women’s half marathon record (1:10.04, 2018). On Sunday, Tuliamuk ran faster than her 2018 time, finishing at 1:09.54.

From the full and half marathons to the 500 individuals who walked 13.1 miles to the handcyclists and those who ran for a meaningful cause, Troy Schooley, the CEO of P3R, the engine behind the Pittsburgh Marathon, said he was moved by the driving force of determination etched on every competitor’s face.

“The weather conditions weren’t great — there were downpours — but thousands and thousands, each with their own stories, all signed up for a goal, and they wanted to complete that journey today,” Schooley said.

“You see all ages and abilities out here. You see that emotion when they cross the finish line. Most of the time, there is a story behind that emotion. We can shake their hands and clap and just celebrate them because they just did something not a lot of people can say they did. There were 500 walkers out here today that walked through torrential downpours 13 miles. It just gives me chills about all the stories out here today.”