Pittsburgh, PA
The 2017 Gatorade Steelers 5k began this morning at 8am. At the start of the race, the temperature was in the low 60s. Wolf Creek Track Club members, Sean McDonnell and Jack Erickson, competed in the race. The course which traveled along the North Side and finished on Heinz Field was incorrectly measured and ended up being at least 200 meters too long.
McDonnell and Erickson went out at a swift pace clocking 5:01 and 5:05 first miles respectively. McDonnell, 23, of Cranberry Township placed 10th overall out of thousands of runners in the race. McDonnell’s finishing time was 17:18 (5:33/mile), however his true 5k time was about 16:38 when factoring in the long course. Erickson, 23, of Victor, New York claimed 17th place overall in a time of 17:45 (5:42/mile) – more like a 17:03 when adjusted for the long course. McDonnell took 1st place in his age division (20-24), while Erickson was 2nd. This is the first time that McDonnell and Erickson have competed in the Steelers 5k.
Jed Christiansen, 30, of Greenville, PA finished 1st overall in a time of 15:31 (4:59/mile). However, his time would have been about 14:57 if the course had not been long. The top female finisher was Jennifer Bigham, 36, of Pittsburgh who completed the course in a time of 17:41 (5:41/mile) – about a 16:59 adjusted.
Upcoming Wolf Creek Track Club Events: 2nd Annual Premium Outlets 5k