Back from a five-year hiatus, the Pittsburgh Marathon returned in 2009. And to mark the occasion, longtime participant Terry Moore went down to the marathon’s office to hand deliver his registration. He also brought with him a question, posed to Patrice Matamoros, the CEO of P3R and the Pittsburgh Marathon at the time.
“Do you guys have a list of everyone who’s finished every marathon?” Moore asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. Why?” Matamoros replied.
“Because I haven’t missed one,” Moore said.
Matamoros was at first surprised, but then intrigued. She tasked someone with finding out if a list of every runner who completed every Pittsburgh Marathon could be put together. The result? The “Sole Survivors” were formed.
On Sunday, nine runners who have participated in every Pittsburgh Marathon since its inception in 1985 will toe the starting line. They hope to not only finish the 26-mile trek and keep their perfect status intact, but to do so together as a unique collective.
“It’s a big deal. It really is,” said Don Slusser, one of the nine members of the close-knit club. “It was a crusher in ’04 when Pittsburgh didn’t have it. It’s a highlight. ... And when it came back, it was like Christmas all over again.”
Slusser, a 70-year-old from Monroeville, serves as the numbers guy of the group. He keeps statistics for and volunteers with the marathon as a whole. But he also makes sure to keep the times and information of the remaining “Sole Survivors.”
Earlier this week, Slusser proudly read off the names, hometowns and ages of those who have run 28 consecutive Pittsburgh Marathons, keeping in mind the race’s absence from 2003-08 and in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19: Joe Bujdos, Indiana, 69; Robert Crawford, East Brady, 75; Frederick Davis III, Cleveland, 74; Bob Graham, Allison Park, 77; Tim Hewitt, Greensburg, 67; Dirk Kalp, Mount Pleasant, 69; Bill Rodney, Pittsburgh, 67; Terry Moore, Cranberry, 60; and Slusser himself.
Slusser also made sure to mention three runners who are considered “Sole Survivor” alumni — runners who missed a marathon through no real fault of their own. Tom Deter, a 65-year-old from Greensburg, missed one due to heart surgery, but still runs the 5K and relays. Don Toy, a 69-year-old from Apollo, also had a heart issue but runs the relays. Marty Klanchar, a 64-year-old from State College, is also in the group.
“It’s fantastic. I love the group. I love the guys,” Moore said. “We get to meet up once a year for the marathon and Saturday evening at the expo, our group is always recognized. Then when we show up and toe the line and start the race, we usually have a specific shirt on. ... And you know who those shirts are. If you’re waddling along in the marathon, you might say and hear, ‘Hey, you’re one of the guys.’ It’s pretty cool.”
Slusser added that “we’re not young puppies” anymore. It certainly takes Slusser longer to complete the marathon now than it did when he was an All-American at IUP in the early 1970s and when he finished sixth in the 1976 Boston Marathon.
But even though they’re all still competitive, the “Sole Survivors” understand the occasion is also about camaraderie and pride.
“These guys, I mean, I’ve had two knee replacements. I said I’m not going to have my knee replaced in April; I’ll do it in the winter so I have time to train to do it,” Slusser said. “We’re all slower. But these guys, they’re all great stories.”
Johnny McGonigal: jmcgonigal@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jmcgonigal9
First Published: May 1, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
