Just A Short Run

Founded in 2001 to honor Sean T. Smith, who lost his battle with leukemia in 1995, Just A Short Run has helped raise tens of thousands of dollars to benefit local charities working to eradicate leukemia and blood-borne cancers.  

In 2025, we recommitted to Sean's legacy, launching a partnership with Cancer Bridges to help people diagnosed with cancer and their families and to support networks that help them navigate their cancer journey.  In 2026, we are proud to continue this partnership!

Race founder, Kevin Smith (brother of Sean), along with the GCXC Race Timing Team, running friends and family from the former Elite Runners & Walkers run shop, along with a small army of volunteers from local youth groups, will help transform North Park into the course(s) for Just A Short Run.  Back in its prime spot on the fourth Saturday in March, Just A Short Run is the perfect event to test your fitness or as your goal race.   With distances of 5K, 8.1 Miles, 1/2 Marathon & 30K, this event will be your perfect spring marathon tune-up event and regularly draws runners from 30-40 states hoping to prepare for Pittsburgh's hilly terrain.  

No matter why you run, this race is about much more than the run. The Just a Short Run community is vibrant, generous, and strong. If you're already a part of it, welcome back. If you're new, we can't wait to share the miles with you. 

Race Start: 8:30am

Course limit: 4hours

Lodging: 

We have a group rate at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in McCandless Crossing on Friday, March 22 for those coming in from out of town (or the South Hills.)This is ~4.2mi from the race start/finish near the Boathouse in North Park. We will email booking details to all registered participants. 

Dining: 

There are a ton of great options in our area for dinner on Friday, or lunch after the race on Saturday! This isn't a comprehensive list, but meant as a general suggestion: 

In North Park: Over the Bar Cafe

In McCandless Crossing: BJ’s Brewhouse, Bonefish Grill, Chipotle, Emiliano’s, Longhorn Steakhouse, Panera Bread, Burgatory, Hello Bistro

About North Park:  At more than 3,000 acres, North Park is the largest in the nine-park county system. The centerpiece is the 75-acre lake, complete with vintage boathouse, built in 1934, and plenty of ways to enjoy it, from kayak rentals to fishing.

A secure bag drop will be available outside the North Park Boathouse for participants to leave a change of clothing, or other post-race needs. It will be in an enclosed tent located outside this year. Look for our large 13' high Bag Drop banner
 
Please put all your belongings in a bag, ensure it will stay closed and prior to arriving CLEARLY mark the bag with your race bib number and your name if possible. Volunteers will assist with the collection and will retrieve your bags after the race.   
  
Please do not place valuables in these bags. We are not responsible for any valuables left in bags.

Races don't happen without the generous support of our many local sponsors.  If you or your business would like to become a sponsor for this year's event, please review the attached sponsorship info and contact Meg Duhlos at Cancer Bridges at meg@chancerbridges.org or Jessika Coltz at GCXC at jessika@gcxcracing.com.  There are many opportunities to support the race and Cancer Bridges; to make our audience your audience.

Below are the maps for all 4 races.   Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the map for your event. Note: The start of the 30K is separate from the other three distances. 

• 5K MAP

• 8.1 MILE MAP

• HALF MARATHON MAP

• 30K MAP

COURSE NOTES

• START LINES
  • 5K, 8.1 mile and half marathon start 1/2 mile from the finish up Tennis Court Road
  • 30K starts at the finish line and will exit the boathouse lot onto Pearce Mill Road
    • You will then make a left and go up and over the hill
    • You will merge with the rest of the field at approximately .7 miles
• FINISH LINES
  • All 4 races will finish together
• MILE MARKERS
  • All markers are correct for the 5K, 8.1 mile and half
  • 30K runners will need to add 1/2 mile to every marker.
  • Example - Mile 1 is actually 1.5 for the 30K and so forth.
• RUN THE TANGENTS ON LAKESHORE DRIVE
  • The course is measured by the tangents
  • The road will be closed
  • If you simply run with the curve of the road, YOU WILL RUN LONG
  • RUN THE TANGENTS

Course Limits: 

30K participants must maintain a 13:20min/mi pace, beginning their final 5 miles by 11:25am

The course will be open for 4 hours in total.  Participants will need to be on their final loop prior to the times below:

• 1/2 Marathon
  • 18:18 minutes per mile
  • Entering their final 5 mile loop by 2 hours and 29 minutes (18:18 pace per mile)
• 30K
  • 12:55 minutes per mile
  • Entering their final 5 mile loop by 2 hours and 54 minutes (12:55 pace per mile)

Participants who miss the last-loop cutoff will receive a "DNF" in the results, but will have the option to continue, unsupported. 

With 4 events going on simultaneously, we designed the finish area with very defined barriers to keep things moving smoothly, to keep the multiple events separated better as they finish at various times, and to speed up the awards.  

We will have volunteers directing you, plus multiple signs will be posted and the volunteers will be calling out instructions, (therefore keep your headphones off at the finish) so there should not be much issue. 
   
The only time you will cross under the purple FINISH ARCH and a clock is when you FINISH. 

THIS IS HOW IT WORKS! - ORIGINAL ROUTE START DETAILS.

• Start:
  • 5K, 8.1 Mile, & Half start down near the tennis courts
  • 30K Starts in the Boathouse lot at the actual finish line and merges into the field down Pierce Mill Road, see details on the maps page for 30K.
  • All races then do the original 5K around the ice rink then come back through the Boathouse parking lot coming in past the tennis courts.
  • The 5K runners will split off to the far right and go under the finish banner
  • ALL other runners will go over left-hand mats.
• At the end of the 1st 5 Mile lake loop
  • 8.1 Milers will split off to the right and go under the finish banner.
  • 1/2 marathoners & 30K runners will go to the left lane and continue around the lake again.
• At the end of the 2nd 5 Mile lake loop
  • 1/2 Marathoners will split off to the far right and go under the finish banner
  • 30K Runners will go to the left lane and continue around the lake again
• At the end of the 3rd 5 Mile lake loop
  • All 30K runners will finish to the far right under the finish banner.

Fundraisers can earn special Cancer Bridges and GCXC branded swag. Stay tuned as incentives are announced!

We at GCXC love dogs and many of our staff have them.  They are a wonderful addition to any family.   However, for safety and insurance reasons, we do not allow them at our events.  Please come to our races and have a blast with your family, friends and fellow runners but we kindly ask you to leave your dogs at home.  

SERVICE ANIMALS:  If you will be accompanied by a service animal, please contact the race director before the event so that we may make the appropriate accommodations for you.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

The use of over-ear, noise-cancelling headphones is prohibited at this event. Amplified music that is not provided by race staff or volunteers is additionally prohibited (i.e. bluetooth speaker).
 
It is vital that you are able to immediately hear and respond to on-course staff and volunteers' instructions. 
 
Participants are encouraged, for their own safety and the safety of those around them, to use only bone conduction (i.e., Shokz) or single-ear headphones for personal audio if necessary. 

GCXC does allow strollers at races where it is safe to do so.   If there is a race where we can not, we will specifically list that on the event website.   

However, we do ask that anyone with a stroller start in the rear of the event, or if you are competitive with your stroller, start on the left or right of the field and not in the middle.  This will allow for the safety and comfort of all participants at the event.  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

For the second year in a row, the Smith Family and GCXC have created a "Team In Training" team for the 2024 Just A Short Run.  We would love for you to join us.   Our goal for the team is to raise $5000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.   

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• You can make a donation  OR
• You can join our team, create your own page and join the fight with us.   DETAILS BELOW!

PERKS

Representing Over 3 Decades of Incredible Achievements & Lifesaving Results

Join the new Team In Training to take on best-in-class endurance challenges worldwide – while raising money to pioneer groundbreaking research and advancements in the fight against cancer for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned fundraiser our team will get you ready for race day with customized fundraising support

• 1:1 meeting to customize your fundraising strategy
• Social Media Tool Kit
• Letter Writing Campaign managed by our mailing house

CLICK HERE TO DONATE OR JOIN THE JUST A SHORT RUN TEAM 

To help with the start, Jim Crist and his team will once again be our pacers for the Half Marathon & 30K.   To view more info about JASR pace teams check out their website page for the race http://marathonpacing.com/short-run.php

To help make the race start smoother, please line up with the signs which they will be holding at both of the start areas to help keep the runners organized by pace per mile.  Faster to the front, slower to the back. Lining up correctly with your pace will help smooth out the start. 

If you are a new or inexperienced distance racer, pacing teams will help you finish much stronger as many new runners go out too fast and crash. The pacers are human metronomes and will help you achieve your goals.

Due to the large number of people participating, and the limited amount of parking near the start/finish line - WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND PRE RACE PACKET PICK UP.  This will allow you to simply show up on race day, warm up from your car to the start, and then go run your race.   No worries about doubling back to the car after you pick up your swag.

PRE-RACE PACKET PICK-UP: 

• TBD

RACE DAY

• 6:15 am to 7:45 am in the Rose Barn across the street from the Boathouse.
  • CLICK HERE for GPS Link.
• Packet pick-up will close at 7:45 am to allow all participants and staff to get to the start line which is almost 1 mile from check-in.

Due to the size of this event, we STRONGLY ENCOURAGE CARPOOLING AND ARRIVING EARLY!  As registration progresses, we will decide whether to use shuttle busses and the remote lots for additional parking, as there is limited capacity near the boathouse and Rose Barn.

• Rose Barn - about 150 cars
• Side lot along Pearce Mill - about 40 cars
• Spillway lot (1/2 mile away) - 100 cars
• Skating rink (1 mile away) - 300
• Pool lot (2 miles away) - 500+ cars

The parking rules in the park are made by Allegheny County and are in place primarily for runner and park-goer safety. Since they are gracious enough to host us, it is imperative that we follow the rules and abide by ALL race day instructions. 

Although we hope changes are minimal, we understand changes sometimes are necessary due to life events or training issues. Therefore, we have adopted the following rules:

• ALL CHANGES MUST TAKE PLACE PRIOR TO THE EVENT.
• YOU CAN NOT MAKE CHANGES MID-RACE!   YOU MUST RUN THE DISTANCE YOU SIGNED UP FOR.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR EVENT DISTANCE:

• All changes will incur a $5 change fee, plus any difference in race fee

  • NO CHANGES will be allowed after 3/22/26

  • NO CHANGES will be accepted on Race day

• Athletes may make distance changes themselves anytime prior to 3/22/26 at 11:59 pm. 

• STEPS IN RUN SIGN UP TO CHANGE YOUR EVENT DISTANCE

  • Visit www.runsignup.com and click on the "Athlete Login" link at the top right.

  • Sign in with the email & password you used when you registered.

  • Choose the 2025 Just A Short Run event and it will show the EDIT REGISTRATION button.  

  • Choose the TRANSFER EVENT TAB

  • Follow the directions on the screen.

• If you are changing to a shorter distance, there is no additional cost over $5.

• If you are changing to a longer distance, you pay the registration price difference, if any, at the current rate, plus the $5 change fee.

You may not change distances mid-race.  If you decide to drop to a shorter race, you will be listed as a DNF in the event you registered for.

CLICK HERE for a tutorial video on how to change events.

The only thing better than running miles to support Cancer Bridges is running them with friends & family!  Invite others to join you and earn cash back on your registration.

HOW DO I EARN REWARDS?  JUST FOLLOW THESE STEPS.

• When you register, you will receive your personal rewards link in your confirmation email. 
• Simply share that link with your family, friends, and fellow runners via email, social media or text.
• For every transaction that is completed, using your unique code, you will earn a referral credit. 
• When you hit a level below, you will instantly earn a reward back to the payment method that you signed up with.

1. 1. 5 referral registrations = $10 BACK
   2. 10 referral registrations = $20 BACK
   3. 15 referral registrations = $30 BACK

The more you refer, the greater your rewards.  So spread the word and start saving today!

RULES

• The referral has to signup with your unique referral link. You cannot email us "after the fact for credit" saying "I referred someone and ask for them to be added to your total.
• The RunSignUp system automatically keeps track and refunds automatically.

HOW CAN I SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE REGISTERED THROUGH MY REFERRAL LINK?

• You can track your referred registrations through your RunSignUp profile. Log into RunSignUp and go to Runner Links>>My Referrals or click THIS LINK.  

Restrooms will be available pre and post-race in the Rose Barn, Boathouse, porta-potties in the Boathouse Lot, and stand-alone restrooms just before the finish line on Tennis Court Road. There are also bathrooms near the Tennis Court Road Start line.

THERE WILL BE OVER 900 PEOPLE ON SITE 

DON'T WAIT TO GO

GO EARLY AND AVOID THE LINE

5K, 8.1 Miles and Half Marathon

• 8:35 am at the Tennis Courts
• This is located approximately 1/2 mile from the Boathouse so be sure to leave yourself time to get there.

30K

• 8:30 am start for 30K in the Boathouse parking lot
• The course will exit onto Pearce Mill Road out of the boathouse entrance, then turn left to go up and over the hill
• The 30K will then merge with the other events at approximately .4 miles into the race at the intersection of Pearce Mill and Walter Road.

Cancer Bridges’ mission is to support all those impacted by cancer through a variety of free programs and services. 

The organization provides a warm and welcoming environment for everyone who has been impacted by cancer. This includes those with a cancer diagnosis and surviving cancer, those who have a loved one with cancer, or have experienced the loss of a loved one due to cancer. The diagnosed, those in survivorship, bereaved, and the family, friends, and caregivers who support them are welcome to join Cancer Bridges and receive the social, emotional, and informational tools they need, at no cost.

Cancer Bridges provides critically needed programs and services to anyone impacted by cancer as a complement to medical care, addressing the emotional, social, and physical (psychosocial) effects of cancer through a comprehensive calendar of services and programs, by providing, at no cost, the informational tools individuals and families need to navigate their unique cancer journey. 

Your Support is Critical

Cancer Bridges continues to see an increased need for our programs and services, month over month and year over year. In 2023, Cancer Bridges welcomed over 870 new members, a 19% increase over the prior year and 142% more than anticipated. In addition, we continue to see as increased need for short-term supportive counseling and support groups, both cancer-specific and general. Last year we:

• Provided nearly 600 short-term supportive counseling sessions and continue to maintain a waitlist as the demand is greater than our time and resources,
• Offered over 20 different support groups with 275+ support groups sessions throughout the year,
• Held over 565 health and wellness programs,
• Offered 450 family and youth programs,
• Had over 7,075 visits from members, a 40% increase over 2022

Races do not happen without the generous support of our amazing volunteers.  We are always looking for people to help with the following positions.

• water stops
• registration
• post-race food
• medal distribution
• bag check
• parking logistics
• post-race cleanup

If you or your group would be interested in supporting our race, please contact Race Director Matt Imhof at matt@gcxcracing.com.

Water stops are located approximately every 2 miles throughout the course.  The stops will be stocked with water, Gatorade and great volunteers to cheer you along.  The Boathouse stop just past the finish line will also have energy gels available beginning after the 8.1 mile loop is complete.  Number of stops per distance listed below.

• 5k - 1 stop
• 8.1 mile - 3 stops
• 1/2 marathon - 6 stops
• 30k - 9 stops

Just past each stop will be a series of boxes with plastic liners.  Please be sure to keep our park beautiful and deposit your cups properly.

APPAREL OFFERINGS

• 5K
  • participants will receive a long-sleeved tech tee.
  • participants will receive a pair of commemorative Just A Short Run socks

• 8.1 Mile, Half Marathon and 30K
  • participants will receive a custom pair of Just A Short Run commemorative shorts.   
  • participants will receive a pair of commemorative Just A Short Run socks

SIZING NOTE: 

• Be sure to order the proper size for yourself. 
• THERE ARE NO EXCHANGES at packet pick up or race day if you order the wrong size.

Medal Image 

Conquer the Cold is back and colder than ever in 2026

• 21st Annual Frigid 5 Miler - Sunday, January 11, 2026 at North Park
• 50th Annual Spring Thaw - Saturday, February 28, 2026 at North Park
• 26th Annual Sean T. Smith Memorial Just A Short Run - Saturday, March 28, 2026

This unique challenge is not for the faint of heart. With the infamous Frigid 5 final hill, the Spring Thaw winter temps, and JASR’s famous mile 1 climb, this challenge will surely bring out the best in runners of all abilities!

All participants who complete the challenge will:

• Receive an exclusive, commemorative GCXC “Conquer the Cold” Winter Challenge finishers medal at Just A Short Run on March 28, 2026.
  • Medal reveal coming soon!
• Receive all individual race SWAG from Frigid 5, Spring Thaw, and Just A Short Run
  • A commemorative 2026 Frigid 5 custom knit tossle cap and finisher medal
  • A commemorative 2026 Spring Thaw 50th Anniversary long sleeve tee, socks, and finisher medal
  • A commemorative pair of 2026 Just A Short Run running shorts and a finisher medal
• Pay only one transaction fee (not three!) when registering and save money
• Have the opportunity to purchase Challenger-only apparel to wear during your training
• Get huge kudos on your accomplishment from family, friends, and fellow runners
• Experience immense pride as you conquer the winter chill, maintaining your training momentum as we head into spring 2026

Best of All, You Create Your Own Challenge:
The challenge is simple: sign up for all 3 events at once, pick your distances at each race, and you are registered for the challenge. There are 16 different combinations to choose from.  Eat your heart out Burger King!  Our runners can have it their way.

NOTE:  YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THE CHALLENGE USING THE CHALLENGE BUNDLE TILE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE CHALLENGE PERKS. Registering for each race separately does not qualify as the challenge.

GCXC is proud to partner with USATF Three Rivers on their 2022-2023 Winter Grand Prix.   USATF Three Rivers is the local chapter of USA Track & Field.  The Grand Prix will score points for USATF Three Rivers members and they will be eligible for unique prizes at the end of the series.   The series is open to all USATF Three Rivers members.  This years events include:

• Run Santa Run 5k Cranberry - Saturday, Dec 10th, 2022
• Frigid 5 Miler - January 8th
• Groundhog Day 5k - February 4th
• Spring Thaw 10 Mile - Feb 25th
• Shamrock Run 5k Cranberry - March 4th
• March Mad Dash 5 Mile - March 11th
• Just A Short Run 8.1 Mile - March 25th

For information about USATF Three Rivers and all they do, please click the link below.

• http://www.usatf-threerivers.org

For information on USATF member benefits, please click the link below.

• https://www.usatf.org/home/top-utility-nav-content/membership

AGE GROUP AWARDS

Top 3 overall Male and Female in all 4 races will receive awards.

Age group awards will be distributed in the following categories:

• 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
• First masters male and female in all races.
• No duplication.  i.e. If you win in the overall or masters division, then you are not eligible for an age group prize.  This allows more people to win.

Per current USATF guidelines, top 3 overall placements are based on gun time. 
Age group awards will be based on chip time.

TIMING AND RESULTS

We will once again use ChronoTrack Live electronic timing from GCXC Race Timing & Management.   Finish times will be available online as soon as you finish at the finish kiosks and will be posted on www.gcxcracing.com/results