Every year, the Pittsburgh Marathon gives runners the chance to go the extra mile in their participation and Run for a Reason. One Run for a Reason participant, Becky Hamilton, chose Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation as her charity to support. We spent time getting to know Becky and why she chose to run for Magee. Her story helps illustrate why Magee is important to so many.

Let’s support Becky as she runs this race!

How did you get into running?

I was never a runner. In fact, I used to do everything possible to avoid it.

Wanting to break through a workout lull, I searched for a new challenge. Inspiration came from my dad, as I watched him run half marathons. I decided then I was going to make a change, so I started running. Here I am, eight years later and I haven't looked back. The running community is amazing. I don't have any plans to stop any time soon!

Why did you choose to run for Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation?

When signing up for the Pittsburgh Marathon, I saw advertisements for the Run for a Reason program. I thought, ‘If I am already going to be running the Pittsburgh Marathon, I may as well do something that will benefit those people who can’t.’

This will be my fifth year as a Run for a Reason charity runner. My daughter is also in her second year as a charity runner for the Kids Marathon. I wanted to give this weekend a bigger meaning — something to give me extra motivation during the race. So, each year I run for a different charity.

This year, I will be running my first marathon and I wanted to make sure the charity I selected held the same magnitude as this race. Recently, I felt like so many women have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The harsh reality is that we all know someone who had/has it. I lost my aunt in 2015. Watching her fight is something I'll never forget. I felt called to honor her and find a charity that would help support these warriors.

I came across Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation when looking for a charity to run for. As I looked into what they do, I was amazed! It didn't take long for me to decide who I was going to run for in 2023.

Do you have a personal connection to UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital?

My daughter was born at Magee 13 years ago. She was born the day before the snow started falling in February 2010's Snowmageddon. I was in the hospital with the same nurses for a couple of days since we couldn’t go anywhere. My stay there was amazing. Everyone, especially the staff and nurses, were wonderful.

What would you say to someone considering Run for a Reason?

Do It — It's a little thing that you can do where any amount of money you raise is fantastic. There are so many great charities to pick from. For me, it was challenging to narrow it down to just one charity to run for. All of the charities are Pittsburgh-based, so it's going back into the community.

When you don't feel like getting up in the morning and going for a run and training, it helps keep you focused. It helps you to stay on track to remember, ‘I'm raising money.’ Those who donated are expecting me to go out there and run and that's what I'm going to do.

When you're out there on race day, you're running the course and it's just a fulfilling feeling to know that when you cross the finish line.

What are some of your favorite places to run?

I normally run in my neighborhood. I was a member of the Steel City Road Runners Club for a while. I recently joined the City of Bridges Run Club where we run through different parts of the city.