In 1977 Mayor Richard S. Caliguiri established The Great Race as a community “fun run.” Eleven years later, Mayor Caliguiri died of amyloidosis, a rare protein disorder in which one or more organ systems in the body accumulate deposits of abnormal proteins known as amyloid.

Each year The Great Race donates $1 from every Great Race and Junior Great Race registration to the Richard S. Caliguiri Amyloidosis Fund, a fund held by the Pittsburgh Foundation that is dedicated to supporting medical research.

Each year on the last Sunday of September, the starting gun sounds for a world-class road race that has become a true Pittsburgh tradition for the past 36 years. The Great Race – established as a 10K race by the late Mayor Richard S. Caliguiri – has attracted more than a quarter million participants since 1977. Over the years, this popular fall fitness classic has grown to include a 5K run/walk, running clinic, two-day expo and children’s race…with more than 16,000 individuals taking part in these various activities annually.