Troy Schooley, CEO of P3R. (Jim Harris/PBT)

By Riley Dunn, Pittsburgh Business Times

A record high 4,270 P3R charity runners raised $1.4 million during the 2025 DICK’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend of Events. 

Since its inception in 2009, the Run for a Reason Charity Program, which is presented by KeyBank, has generated more than $18 million to benefit local, national, and global organizations. Runners who participate in the program are among 40,000 annual runners who attend the weekend racing events. 

“The Run for a Reason Charity Program exemplifies the power of community and collective impact,” Troy Schooley, P3R CEO said in a statement. “We are grateful to every participant, partner, and volunteer who contributed to this year’s success and helped make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many.”

The high number of participants inspired 15,666 individual donations across 48 official charity partners.

However, the program’s impact extended beyond the numbers. 

Vincent Fath was among the year’s top fundraisers and participated in the UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon — his first ever race at that distance. Fath ran in support of the UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation and initially set a goal of raising $5,000 for the organization. 

He exceeded that goal in a mere two days and ended up raising more than $25,000. 

“The Pittsburgh Half Marathon was a great event, but I’m not a runner by nature. I chose to participate because of the opportunity the Run for a Reason Charity Program provided,” Fath said in a statement. “Too often, we focus on things that only benefit ourselves or those closest to us, but the truth is, bad things happen to good people. We all have the responsibility to step up and show support through unforeseen circumstances. Any of us could find ourselves in need of help, and short on support, in a moment’s notice — whether that be financial or emotional. It’s inspiring how good you can feel helping others that you may never meet.”

All the money that Fath raised will be sent to the UPMC Mercy Burn Center and will be used to help support pediatric burn patients. Through all his efforts, Fath remains grateful to the friends who supported him along the way. 

“I’m so fortunate to have a wide network of friends that rallied behind me,” Fath said. “That’s the greatest takeaway for me right behind helping the kids. It’s a memorable moment for me, and I’m so grateful for every one of them. If their donations can bring a little hope and happiness to those kids, it was worth all the work that went into it.”

Charity runners were also celebrated at the KeyBank | UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh BACK Half Marathon. This race is an exclusive 13.1 mile event that offers participants race day bibs, unique medals and a red carpet start line. Everything about the race is meant to recognize and reward the fundraising efforts of the runners. 

“At KeyBank, our purpose is to help the communities we serve thrive,” Vic Laurenza, market president for KeyBank in Western Pennsylvania said in a release. “The Run for a Reason Charity Program is a powerful example of how collective generosity can drive real, measurable change — and we’re honored to support the individuals and organizations making a difference every day.”

Riley Dunn is a student at the University of Iowa and one of 10 Pittsburgh Media Partnership summer interns.