The Great Race is a staple among Pittsburgh running races, and for good reason. This year, the event featured a 10k, 5k, and the One GREAT Challenge, which involved running the 5k first followed by the 10k. I chose to run the challenge this year, and it was an incredible experience. The 5k course is actually the back half of the 10k course, so getting to run that portion of the course prepared me well for what to expect going into the 10k. There is a part of the course running up towards Duquesne University that is a fair stretch of continuous uphill, but after that's it all downhill from there. Many people will say that this is their go-to race for setting a new PR for either the 5k and 10k, and that remains true year after year. The course itself navigates you through different parts of Pittsburgh, and at one point you get a great view from a decent elevation of Pittsburgh. The finish line area is full of crowds of people cheering you on to the finish line, and the post-race festivities are fantastic as always. If you run the challenge, you'll earn not only the 5k medal and 10k medal, but also a third medal for the One GREAT Challenge. The attendance for this event is hard to match, and the popularity and spirit of the race are part of what make it so special and the biggest 10k race in Pennsylvania (and one of the biggest in the country).