31st Fineview Step Challenge in the Books

If you’ve been hearing whispers of a new sports dynasty murmuring throughout Fineview, you can trace them back to the Overlook, early in the morning on October 3, when Mary Kowalski of Hollidaysburg crossed the Fineview Step Challenge finish line first among women for the second year in a row — beating her own time from last year by a whole two minutes, completing our grueling, five-mile course in 44 minutes and 21 seconds.

She was among 160 steppers who came from 25 towns and cities in 7 states to take on our 31st Step Challenge. Pittsburgh’s weather even played nice for our guests: temperatures in the high 60s and barely a cloud in the sky.

We had more than 40 volunteers, serving as marshals who guided and encouraged steppers, as well as servers who provided water throughout the route and refreshments at the finish line.

Our fastest participant overall was Pittsburgh’s own Kevin Bellanca, who finished in 40 minutes and 58 seconds, a pace of 8:11/mile. Erin Franke and Shann Riley of Pittsburgh finished second and third among women; Michal Kawecki of Gibsonia and Pace Nalbone of Pittsburgh took the silver and bronze among the men. Our fastest non-binary stepper was Ciara Stehley.

Our top-finishing Fineview resident was Jamie Wiggan, who notched a respectable 10th-place finish overall.

As in past years, runners received a special handmade set of stairs as their award along with gift cards from Pro Bike Run, Appalachian Running Co., and Fleet Feet.

This year, we capped off the event with a shot of pickle juice from a local company, The Brinery.

Many thanks to GCXC for timing the race and providing logistical support again this year.

And extra special thanks to our Step Challenge committee as well as our Step Challenge coordinator, Jo Deming. Our team was glad for the opportunity to share the importance of caring for our community, including: our staircases, green spaces, affordable homes, and our neighbors.