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When Julia and Juris moved back to Pittsburgh in 2021 they wanted to bring elite track and field with them. Juris graduated and competed from Syracuse University with a degree in exercise science, and from the start knew he wanted to be a track and field coach. He also knew the system for post-collegiate athletes was lacking in many areas. Juris is still competing today, with the goal to be better is marathon PB, and compete at his second Olympic Marathon trials.
Working with Julia, who graduated from California University of PA with a master's degree in performance enhancement and injury prevention and worked in the running industry for nearly 6 years, they formulated the foundation for the Pittsburgh Track Club.
With Julia's insider knowledge of the running industry she has been instrumental in developing our marketing and business strategies, and with Juris as the coach of the Pittsburgh Track Club we have been able to provide a support system for post-collegiate athletes in the Pittsburgh area as they pursue their passions.
We exist to grow and support competitive distance running in Pittsburgh. At the PTC we want to provide a fun competitive environment for athletes to reach their goals while giving back to the Pittsburgh running community. Whether you are an elite team member or a community team member the PTC is here to help. To do this we host weekly training runs, host races, and youth camps. The funds raised from these events are used to help support our elite team members with training, rehab, gear, and travel. If you would like to be involved contact us here, or find us on Instagram and Strava!
We couldn't have started this club without them. These are the people behind the Pittsburgh Track Club.
I founded the Pittsburgh Track Club to bring an elite team to Pittsburgh. My vision for the group is to provide post-collegiate runners with a support system that allows them to continue pursuing their passion.
This is something I did not have when graduating from Syracuse University. And I am dedicated to growing a competitive post collegiate club with proper resources. opportunities, training, and more to the runners in our city. My goal is to improve and develop as both an athlete and a coach of the Pittsburgh Track Club. My current focus is the marathon distance with a goal of improving my marathon best of 2:17:36 to 2:14. And improving my 14:28 5k time and 66:30 half marathon time.
Marathon PR: 2:17:36
5K PR: 14:28
Half Marathon PR: 66:30
If you really want to get to know someone you have to ask the right questions. Where are you from? Pittsburgh, born and raised. What do you do for a living? I’m a graduate student – I still can’t believe they pay me to go to school. What do you fear? Well, I think one of my greatest fears is getting to some later point in life and realizing I regret not giving everything I had to something.
After a series of injuries in college I was ready to move on from running, but that fear brought me back. I have been so fortunate to train and compete for such a long time and giving it up right when things got tough felt like the coward’s way out. Joining the Pittsburgh Track Club has been a great validation that my dream of competing at a high level is attainable, and that no matter how many setbacks an athlete faces it is possible to train, compete, and win again.
Half Marathon PR: 65:19
From a young age my parents would take me to charity 5k races. It wasn’t long before I became addicted to chasing age group prizes. I continued racing with the Pacer Track Club in the South Hills, and then for my Middle School and High-school in Peters Township before committing to the University of Pittsburgh to compete in ACC and NCAA cross country and track and field. Although the desire to compete and win is what got me started in the sport, the friends and social aspect is what kept me coming back year after year. The Pittsburgh Track Club gets me excited to continue pursuing my goals and testing my limits in the sport while being a part of a great community. I hope to improve my times in the mile, 5k, and 10k and eventually test myself in the half, marathon, and beyond. I’m extremely proud to compete for and contribute to a team representing Pittsburgh.
While I compete, I will be continuing my education at the University of Pittsburgh’s graduate school of public and international affairs where I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public administration.
1500M PR: 3:43.95
5K PR: 13:53.02
10K PR: 29:28.58
A native of Pittsburgh, I grew up in the North Hills and gained a love for running in middle school. Like most runners I was attracted to the return on investment running can provide if you’re willing to put in the hard work. After competing collegiately at Pitt, I knew the sport had more to offer for me. My goals are to improve my track times and then move up to the marathon with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the Olympic Trials in 2024.
When not running I work as a data scientist at Dick’s Sporting Goods. I’m excited to be a part of this club because there’s something special about a group of athletes willing to put in hard training while also working or studying full time. I’m excited to see where PTC goes and how this group will feed off one another to achieve our goals as a team and individually.
Half Marathon PR: 65:18
5K PR: 14:23
I am from Pittsburgh and plan to always be from Pittsburgh. I grew up in South Fayette where I began my running career in middle school. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have an amazing high school coach that not only lead me to success but also nurtured a love for running. I took that love for running to Duquesne in 2018, and had some success early on but was plagued with injuries for a majority of my collegiate career. When I heard Juris was founding PTC I knew that I just had to be a big part of it. Currently, I am a manager at Pro Bike and RUn and I work with Juris closely to bring Pittsburgh the best that I can for the running community. I plan to improve all my PR's and continue running at a high level for the foreseeable future while helping Pittsburgh Track Club grow and develop into someting truly special along the way.
8k PR: 24:32
5k PR: 14:40
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When Juris asked if I could help design the PTC logo I quickly said yes… but only if I could also design the brand identity, website, social, merch, take photography, etc. Reason being, hearing him talk about his plans for the club I got excited because I could tell that he was onto a great post collegiate run group to unite athletes in Pittsburgh. And I wanted to help him match his vision while collaborating to create a brand/team that we know runners in our city could fall in love with.
I’ve been running since I was 12, and since graduating college I’ve been looking for a team that resembles the nostalgia, passion, and energy of my school days. I love being surrounded by others who want to tackle the world too. When I’m not working here, I’m working as a freelance graphic designer and art director in the sport. Let’s connect if you’re looking for a creative on your next project.
As much as I loved my high school and college days on the track and cross team, I’ve come to realize that the road running scene of pounding away long milage on asphalt might just be my calling. Being a late bloomer to running success in my teens and always needing to feel like I need to prove my worth might be a small reason as to why I’ve yet to throw in the towel on my running career… But at the end of the night I am proud of my stubborn love for the sport because I can say that I’ve improved my fitness and have brought down my PR’s since my college days.
While working in the screen printing industry I’ve help dozens of teams and clubs over the years be able to don a garment that they’re proud to represent. And as an athlete myself, I can remember the pure joy I felt when I earned and raced in my first Cal U team jersey. It felt amazing! I’m incredibly excited to be PTC’s screen printer to help them feel the same.
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