Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon runners to get mental health support

Jan. 6—It's been said that running a marathon is all in the mind — that the mental approach is as important as the physical.

As runners begin training in earnest for the 2023 Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon on May 7, P3R, the non-profit organization that manages the marathon and some 15 other running events in the Pittsburgh area is putting an emphasis on mental health to participants.

P3R is partnering with ultramarathoner Greg Nance, a champion distance runner who has grappled with his own mental health issues, to provide weekly "Mental Health Monday" messages to runners. Nance will also promote youth mental health and healthy lifestyles to Kids of STEEL participants (Kids of STEEL is P3R's free training program for children and their families).

In addition, the organization will host a webinar with Nance that will address topics such as mental toughness and stress management.

"The mental health aspect is something we wanted to focus on," P3R CEO Troy Schooley said. "Running is an outlet and that's probably been amplified over the last year as we came out of covid and just everything in general. We've seen a lot of people who have just started running and said that they feel better, not just physically but mentally."

Nance got onto the organization's radar last year while galloping through Pittsburgh as part of a 3,156 mile run across the United States to raise money for his nonprofit Run Far Foundation, which supports youth mental health efforts.

"He's got an unbelievably positive attitude," Schooley said. "He's been through this journey of running across the country, so he knows the trials and tribulations of training and putting in the hard work, battling through injuries and getting to a finish line. He's a guy who has had his issues with substance abuse and depression and now he's got this unbelievable outlook on life in general and what running does for that."

Growing up on Bainbridge Island, Wash., Nance was a multi-sport athlete who excelled in track and cross country in high school but ended up getting sidetracked.

"I hit some tough times as a teenager after the loss of my grandpa, who was my best friend and, like a lot of teenagers, didn't have the maturity to handle that in a healthy way," Nance, 34, said. "I made a bunch of unhealthy choices, including trying to medicate my depression and anxiety with alcohol and painkillers. That led to seven tough years and I was able to slowly pull myself out of those challenges with a daily running habit and really wonderful mentors in my corner."

Nance has since become a non-profit leader, which inspired his run across the United States, an 84 day journey crossing 14 states from New York to Washington.

"I'm on a mission to pay it forward, a mission to help young people find healthy outlets, and to build community and connection as they go," Nance said. "I do love running. I've run a bunch of marathons now, a bunch of ultras, and I love lacing it up with young people and helping folks find their path to be happy and healthy."

Schooley said it's important for organizations like P3R to maintain the focus on mental health issues.

"Mental health issues do not evade athletes. They do not evade runners. They do not evade celebrities," he said. "So, we need to continue to talk about it and we need to continue to provide outlets ... for runners that might be struggling, not just through training but just in general, just in life. Even if it helps just a couple of people through the struggles of mental health and puts them on the right path, that's a win for us."

The Mental Health Monday videos will be available to anyone on P3R's social media channels.

"The mission here is equip every runner to become a mental health champion for self advocacy and self care, but also to be there for their family and friends, classmates, colleagues," Nance said. "The best way to help with your own mental health is to be there for others in your orbit and vice versa."

Paul Guggenheimer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at pguggenheimer@triblive.com.

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