Did You See a Potato Running the Pittsburgh Marathon?

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN BRACKEN | SOME OF THE SPEEDY SPUDS ON A TRIAL RUN IN POINT STATE PARK SATURDAY, MAY 2.

When you think of long-distance running, you probably don’t also think of potatoes. 

That would be because you haven’t heard of the Speedy Spuds. 

Decked out in custom-made potato costumes, the group of 26 runners — representing the 26 grams of carbohydrates found in the nutrient-dense food — took to the streets this weekend as Team Potato. They participated in the Pittsburgh Marathon and Half-Marathon races with their registration fees covered by Potatoes USA, the nation’s official potato marketing and research organization that works on behalf of potato farmers.

Why?

“We’re always looking for new and interesting ways to communicate the nutritional benefits of potatoes,” says Kayla Vogel, community engagement manager for Potatoes USA. 

The costumes worn by the Speedy Spuds have all of the nutritional information for a medium-sized, skin-on white potato on the back: 26 grams of complex carbs, 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of plant-based protein, plus vitamins C and B6 and more potassium than a medium-sized banana. 

“Lots of really good things in a potato,” Vogel says.

She adds that a lot of people love potatoes, especially in Pittsburgh, but not as many know that they can be used as a body’s source of fuel, whether you’re training for a marathon or just getting through the day. 

That’s where the Speedy Spuds come in. The concept raises awareness for the nutrient-dense, affordable vegetable in a way that supports local runners; six of this year’s 26 Spuds were Pittsburgh natives. Among them was Maura Dye from Mars, Pa., who ran the 13.1-mile half-marathon with Team Potato.

“It was such a fun experience, running through Pittsburgh,” Dye says. “I had so many people shouting, ‘I love potatoes,’ or ‘Potatoes are great’ or ‘How did you get to do that?’” she says. “I was screaming, ‘Google Speedy Spuds, it’s awesome!’” 

Dye, like most of Team Potato, loves the vegetable. True to her Pittsburgh roots, pierogies are her favorite form, along with Potato Patch fries from Kennywood, but she cites the baked potato she had the night before the race as the thing that helped her feel energized and ready to go on race day.

“It felt great, as a mom of two kids, getting out there. It was like, “I can do this,’” says Dye, who hadn’t run a half-marathon in more than nine years. “It’s awesome. I ran 13.1, and to be honest, I’m not as sore as I thought. I did it! I did it.”

Even the costume itself was more comfortable than you might think.

“In our Pittsburgh weather … the costume was a benefit,” Dye says, adding that she, like most runners, did not anticipate temperatures to be 30 degrees on race morning. “I wore my T-shirt, but the costume stopped the wind and kept me warm.”

In 2022, Potatoes USA started a public run club on Strava, an app that allows runners to connect and share their runs and routes. When it began, it had about 700 members. Now, it has almost 30,000.

“It’s been pretty incredible to see how it’s grown,” Vogel says, adding that engagement was high from the start; runners post in the online club every day about what they’re fueling for, what races or routes they’re running around the country and how they’re using potatoes as a performance vegetable. Speedy Spuds are typically chosen by Potatoes USA from Strava’s Team Potato group as a way to give back to the community that has been preaching the potato gospel.

“This year, we sent out a newsletter and asked [potential participants] to write a 100-word essay on why they wanted to be a Speedy Spud,” Vogel explains. The 26 “funniest, most original and most compelling entries” were selected. 

Choosing the Pittsburgh Marathon as this year’s event was easy, too. Vogel says the Steel City was an easy location to get runners to, and the marathon and half-marathon courses were fun and unique. There’s also a vibrant potato culture here in Pittsburgh, and a bustling potato farmer community throughout the Commonwealth.

The Speedy Spuds hope to keep the potato momentum going strong through next year. 

Dye even issued a public challenge to another Pittsburgh potato-inspired team: she wants the Speedy Spuds to race the Pirates Pierogies.

“I am putting a challenge out there,” she says. “I just think it would be so much fun.”