An Already Exciting 2023 Continues For Becca Pizzi After Ninth Edition Of Her Fundraising Race [VIDEO]

September 4, 2023 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Becca Pizzi at the road race she has held for the past nine years

It would already be an eventful year for Belmont’s best known runner, Becca Pizzi. It’s only going to get more existing in the next two months.

The two time champion of the World Marathon Challenge began the year coaching one of Boston’s greatest pro-athletes, former Boston Bruin captain Zdeno Chára, to race his first BAA Marathon in April.

Under her tutalage and running with her in the race, the 6-foot, nine-inch retired Bruin and the 5-foot, two inch Belmontian crossed the finish line hand-in-hand in 3 hours, 38 minutes and 23 seconds.

Being on the front of the sports pages worldwide would be enough for most runners to brag about; a month later – seemingly on a dare – Pizzi entered her first ultra-marathon, a 50-kilometer race in western Massachusetts. Up against veterans in the event, the first-timer won the race outright with a winning time of 3:59:11, smashing the women’s course record by 35 minutes and was the 24th-fastest 50K performance by a woman in the United States.

“It’s still great to win at 43 years old,” she said.

It was these accomplishments that Pizzi brought to Belmont on Aug. 27 as she hosted the 9th edition of the Becca Pizzi 5K road race, a fundraiser to support student scholarships and athletic material. Under wonderful conditions, nearly 360 runners took part in the 3.1 miles race from Harris Field to the Winn Brook School and back.

Nate Jackson cruised to a convincing victory in 15 minutes and 49 seconds. Finishing runner-up was All-American championship runner from his time at Belmont High. Victor Gras still holds every distance record at Belmont High School and won numerous state titles from the early 2000s traveled from New York City where he’s a senior vice president for a really cool company, YouGov, and finished in 17:17. Shannon Bueker took home the female title with a time of 18:32, edging out Haily Desmarais who came in at 18:56.

“It was an awesome day. The community shows up so hard. It’s just a great way to give back [to the community],” said Pizzi.

And there’s more to come for Pizzi in 2023. Later this month, Pizzi will travel to Wyoming to participate in the Jackson Hole Marathon on Sept. 23, completing her goal of running 50 marathons in 50 states.

“It’s been a ten-year journey; five marathons a year. I got serious about it two years ago,” said Pizzi. “It’s an incredible way to see the US.”

Just three weeks later, on Saturday, Oct. 14, Pizzi will participate in the ultimate triathlon in the world, the 2023 Ironman World Championship Women’s Race in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Pizzi was honored by receiving one of a handful of non-qualifying slots in the famous swim-cycling-running race that covers a total of 140.6 miles.

While a great runner and a good cyclist, getting ready for a 2.4 mile ocean swim has been daunting for Pizzi.

“Not really,” Pizzi said about her swimming attributes. “I’m going to Walden Pond because you can’t train for this in a pool.”

Still Time To Register For Becca Pizzi 5K On Sunday, Aug. 27 At 9:30 AM

August 25, 2023 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont’s Becca Pizzi with former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chára with their medals after finishing the 127th B.A.A. Marathon (credit: Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

Runners, don’t miss joining Belmont’s own World Champion for a last of the “summer” road race this Sunday, Aug. 27, as Becca Pizzi holds her annual Becca Pizzi 5K road race at Harris Field on the grounds of Belmont High School.

The race celebrates Becca, a two-time World Marathon Challenge Champion in which athletes ran seven marathons on seven continents all in seven days. Repeating her 2016 victory in 2018, Becca impressively crossed the finish line, setting another World Record, putting her in the Guinness Book of World Records. Pizzi is also an inspirational runner, finishing a marathon in each of the 50 states in the calendar year. At this year’s Boston Marathon, she helped train and ran with former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chára to help him finish his first marathon.

Becca is a lifelong Belmontian who attributes her success to the love and support of her community. She proudly remembers her early running days at Belmont High. As a result, Becca is dedicated to giving back to the community that supported and influenced her throughout her running career.

All race proceeds benefit Belmont High student/athlete scholarships and the Belmont High School athletic programs. This event is organized by Becca and Fitness Together of Belmont. The foundation has awarded Belmont High School athletes over $50,000 in scholarships and sports equipment. Last years scholarships were awarded to Molly Plunkett, Gabriella Athanasiou, and Andy Bello

Race day starts with a Kids Run, with youngsters running a mile (four laps) of the Harris Field track at 9 a.m. The 3.1-mile road race course begins on the track, proceeds to the Winn Brook neighborhood, and then turns back to the high school track. Come early to insure a race bib and a lot of fun.

Who’s That Tall Runner With Becca? Belmont Well Represented at 127th Boston Marathon

April 19, 2023 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont’s Becca Pizzi with former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chára with their medals after finishing the 127th B.A.A. Marathon (credit: Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

Seconds before former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chára crossing the finish line at the 127th running of the BAA Marathon on Monday, he reached down to grab the hand someone town residents know fairly well, Becca Pizzi, to share this special moment.

Turns out that Belmont’s 5’2” marathon champion was a big reason the 6’9″ Bruins legend was able to complete the 26.2 mile race which both would be raising money for the Hoyt Foundation. Being it was Chára’s first attempt at the distance, who better to be partnered with than the two-time winner of the World Marathon Challenge in which Becca ran seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days.

In a twitter message before the race, Boston Marathon’s long time race director Dave McGillivray wrote: [Chára] is READY due in big part to Coach Becca Pizzi and has EARNED THE RIGHT to do this race.”

On Monday, Belmont’s 29 finishers were part of the 30,090 who completed this year’s marathon.

Belmont’s Brian Harvey at the Newton Firehouse.

Five men ran under 3 hours and four women broke 3:45 with Brian Harvey finishing 47th overall while 52-year-old Laurie Nahigian raced to a 3:44:47 finish which was the 367th finisher in her division, while long-time State Sen. Will Brownsberger was 395th in his division with a time of 4:22:54.

Runner	Official Time
Brian Harvey	2:22:40
Cheng Zhong	2:47:42
Donal Reynolds	2:53:44
Mathew Swanson	2:55:53
Tony Luongo	2:58:54
Matthew Taylor	3:03:31
Jacob Scott	3:05:22
Lixin Qin	3:05:22
David Marchefka	3:05:41
Jeffrey Roth	3:13:22
Douglas Hall	3:16:16
Sam Belcher	3:22:32
Nicholas Gallo	3:28:06
Lisa Engler	3:36:22
Becca Pizzi	3:38:23
Xiaomei Zhou	3:39:50
Laurie Nahigian	3:44:47
Yi Zhang	3:48:20
Catherine Wall	3:52:37
Michael Ascione	3:59:38
Yufei Xu	3:59:43
Jenna Vargas	4:11:05
Erin Woodbury	4:19:37
Will Brownsberger	4:22:54
George Grant	4:23:23
Meaghan Murphy	4:54:41
Sylvia Limm	5:15:42
Rachel Heller	5:15:42
Mandela Toyo	5:49:23

5th Pizzi 5K Set For April 26

January 26, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: A new logo for the annual road race.

Becca Pizzi is preparing to make it five in a row as Belmont’s runner of renown is back with the fifth annual Becca Pizzi 5k and kids 1 mile Run set for Sunday, April 26.

Earlier in the month, the Select Board approved an application for the race that will start and finish at Belmont High School’s Harris Field track. The race begins at 9:30 a.m.

All proceeds benefit the Becca Pizzi Scholarship Foundation for the purpose of awarding scholarships to Belmont High School students.

FT Belmont is co-directing the race.

Second Becca Pizzi Family Run Fun Set For Sunday, April 30

April 21, 2017 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Becca Pizzi Family Fun Run 2017

The second annual Becca Pizzi Family Fun Run organized by the Belmont Boosters and sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank will take place on Sunday, April 30, starting at the Belmont High School track at Harris Field.

7:30 a.m.: Registration/Bib Pick Up Open
9 a.m.: 1-Mile Kids Race begins
9:30 a.m.: 5K Race begins

The race will include a 5K run. It will also include a 1-mile run for kids around the Belmont High School track. Registration fee is $25 for 5K runners and $10 for kids running in the 1-mile race (ages 12 and under).

The Becca Pizzi Family Fun Run celebrates Becca Pizzi, the first American woman to win the World Marathon Challenge, in which contestants run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents.

Registration for the 5K will be $35 the day of the race. Proceeds will benefit the Becca Pizzi Scholarship Fund and Belmont Boosters.

Bibs can be picked up on site or at Belmont Savings Bank in Belmont Center on Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Check out our Facebook event page.

Becca Pizzi’s Big Year Just Got Better With A Fenway Surprise [VIDEO]

April 17, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: The happy moment at Fenway with Becca Pizzi and Joe Stilwell. (FOX25 WFXT)

Joe Stilwell was happy to be a supportive partner in the background while his girlfriend of five years, Belmont’s Becca Pizzi, became a running phenom this year by winning the World Marathon Challenge – seven marathons run on consecutive days in seven continents – in a time that is the gold standard for women to strive to match.

But on Sunday, Stilwell decided that it was his time to take center stage. And what a place to do so, but the pitcher’s mound at Boston’s Fenway Park where Pizzi was given the honor of throwing out the first pitch before the Red Sox/Toronto Blue Jays.

But before she got that chance, Stilwell strode up to Pizzi, got down on one knee and asked for Pizzi’s hand in marriage. As can be seen in the video, the request was pretty much a surprise to Pizzi.

By the way, she accepted. Pizzi then threw the ball on the fly to the catcher.

And on Monday, she’s looking to run the BAA Marathon in about three hours and a half.

(Video from FOX25 WFXT)

Join Becca Sunday in the Pizzi Family Fun Run

April 9, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Image

Join World Marathon Champion Becca Pizzi for the first ever Becca Pizzi Family Fun Run organized by the Belmont Boosters and sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank.

The Becca Pizzi Family Fun Run is a new race in Belmont celebrating Pizzi being the World Marathon Challenge Champion. The 5K race will also act as a special send-off celebration for Becca Pizzi and all Boston Marathon Runners.

The course will begin and end at the Belmont High School track. Registration and bib pick-up begins at 7:30 a.m., with the 5k beginning at 9 a.m., with the 1-mile kid’s race starting at 9:05 a.m.

The race will also include a 1-mile run for kids around the Belmont High School track.

T-shirts will be available to the first 200 5K registrants.

Proceeds will benefit the Becca Pizzi Scholarship Fund and Belmont Boosters.

Stick around after the race for awards and fun activities.

Registration:

Register here on Racewire.com. Registration fee is $25 for 5K runners and $10 for kids running in the 1-mile race (ages 12 and under).

Marathon Challenge Champ Pizzi Speaking at Library at 7 PM Monday

March 21, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Becca Pizzi, champion.

You’ve heard about her, seen photos of her running and cheered at her homecoming parade.

Now you can hear Belmont’s own Becca Pizzi share stories from her amazing journey to become the first American woman to complete and win the World Marathon Challenge, running seven marathons, in seven continents, in seven days averaging less than four hours for each 26.2 mile distance.

Pizzi will give insight on the races and what it took for a single mom with two jobs to succeed in achieving her around-the-world adventure tonight, Monday, March 21 at 7 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Stick around until the end when Becca will answer questions and sign autographs.

Run With A Champion on April 10 At Inaugural Becca Pizzi 5K

March 15, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker 1 Comment

Photo: Becca Pizzi.

In four weeks, you’ll get the chance to run with a world champion, and you won’t have to leave Belmont.

On Sunday, April 10, the inaugural Becca Pizzi Family Fun Run will take place over the same route as the Brendon Home Run. Sponsored by Belmont Savings Bank, the Family Fun Run is the newest road race in Belmont, celebrating Pizzi winning the 2016 World Marathon Challenge in which she ran – and won! – seven marathons in seven days on seven continents.

The race will also act as a special send-off celebration for Pizzi and all Boston Marathon runners who will run the historic 26.2 mile BAA event eight days later.Speaking before the Board of Selectmen at its meeting Monday, March 14, Pizzi said the race is her way of giving back to the community that supported her during the Marathon Challenge.

Race proceeds will benefit the Becca Pizzi Scholarship Foundation, which will help high school students as they head to college, just as she was a recipient of a scholarship also.

The 5K (3.1 miles) race will start and finish at Belmont High School’s Harris Field track at 9 a.m. with a one-mile kid’s race will take place at 9:05 a.m.The race will include a 5K run. It will also include a 1-mile run for kids around the Belmont High School track.T-shirts will be available for the first 200 5K registrants. Stick around after the race for awards and fun activities!

Registration:Register here on Racewire.com. Registration fee is $25 for 5K runners and $10 for kids running in the 1-mile race.

Route:The 5K will begin and end on the Belmont High School track. See the route map below.

Pizzi Proud: Belmont Celebrates Marathon Champion’s Return Home

February 5, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Becca Pizzi and her daughter, Taylor.

Becca Pizzi came home to Belmont on top of a fire truck fueled by a wave of communal love.

Pizzi, both the first American woman to finish and win the World Marathon Challenge – in which participants run a marathon (26.2 miles) on seven consecutive days in a different continuant each day – arrived back to her hometown on Thursday, Feb. 4, to be the centerpiece of a parade from Belmont High School to Belmont Center.

Lead by town officials and the BHS Marching Band, Pizzi rode on a siren-blaring Belmont Fire engine with her daughter, Taylor, her family and boyfriend, followed by hundreds of residents – and a small army of television crews – celebrating the marathon champion and her accomplishment, destroying the previous record while running an average three hours and fifty-five minutes per race and finishing third overall all in one week’s time while traveling 25,000 miles.

“Just flying seven continents in seven days is extraordinary, and they stopped to run a little bit,” said Bob Mahoney, CEO and president of Belmont Savings Bank which sponsored the parade and reception.

Noting that Pizzi had seven “red letter days” in winning each race during the Challenge, “it’s important that you are sharing your fabulous red letter day with 20,000 people in your hometown and we really appreciate that very much,” said Mahoney, adding that young children will be able to look at her accomplishment “and face challenges and now will honestly be able to say, ‘I can do it’.”

After receiving proclamations from the town, the Massachusetts House and Senate as well as from Gov. Charlie Baker, Pizzi – who was wearing the winning medals from each continent she raced – kept her remarks short and sweet.

After thanking her daughter – the race had been the longest period they had been separated in their lives – family and friends, Pizzi the response from everyone before and during the races “makes me fortunate that I am a Belmontian, and I could never have done this without your support.”

Pizzi would then head inside the Belmont Savings Bank main branch to sign countless autographs, be interviewed by all of Boston’s television stations and bask in the spotlight reserved for local heroes.