PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Hundreds of runners gathered Saturday morning for bonding, exercise, and breakfast for the first-ever Miles, Pancakes, and Purpose event, raising over $1,000 for a good cause.  

“I got 10 miles,” runner Lauren Ricci said.

This inaugural event emphasized the pancakes.

“Everybody likes pancakes. Runners need carbs,” Jessica Coltz, GCXC Assistant Director of Race Operations, said.

Nearly 400 people registered for Saturday’s event. Organizers estimate the final count is at or more than that number.

It also helps raise money for Cancer Bridges, a group that supports those navigating cancer.

“It is a very challenging experience to be diagnosed, and you need a community, and you need support. That’s what Cancer Bridges provides,” Jennifer Kehm, Program and Development Coordinator at Cancer Bridges, said.

Cancer Bridges is the charity partner for the Sean T. Smith Memorial “Just a Short Run,” which will be held on March 29, 2025.

“It’s so nice for us to be able to come together in the 25th year [and] have this partnership with Cancer Bridges,” Coltz said.

So many different run clubs from the Pittsburgh area came together to spend Saturday morning in the Strip District.

“It was really important to us to expose the Pittsburgh Run Community to the good work that Cancer Bridges is doing,” Coltz said. “And also to expose the Cancer Bridges community to the good work the race has been doing.”

It’s a chance to reach a different audience and inform people about the work Cancer Bridges does to provide support.

“It’s an entire new community for us,” Kehm said.