Running for Elizabeth

Elizabeth DiNunzio was supposed to run the Pittsburgh Marathon this morning. Instead, her family and friends are gathering for her funeral.

DiNunzio, 22, was finishing an afternoon run last Tuesday in preparation for her first marathon when she was stuck and killed by a motorist in a pick-up truck; the man was not charged. She would have graduated with honors next Sunday.

In memory, DiNunzio's aunt, Tami Kennedy, wore the girl's race number today and Kennedy, who had registered for the half-marathon, gave that number to Loren Reynolds, DiNunzio's boyfriend. Although he is not a trained runner, Reynolds was paced by Mickey Flood, a member of The Zelie-Harmony Running group, to which Kennedy and about six others belong. He finished the race in 2:04.41.

A 2005 graduate of Seneca Valley High School, DiNunzio went on to four active years at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md, where she won awards as a distinguished student in Spanish and charmed pupils during her student teaching stint at an area middle school. She was active in online running group chats, and recent posts on Facebook.com, the Runner's World blogs and Twitter express the shock and sadness from many she had never met but felt a kinship with.

There was a little apprehension among the runners who wanted to complete DiNunzio's race for her in Pittsburgh. Kennedy is a seasoned runner but had not specificially trained for the longer distance this spring. To that end, Zelie Harmony club members Chris Murray and Sue Altemus of Zeilienople were going to go the distance with her, lending practical and emotional support.

They need not have worried.

"Chris normally does between four and four-and-a-half hours but they weren't sure what Tami would do," said Murray's husband, Tom. "They finished in  4:16, it was tremendous."

"Tami had trained for the half, not the full, and most of her running, except for the weekend, is on a treadmill," Chris Murray said. "But because you weren't thinking about that, or the pain, you were thinking about her [Elizabeth], it wasn't about you, it was about something bigger than all of us."

A bus from Mount St. Mary's is leaving at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow for students and faculty to attend the funeral, which is at St. Peter's Reformed Church in Zelienople. But some arrived early yesterday, so they could join the race for the last five or so miles with the Zelie Harmony group.

"It felt so good, her friends jumping in with five miles to go," said Altemus, who estimated about a dozen made the run.

Kennedy, Altemus and Murray were wearing signs on their backs in memory of DiNunzio, as were some in the half-marathon. Murray said they were approached a number of times by other runners who expressed support. There were a few tears along the way, she said, but none at the finish line, where it was pure elation.

"It was just a wonderful thing," Murray said. "It was all very uplifting."

Mount St. Mary's has established a scholarship in DiNunzio's name, details of which can be found here. A memorial service at the school will be celebrated Wednesday.

(Below, Zelie Harmony racers run in honor of Elizabeth DiNunzio. In yellow singlets, from left to right: Jim Nickel, Tami Kennedy, Chris Murray and Susie Altemus)