Reader Jonathan emailed me asking me to get to the bottom of something, and as you know, here at That’s Church, we dig and dig until the bottom of shit is gotten to.
Jonathan wanted to know if I had any way of finding out what happened to the North Side’s famous “Running Lady” because he hadn’t seen her in a while — over a year.
And I emailed him back all, “What running lady?! I’ve never heard of the running lady. Should I capitalize Running Lady? Where does she run?”
He linked me to YouTube and wouldn’t you know, there is a woman on the North Side who runs EVERYWHERE she goes.
Several things:
1. I think I love this woman. I wonder if this is perhaps her fitness regimen? Exercising at all times. I’m impressed.
2. Two summers ago, my sisters and I took all of the kids, all 409 of them (it seems), to the Pittsburgh Zoo and after chasing a flock (gaggle? pride?) of children from the monkeys (where I swear one of the mama monkeys wanted to steal my baby) to the bears who were of course engaged in a raucous game of Sleep, Ta-Ta the Giant-Breasted Poobah/Stacey said, “Why do kids run EVERYWHERE?”
Pens Fan/Tammy replied, “I don’t know, but man, how skinny and in shape would we be if we ran everywhere?”
And us sisters looked at each other all [LIGHTBULB!!!!] and we tried it. We ran everywhere we went in the zoo. For about two minutes and then we gave up on that, because not only is that some exhausting shit, boy, will people look at you like you’re a couple french fries short of a steak salad.
3. Has anyone seen the Running Lady lately? Jonathan is worried and now that I know of her existence, I would too like to know if she’s okay.
Let’s get to the bottom of this, Burghers.
If she’s ill, I’m going to take up a get-well card collection. I have 409 youngsters that will literally run all over the city picking them up from you and delivering them to wherever she rests.
And they won’t break a sweat.
Arrogant little endlessly-energetic brats carelessly flinging their youth in our faces.
[shakes cute little old fist and pops a butterscotch in her mouth and thinks about taking a nap]
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Matt Says:
She used to run around Downtown, too. I always saw her on Stanwix and Boulevard of the Allies.
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James K Says:
I work on the North Shore and we have all commented how she has been MIA this summer. Unfortunately, I don’t know anything else about her, but she was a regular for quite a while, so hopefully she just changed jobs and someone from another side of town now gets to see her!
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Carpetbagger Says:
Am I the only one who wants to see those videos in slow motion with Chariots of Fire music underneath?
Run, Running Lady. Run like the wind!
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Jessica Says:
I can’t believe you didn’t know who she was! My husband works on the North Shore and used to see her all the time. Maybe she is injured? No running allowed?
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Virginia Says:
Jessica,
I was surprised, too! I know the Running Man, who runs everywhere downtown. Little Italian-type man. But I’ve never even SEEN the Running Lady. I’m disappointed in me.
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amanda Says:
She lives in the south hills… I have not spotted her in some time, but I wish her well. Always was curious about why all of the running.
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Elle C. Says:
This lady is not only on the North Side, I would often see her running downtown down Blvd. of the Allies, Stanwix, etc. near my building on Market. My co-workers and I also called her ‘Running Lady’ and she was always dressed in non-running clothing, like a dress or a skirt. Oddly enough, we have not seen her in a while…
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pghgeorge Says:
“I just felt like running.” Forrest Gump
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Sheila Says:
I was thinking a month or so ago that I hadn’t seen her in some time. There was a PG article about her years ago wondering who she was, and now a myspace page, but as far as I know she has remained elusive for many years.
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pghgeorge Says:
Maybe she got taxed.
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bluzdude Says:
2. The little children run like they do because the CAN. Plus, they’re actually made out of rubber bands and tennis balls.
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I am not Janelle Hall Says:
Now that you bring it to my attention, it really has been a long time! Used to see her regularly around Smithfield Street/The Blvd. Darn…
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red pen mama Says:
What bluzdude said.
I say let’s put our daughters in heels now, so they will be able to be female action adventure stars when they grow up.
ciao,
rpmPS I am utterly unfamiliar with Running Lady.
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Burgh Baby Says:
I’m sad for you that you didn’t know about her before. A highlight of my commute used to be seeing her doing her thang in the South Hills.
FWIW, she has a MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/crazyrunninglady), but it doesn’t look like anyone has seen her for a while.
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parkingchair Says:
Not to hijack this thread, but I’ve often wondered what happened to the “Did you hear about the miracle at the art school?” lady who always walked around downtown in the late 80’s and early-to-mid 90s. I think some people called her the Sparrow Lady(?). Now that was a Pittsburgh treasure!
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Monty Says:
She sort of looks like a waitress from George Aiken’s.
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Kristy Says:
Ah! I used to see her EVERY MORNING around 630am but it was at the intersection of Provost and Weyman Roads right by Rt 51 in the South Hills. She used to run up and down Provost while waiting for the bus. I took video of her on my cell phone b/c she was such a mystery. Someone once told me she was a cancer survivor and running to stay healthy but I have NO idea if that’s true. My work shift changed so I haven’t seen her in about two years.
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Alyia Says:
I had no idea that others had noticed Running Lady– and how funny is it that we all call her the same thing? (I’ll admit that some around me referred to her as CRAZY Running Lady.)
Hope she’s okay!
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Susan Vandervort Says:
Did anyone else laugh at the comments on the crazyrunninglady myspace?!
I am unfamiliar with the Running Lady, until today. I really hope we can get to the bottom of this one!
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irish burgher Says:
She lives up Provost Road in Whitehall, or at least I use to see her waiting for the bus there from time to time…while waiting on the bus she would even run in place. I honestly had reached the point where I thought EVERYONE knew who she was.
I have been living in Ireland for over a year now, and I recently enough got a text from my aunt (like late September) claiming she saw the running lady WALKING on Provost and was concerned…perhaps she is retired from both running and whatever brought her to town?
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unsatisfied Says:
@ parking chair — I totally remember that woman — but, my buds and I called her “the bird lady”. I haven’t seen her since the late 80s, when she was walking around the three rivers stadium parking lots before one of those nasty pirates/mets (“muck the fets!”) games (back when the pirates meant something around here).
I’ve often wondered whatever happened to her. perhaps she started running and…..
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Norm Says:
She is a legend. I used to see here everyday when I lived on the north side. On the bridge or near that spot where those videos were shot.
I always consider it good luck to see her in person. As in, your gonna have an awesome day if you do.
My friends and I would see her carrying mail. Could be part of senior foot messenger service.
I heard a story once that she was running near AiP and crisscrossing up and down the street. Until a bus showed up (I forget what one) and in stride she ran right on to the bus like nobody’s business.
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mfj Says:
I’ve seen the running lady on Provost Road also. Didn’t realize she was a regional phenomenon. I just hope nobody gave her a pair of scissors.
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Bobbo Says:
At 409 kids, you still don’t have as many as Wendy Bell, Peggy Finnegan and Jennifer Antkowiak.
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summer78 Says:
I used to see her on Provost but it has been FOREVER.
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houndogg Says:
i’m with norm. i used to work on the northside and saw her all the time criss-crossing across the bridge walkway carrying mail of some sort. hope she is well!
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Monsterquads Says:
I used to see her running on Weyman road, off of Rte. 51. She would run up side streets, come back down, and continue up the road. She would wear a skirt, a jacket that went down to her knees, non-running shoes and those big black sunglasses. I so wanted to pull over and ask her what the heck was up with all the running, but I never did. One time while sitting in traffic a guy in a p/u truck yelled something at her. It was probably something rude–he just looked the type. Haven’t seen her in probably about a year. Hope she’s OK. I think she was a little nuts though. But who isn’t. Huh.
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Rob Says:
I think all the street people from my time as a Pgh. Paramedic are dead. Lansbury, Rocky, the cat lady, Joe… Haven’t heard about the Bird Lady, but I’d bet she’s gone. Street people don’t have long half-lives…
I don’t recognize the running lady, but I’m on my IPhone right now. Someone from one of Pgh’s running clubs might know about her.
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Jared Says:
speaking of interesting people who’ve disappeared, has anyone seen “Sombrero Man” in Oakland recently? He used to wear a poncho, sombrero, and hold a pair of maracas. This was probably about 5 or 6 years ago.
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miso_soup Says:
Go running lady! She looks awesome. I’ve never seen her, but then I’m new to Pittsburgh. I’ll keep my eyes open.
On a related note, the city I used to live in had it’s own local legend: ‘leather thong man’. I don’t suppose I can provide You Tube footage of this, nor do I suppose you’d want to see it even if I could.
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Ted Says:
My Buddy (who took the second video you linked) used to keep me updated on the running lady, but now we both work downtown, and even though I park on the North Shore, I’ve never seen her either.
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Loopy Says:
Last time I saw her she was running at Caste Village, it was maybe a month ago.
I drive to work down Provost and ALWAYS see her running. I havn’t seen her in awhile. Didn;t know she was that regional. I thought she was just around the south hills.On another note there was a old man with jeans and suspenders who walked like he had a bad hip or two different length legs. I used to see him walking in the Munhall/Homestead area around the ’90s. Then about a decade later I saw him was walking down Brownsville in the south hills.
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PittinDC Says:
Here’s my question: if Running Lady has been spotted near Provost and Weyman, is there any way she is related to Midnight Jogger? Because really, that might be the most amazing thing ever. Also, I need to move back to Pittsburgh. The only thing DC has are the protestors that move around and protest different companies and take the big giant rat balloon with them everywhere they go.
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Annie Says:
I disagree with PittinDC. We have the guy who jumps and spins through the intersections downtown in his workout gear, listening to headphones. That guy always brightens my day.
video evidence: http://pqliving.com/?p=842
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Monsterquads Says:
We should introduce exercise man to running lady and see what happens. Worlds collide?
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Kristy Says:
Okay so I asked around and it sounds like she definitely lives in Whitehall somewhere off of Provost. So maybe just call the Whitehall PD and see if they know? Or the municipal building?
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Ferd Says:
I think pghgeorge is on to something. She got zapped with a giant Lukey Ravenstahl “running tax,” and said the hell with it.
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butcher's dog Says:
Virginia calls and ‘burgers respond. Just goes to show how you rock our world, my love.
As for the kids, Mark Twain had it right. “Youth is wasted on the young.”
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LH Says:
@Jared- I totally remember sombrero man. He was awesome! And he was there about 10 years ago when I was in school at Pitt.
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Sean Says:
I used to live in Whitehall and saw her very frequently running on Brownsville road. That would have been in ‘07-’08.
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Julie Says:
Loopy – I think I remember the man you speak of…I used to often see him while driving down Lebanon Road (also known as 837 coming from century III mall)…haven’t seen him in probably ten years though…
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MM Says:
reminds me of Six-pack Sally” from Lawrenceville. called that not for her wonderful abs but because she roller her hair in beer cans.
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Bluetail Says:
i took the liberty of forwarding today’s blog about the Running Lady to Diana Nelson Jones at the Post Gazette, as it sounds like a story she could (pardon me) run with.
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Jodi Says:
I haven’t seen running lady for a while, but I’m pretty sure she lives off of Brownsville Road near Brentwood. There’s a small housing complex and I’ve seen her running out of the entrance several times. I, too, love this lady. I’ll keep an eye out for her.
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Pensgirl Says:
Not to detract from Running Lady, but regarding Sombrero Man – I saw him last Fall (2008) when I was in Oakland a couple of times. But I live out-of-state so I can’t give a report any more current than that.
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cheld Says:
i have seen running lady on provost road and other streets in whitehall. always thought there was something strange about her or she was sick. we haven’t seen her in awhile, that’s amazing that she is know all over the burgh….. go running lady!!!!
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Paul Says:
Not to take attention away from this woman, but it reminds me of the sombrero man that used to be in Oakland ALL THE TIME, walking around, shaking his maracas and asking for change. Has anyone seen him lately? What is happening to all of these Pittsburgh residents!?!?!?
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Paul Says:
oh…never mind, just saw that there was something of an answer to that right above my comment.
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avisualtinkle Says:
I remember sombrero man from my days at pitt. I remember a rumor that some one mugged him and stole the sombrero so the forbes ave gutter punks chased the perp down, beat him up, and brought back the sombrero.
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cmd_45 Says:
Maybe the business attire because there are no phone booths in which to change any more?
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PittinDC Says:
@Annie – that guy is crazy, but seems awesome! He clearly must stick to Penn Quarter – I’ve never seen him around the Hill or in the West End.
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Beth Says:
OMG! I totally forgot about Lansbury. “Why can’t Lansbury get his mail? ” How about the lady in the 80’s who prophecied the end of the world? Every year her prediction would change. “War in 86.” Next year it was, “War in 87″. Does anyone remember the voo-doo lady with the safety pin through her nose? She was also an 80’s gem.
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Danielle Says:
OMG – I thought I was the only person who ever noticed her. I used to see her daily running across the Smithfield Street bridge.
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whitehall l33t Says:
The running lady is known as “Crazy Legs” over in Whitehall. She has been running my parents neighborhood for years… she would zig zag across the street, didn’t care about traffic, and she was notorious. She got into it with some of the neighborhood kids and yelled at my grandfather. Supposedly she has a heart condition and must exercise to keep it in check. My question is.. has she ever heard of a tread mill?? I see her most Sunday mornings running down Baptist when I am on my way to church…and I am at a loss about her. The urban legend keeps growing, including stories of her running on the bus on her way down to town. And ya, she lives in some townhouses off of Provost.. she has been known to run back and forth in the intersection of her street and Provost. Tim Benz over on WXDX ran alot of stories about her and took alot of calls… maybe he has some insight too!
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TexterB Says:
I used to see her running to cross the street on the Blvd of the Allies near the Point. I thought she was always running to catch a bus!
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Clementine Says:
OMG!! Running Lady! Wherefore art thou, Running Lady?
We would see her on the Blvd of the Allies and sometimes on Smithfield. Rumor was she worked at the Hilton. She would make little loops at the intersection until the light changed and then she’d be OFF, like a gazelle in a business suit! I’m guessing she doesn’t run for her health, but as a symptom of OCD.
I love that Norm considered it good luck to see her, so did we…
God Bless, Running Lady!
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Clementine Says:
This youtuber wins for adding a soundtrack — and she speaks!!
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summer78 Says:
Just showed this to my husband and her saw her about a week or two ago by the USA Gas on Provost. He says she was doing her hobly run down the hill.
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Woy Says:
It should be said that part of WearPittsburgh’s reboot will involve a t-shirt in dedication of the Running Lady.
Watch for it for the holidays!
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YayaLaura Says:
I used to see her running up Forbes Ave in Market Square from Stanwix towards Wood around 8 AM every couple of days. But now that it’s been mentioned I didn’t see her all summer and I guess with all the consturction that has been a deterrent as well.
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Lee Says:
I used to see her downtown near the Hilton all the time; I heard she worked there. Maybe she quir because she never got paid??
My friend and I once saw her at CVS buying HUGE amounts of candy. And no, it wasn’t around Halloween or any other candy-driven holiday. Maybe she has a huge sugar addiction and runs to work it all off? -
Amy Says:
I am fairly certain I saw her earlier this year – she will do laps back and forth in front of the Station Square T-Station, as well as laps around the United Way building. I always figured that she was killing time before her bus came, but so many pieces of the puzzle are falling together.
Way to solve what I think a lot of us though was our own personal mystery!
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Jessica Says:
I promise you I just saw her maybe two weeks ago. On Provost, trucking it up the hill. It was in the early afternoon around 2:30. I’ve seen her a few times in the past month or two because I take that route to work.
If I see her again I’ll be pretty tempted to stop and chat now. I didn’t realize she was such a “pgh legend.”
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Sooska Says:
@Beth and Rob- Lansbury! what a Legend! he was everywhere and never got his mail.
Does anyone remember the girl downtown who had a chain hanging form her nose? When she ate an ice cream cone the chain dangled in the ice cream. EW.
How about the poor guy who used to throw scraps of paper at women’s feet as they walked by him. I used to see him near the Clark Bldg but he was all over.
Finally I never saw the aforementioned Running Lady, but we Eastern Suburbs types have our own version. I would leave for work in the morning and return at 5 or so and see this sickly blond running on both ends of the day. Don’t see her as often these days but she is around. She is obsessively skin and bones and occasionally disappears only to turn up later with a cast, hobbling, or on a bike, but still seeking her endorphins.
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ej Says:
conspiracy theory,…she might have dystonia people that have it can run and be normal, but are neurologically challenged when they stop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEN5KGwNGeo
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Matt H Says:
OK this is awesome!
Has anyone seen the heavy set guy who is always wearing a a head sweat band and matching wrist sweat bands? He runs back and forth on the Smithfield Street bridge like everyday. He also has a walkman I think.
He has the most awkward walking/running gait I have ever seen.
Please tell me someone else has seen him.
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munkspot Says:
Did I hear WearPittsburgh reboot?
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bucdaddy Says:
Thanks for nothing, Rob and Beth. First I wanted to be the one to mention Lansbury, but Rob beats me to that. Then I want to ask “Why CAN’T Lansbury get mail?” but Beth cuts me off at the knees.
F*** y’all for Tiger Paul and Radio Rich. Towns don’t have enough real characters anymore, edgy sorts who the rest of us watch out for and sorta take care of. In my town it was Yup-Yup, but Henry died a couple years ago.
And now that you mention it, I haven’t seen the 300-pound guy with the cane and the pith helmet who used to amble along the sidewalks here for awhile.
Uh-oh …
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Jonathan Says:
Whew! Thank you all for your insights regarding the Running Lady. It sounds strange, but I actually was worried about her as I’ve not seen her in about a year. I would always see her running down Smithfield towards the Boulevard at the same time each day. I heard she used to work at PPG, had a break-down and started running everywhere she went. Not sure if this is true, but there it is… Thanks again, everyone!
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Monsterquads Says:
So what’s the update? Do we know anything more on who this woman is and why she runs? Ginny?
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Virginia Says:
Yes, I now know who she is. I’m working to get more details before I post.
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Loopy Says:
This topic is one of those “always wanted to know but was afraid to ask”. But I never new who to ask. This is obviously the place.
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JennyMoon Says:
I’ve seen the running lady because my in-laws live in the South Hills so we take Provost. My husband and I both started to laugh when we saw her and then we both were like “we suck – she’s twice our age and could beat us in a race up that hill”. I also remember the bird lady when I went to school downtown back in 88-89. It seemed like she always found me and we would run away from her. However, does anyone else drive 28 and know about the guy who walked his dog every day past the 31st St. Bridge? He walked a rottweiler for years and then I think it died and he started walking a german shepherd puppy. I always wanted to yell out the window “my condolences to your rottweiler”. It was nice to see them walking while sitting in traffic.
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James Says:
I would always see her running around my neighborhood when I was growing up (in Bethel Park). However, I go to school in Dayton now, so I wouldn’t know if she was still running.
I hope she’s well!
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GroovyPghChick Says:
Parkingchair and unsatisfied–I totally remember the Sparrow Lady!! I attended Point Park (back when it was a College) and she was alway roaming around near “campus”. She would tell us about the miracle and the spririts and basically scare the bejesus out of us. Ahhhh-memories.
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Kristie Says:
Tardy to the party but, Crazy Legs aka Running Lady is alive & well in Whitehall. She lives in the townhouses on Provost. Word on the 46B bus is that she lost her job last year, that’s why she hasn’t been spotted downtown. I still see her from time to time, but she seems to walk more now.
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Caryn W Says:
I do not know running lady (I feel so out of the loop!) even though I work downtown, but I remember the Bird Lady well. She was the same woman who predicted the end of the world. I could be faulty on this, but I recall an article years ago (in the PG?) about some of the infamous street types and she was profiled. My memory may be off but I recall the article saying she was not really homeless but had a family that cared for her. She had a compulsion (OCD?) to tell people about the end of the world, so they would escort her, walking behind her. Course, that could be a story someone told me and I thought it was touching….and my memory is playing tricks on me and turning it into a newspaper article. Sucks getting old!
On another note, I was happy to hear recently that a homeless man who “lived” outside my building for years and had mental illness has received treatment and is in housing now, thanks to the help of the program that provides medical assistance to the homeless. I used to buy him orange juice and breakfast quite often. Nice man, but in a sad state then.
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TLynne Says:
She is alive! I saw her running on my way to work this morning. She usually comes out of her street every morning around 8am, which is right off of Provost. From what I am told, she had a break down, due to a death in her family and no longer works in town.
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whitehall l33t Says:
The local story was that she lived with her mom.. so if it is true that someone died, then that might of been her. Wonder if that was the similar looking, but like 70 yo woman that I used to see at the gym….
Regardless, I am really, and probably overly, excited to see what the real story is. Like I have said on here and on Twitter, she has been a part of my parent’s neighborhood for years… and you always had to wonder, what the heck was going on in that head of hers. So thanks to Jonathan and Virginia for doing this!
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MonsterQuads Says:
whitehall,
ME TOO! I can’t wait to find out the story behind this woman. I find her oddly fascinating. Patiently waiting…. -
SusanV Says:
I’m back visiting the comments to see if there are any new details. I’m completely intrigued!
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Beth Says:
If you are referring to the woman who was a member of Champion on 51 I don’t believe it is the same person. Looks very similar but that woman is much taller than the one in the video.
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Nick Says:
I miss the Running Lady
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That's Church » Update on the Running Lady Says:
[...] is alive, as you obviously gleaned from the comments to the original post. The reason you don’t see her downtown anymore is that about two years ago, she quit [...]
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Whitney Says:
I think the Running Lady is from Whitehall, there’s a you tube video of her running on Provost (to & from the bus), which is a pretty steep hill.
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Guy R Says:
So is she still around? I have not seen her for a couple of years.
