Training to run 26.2 miles alone isn't easy. So a group of Butler County runners decided to train for Sunday's Pittsburgh Marathon together.

The group run, which took place every Saturday morning since December, was spearheaded by Ed Doyle, owner of Up-N-Running, a specialty running store in Cooperstown.

"Running a few miles two or three nights a week on your own is one thing," Doyle said. "Disciplining oneself to embark upon a 20-mile run every week is very hard to do.

"I figured that forming a support group of people to do the long run together would benefit everyone."

Doyle posted an announcement about the Saturday morning support group in his store in September and he sent a mass e-mail out to all of his customers.

Eagle running columnist Pat Neubert also listed it in her columns.

The weekly long runs ended two Saturdays ago as runners began tapering off in preparation for Sunday's marathon. Doyle said as many as 25 runners were part of the group on a semiregular basis.

Ron Bennett of Saxonburg and Gineen Jarnevich of Valencia are first-time marathoners who participated on a regular basis.

"The Saturday meetings provided incentive to do the long runs," Bennett, 54, said. "I ran alongside a girl from Butler (Jinny Hertweck) who is also a beginner.

"She was someone to talk with. We'd compare our aches and pains. It was fun."

Jarnevich ran the Buffalo Creek Half Marathon in October and decided to tackle "the big one."

"It's been time consuming and it's been difficult," she said. "Long runs can be tedious if you're not with a group. Running 16 to 20 miles with people alongside to talk to makes the time go faster."

Bennett said he's preparing for the marathon just to finish.

"I'm not worried about endurance or speed," he said. "I've never run one before and I've always wanted to try."

Jarnevich has done road biking and mountain biking in the past, but got into running only recently.

"I'm not athletic at all," she said. "I like running because it doesn't have anything to do with coordination. It's not like you're hitting a ball or anything."

Jarnevich hopes to complete the course in 4Z\x hours.

Other members of the Saturday morning group have run marathons before. Bob Todd, 55, of Butler is running his third marathon. Marcia Semple, 65, of Middlesex Township is doing her fourth and Dorothy Moxie, 44, of Sarver, is tackling her sixth marathon.

"My goal is 3:45 so I can qualify for the Boston Marathon," Todd said. "Every marathon runner wants to run Boston at some point."

Todd trained for the other two marathons he ran — Columbus (Ohio) in 1998 and Buffalo (N.Y.) in 2003 — on his own.

"Having company on Saturdays takes your mind off what you're doing," he said. "When you're running distance by yourself, you're tired, you're thirsty. ... Over the last five miles, you question your own sanity.'

Semple was a physical education teacher in the Mars School District for 30 years. She coached girls basketball, volleyball, track and cheerleading.

Her previous marathons were in Columbus in 1998, Chicago in 2000 and Pittsburgh in 2002.

"I really thought that 2002 Pittsburgh Marathon would be my last," Semple said. "But when I heard they were bringing it back, I got the bug to do another one.

"I was the turtle of the group on Saturday mornings. I was always the last one coming in. No matter how fast or slow anybody ran, everyone was always supportive of everyone else."

Semple described herself as a tomboy in her younger years. She ran 10Ks in the 1970s.

"I'm still a tomboy," she said. "I never set a time for myself in these marathons. I just want to finish and finish safely."

Moxie lost 100 pounds in 2001 through diet and light exercise. She began running in 2005 to stay in shape and to keep the weight off.

She ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 2005, Palm Beach (Fla.) Marathon in 2007, Cincinnati Marathon and San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon last year.

Moxie ran the Boston Marathon in 3 hours, 53 minutes two weeks ago and will attempt the Pittsburgh Marathon this weekend.

"When I signed up for both, I didn't realize they were this close together," she said. "I'm a little concerned, but I feel great right now. When you feel good as a runner, you carry lots of energy."

Moxie enjoyed the Saturday morning group "because I got to meet new people, support new runners, learn training techniques from others — it was positive for everyone."

Moxie has a goal of running at least one marathon in all 50 states before she's through.

"It's something to shoot for," she said. "Nine years ago, I was 5-feet-2, weighed over 200 pounds, I was pretty large. Now I feel wonderful and I don't want to stop."