Thirty years after Martha Dixon was killed in the line of duty as an FBI agent, she is still being honored with a 10K race through the streets of Mt. Lebanon. 

A 1977 graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School, Martha Dixon was doing desk work at a cold case squad room in the Washington field office of the FBI on November 22, 1994.  A gunman walked into the room, walked past her desk and opened fire in another room, shooting everybody.  As he was coming back out, Martha ran toward that room with her gun drawn, and she and the gunman shot each other at point-blank range.  ”She ran toward the gunfire to help her friends; that’s always how Martha’s life and personality were defined – she would not leave her friends,” said her brother, Kevin.

Following her death, friends and colleagues donated thousands of dollars to the family in her memory.  “We wanted to do something [with the money] that would be reflective of Martha’s personality and something that would memorialize her life and legacy,” said Kevin.

He explained that Martha was an avid runner and she loved children, ”so we said ‘Why don’t we build playgrounds and have a run that would be the financial means of raising funds for those playgrounds?’  That drove us toward the final decision to build playgrounds in her memory.”

Kevin currently serves as president of The Martha Fund, a position that he said ”has rotated through the family for years, starting with my father, then my brother, sister, brothers-in-law, etc.”  He said the role of president is a comprehensive one.  ”It’s a matter of marshaling all the resources we have, all the amazing support we’ve had from the community in Mt. Lebanon, the amazing support from sponsors, and all the (individuals) and groups who have volunteered.”

The race begins at the Mt. Lebanon High School Stadium and ends in Mt. Lebanon Park, following the same route each year.   

”It is a sanctioned route, which means your time could be entered as a qualifying time for other races.”  He added that the course runs through the streets of Mt. Lebanon, where the hills can be quite a challenge.  ”You have to give credit to the tenacity and grit of the runners who come back every year and participate in this race, because it’s not an easy course.”

Hundreds of runners participate in the 10K Martha’s Run each year, with some using it as tune-up for the Pittsburgh Marathon, which happens in May.  ”We’ve had some world-class runners come from all over the Pittsburgh area.  Many have run year after year; they are dedicated to honoring Martha’s memory and participating in a good cause.”

Is Kevin surprised that the race has continued for 30 years?  His thoughtful answer is, ”Yes and no.”  He said he continues to be amazed at the level of support Mt. Lebanon provides for this event, and that it’s heartwarming to be a part of the community.  He grew up on Rockwood Avenue, and went to Mt. Lebanon High School. Most of his remaining six siblings still live in the Mt. Lebanon area; in fact, one sister and her family bought the family home on Rockwood.

”I’m so proud of Mt. Lebanon,” Kevin said.  ”I live in New Jersey but I tell people my hometown is Pittsburgh, and that’s because of my Mt. Lebanon roots.”

In that regard, he is not surprised that Mt. Lebanon would step up and provide the support.  Yet he is surprised because ”we never envisioned how this mission would have developed, and it keeps feeding on itself because we have more playgrounds to build. So we don’t see a reason to stop.”

Martha’s Playground, in Mt. Lebanon Park, was built with a substantial contribution from the Martha Fund. Other playgrounds are located at Holy Family Institute, Edgeworth Elementary, Heidelberg Park, Freeport Kindergarten, Bird Park and the Cloverleaf YMCA, among other places.

”I like to say we put smiles on the faces of thousands of children in Martha’s memory,” Kevin said.

The 2026 race is Saturday, April 11. themarthafund.org