The Way I See It: Half marathon uses new course Aug. 15
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If you are driving around the streets of Parkersburg next Saturday, you might notice that you see less of the News and Sentinel Half Marathon weaving its way through the city.
The race, a Parkersburg tradition during the third weekend in August, is taking a different route this year. Changing the route of a race is always a difficult decision. It made sense this year to do so for several reasons.
In the past, the race has tied up multiple downtown areas for hours. With the reconstruction of the ramps leading up onto the Juliana Street Bridge it was imperative to limit the grid lock that the race can have on the downtown streets.
To do this we decided to get the race away from high traffic areas as much as possible. By utilizing both the Parkersburg Ohio River Trail (PORT) and Fort Boreman Park we were able to remove around 5 miles of the race from active streets. Neither the park, nor the trail existed when the race began nearly 40 years ago. The inclusion of the two areas allowed us to eliminate the need for the race to cross dozens of intersections on both sides of the Little Kanawha River.
The race starts near the Wood County Courthouse and travels up Juliana Street and past dozens of historical homes in the Juliana Historical District. It will then make a left turn on 12 Street and head directly for the Ohio River and the trail that runs along the riverbank. Putting the race on the trail puts racers away from the traffic and along the peaceful trail for the next four miles. The trail was extended by the city of Parkersburg in 2023. Racers will first head north on the trail before turning and heading toward Point Park. The race will run right through the middle of the Parkersburg Homecoming at Point Park before exiting the park and heading across the Juliana Street Bridge over the Little Kanawha River on their way to Fort Boreman Park.
The road to and from the park will be closed, allowing racers a traffic-free experience as they make their way to a breath-taking overlook at the top. When they exit the park, they will have completed more than eight miles of the race.
A quick run down Marrtown Road will connect them to Route 95 for a leg that will connect them to Parkersburg’s Pike Street before heading back into the downtown area and the finish.
In total, the race will cross 35 fewer intersections than it has in past years, making it a safer event for runners, walkers, volunteers and motorists.
The Half Marathon's sibling, the News and Sentinel Two-Mile Race will use the same course that it has for decades. Using parts of Juliana, 13th, Avery, Market and Second and Fourth streets, the race starts at 8:10 a.m. and is normally completed by 9 a.m.
There is still time to sign up for both races by visiting NewsandSentinelHalfMarathon.com and clicking on register. Packet pick-up is Friday from 2-9 p.m., and Saturday from 6-7 a.m. at the Parkersburg Municipal Building.
The event is sponsored by the News and Sentinel and several other area businesses including Highmark West Virginia and dozens of others. Hundreds of volunteers make the race happen by assisting with traffic control, providing waterstops for the racers, giving medical care at the finish line and by providing food at the pasta dinner and pizza lunch.
Art Smith is online manager of The Marietta Times and the Parkersburg News and Sentinel. He is also co-director of the News and Sentinel Half Marathon. He can be reached at asmith@newsandsentinel.com.