If you are reading this at the start of your day, there is a strong likelihood you have already missed it.

“It” is the News and Sentinel Half Marathon – and it got under way this morning at 8 a.m. Depending on what time you are reading this; hundreds of people are currently either running or walking with the hope of reaching the intersection of Sixth and Market streets in downtown Parkersburg — or — they have already had a really good workout.

Regardless of what time you are reading it, I have likely gotten up earlier than you. The effort to change the streets of Parkersburg into a racecourse started very early, with some people, including me, hitting the streets at about 4:30 this morning.

Efforts, of course, started much earlier, months earlier. To pull off any event you have to plan and prepare, and we have done that since around March. It is today though, RACE DAY, where all those pieces come together. At least we hope they do.

Most racers picked up their race packets yesterday at the Parkersburg Municipal Building. There will be some stragglers, including many people coming from out-of-town, that drove in this morning and will run into the building up until a few minutes before the race to get their race number. Some must run the one block from the municipal building to the starting line at Third and Juliana streets or risk getting left behind.

The Parkersburg Fire Department arrives on the scene at around 7:30 a.m. Not to put out a fire, but to hoist a giant American flag over Juliana Street.

All the racers will pass under it as they start up the slight hill at the beginning of the race.

Most half marathon racers enjoyed a pasta dinner last night, prepared mainly by Camden Clark employees who volunteer their time to make mountains of pasta, salads and desserts.

Volunteers started setting up the finish line at around 5 a.m. this morning. It takes a while to unload and set up the water, fruit, timing mats, chairs and medical equipment from a stuffed-full box truck. At around noon we will load everything back into the box truck as quickly as possible because the Parkersburg Homecoming Parade will be coming down Market Street and no one wants to get run over by a marching band.

Starting very early, groups have spread out over the course to set up water stops. The race has a great group of volunteers who give up their Saturday morning to yell WATER …. GATORADE … WATER … GATORADE to the people approaching their station.

Other volunteers have helped control traffic on side streets. There are a lot of side streets, and it is important to make everyone aware of the racers on the streets. Officers from three different departments do a great job controlling things at the main intersections.

Once done racing, participants will go to either the two-mile awards at Bicentennial Park or return to St. Xavier Parish Hall for a pizza lunch and the half marathon awards.

No one who has ever run a half marathon will ever utter the words “Wow, that was over quickly.” If your job is to run it from an organizational standpoint however, it seems over in a blink. I tend to log around nine miles on race day, and I am sure many others do as well.

Come Monday we will wash everything out, pack everything up and begin preparing for next year.

Thank you to everyone who helped stage the race this year. It couldn’t have happened without you.

Art Smith is co-race director of the News and Sentinel Half Marathon and online manager of the newspaper. He can be reached at asmith@newsandSentinel.com.