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When runners and walkers take to the streets of Parkersburg on Saturday for the News and Sentinel Half Marathon, they will do so on a few less streets.
After nearly four decades of running the race exclusively on the streets of Parkersburg, part of the race will take place on areas not even in existence when the race began.
Running a race only on streets is hard. It's hard on the racers because they must be always vigilant of their surroundings and the dangers that can roll out of a side street, driveway or alley. All those streets required a lot of volunteers. Last year's race required around 75 volunteers just to make sure the cars and people stayed separated as they both maneuvered around Parkersburg in what was basically a 13.1-mile circle.
That large circle crossed a lot of streets that were simply too big and too busy to expect a volunteer to be the person standing between a runner and a Ford 150. The race used a lot of law enforcement personnel to make sure cars stopped when they had to stop and went when it was safe to do so.
This has always taxed the staffing of the different law enforcement agencies, leaving little margin in case something large happens, and there was a need for them to do the type of work they trained for besides directing traffic. Add to the complexity is the fact that the race is the same weekend as homecoming and with that comes a parade and fireworks and a festival that also requires their attention.
Two major additions to the race course of traffic free and intersection free areas means that there are subtractions from areas that have historically been an issue.
The race will enter the The Parkersburg Ohio River Trail, or PORT, after the first mile and travel along the paved trail for around four miles. This quiet gem on the river side of the flood wall offers racers a chance to spread out a bit while enjoying the peacefulness that comes with a run along the river. They will enter at the bottom of 12 Street, turn right towards Vienna before turning back and heading towards Point Park.
By the time they exit the trail at the park they will have completed the first five miles of the race.
From there they will cross the Little Kanawha and head towards Fort Boreman Park. They will encounter the largest incline of the race. The rise is gentle, but long as they make their way up the winding park road, past the log cabin and around Long Tom, the large and imposing cannon at the top of the hill. From here they will be able to view the entire first part of the race before making their way back down the hill. By the time they exit the park they will be more than halfway to the finish line.
The rest of the race utilizes several streets that have limited cross streets as it makes it way back downtown and the traditional finish on Market Street.
There is still time to register for both the half marathon and News and Sentinel 2-Mile Race. Just visit newsandsentinelhalfmarathon.com to sign up.
Art Smith is co-director of the News and Sentinel Half Marathon. You can reach him at asmith@newsandsentinel.com.