Your plan in four answers
Set for August 21, 2027, about 43 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Taper starts
- August 9, 2027
Course
The Parkersburg Half Marathon course
The half marathon starts at 7:30 a.m. in downtown Parkersburg near the Oil and Gas Museum and climbs Juliana Street into the Julia-Ann Historic District before turning onto 12th Street. From there you join the Parkersburg Ohio River Trail for about 4 miles, running out nearly to Pond Run and back to Point Park.
Read the full course notes
The route then crosses the Juliana Street Bridge, follows U.S. 50 and loops the top of Fort Boreman Park, with a view over the city you just ran through. The last miles follow Marrtown Road and West Virginia 95 to Division Street, cross the Little Kanawha River on the East Street Bridge and finish at Sixth and Market Streets, where crowds gather for the Homecoming Festival Parade. The organizers call it a rolling course, with 16 aid stations serving water and Gatorade from mile 1.5.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- Half marathon
- Weather on race day
- Parkersburg in August averages a high of 86 °F and a low of 64 °F, so the 7:30 a.m. start usually comes in the upper 60s to 70s °F and warms quickly. Humidity is often high: the 2024 men's winner raced in clear skies and high humidity. Start a little easier than goal pace, use the 16 aid stations, and save your push for the final miles back into downtown.
What to train for
Rolling roads plus the loop up to Fort Boreman Park reward strength on hills, so add a weekly run with 6 to 10 short climbs and practice running relaxed back down.
Long runs of 10 to 13 miles on mixed terrain will make the second half feel familiar, and a few miles at goal pace late in those runs teach you to hold rhythm on the flat river trail.
Since the race starts at 7:30 a.m. in late August, do some key sessions early in the morning in summer heat and rehearse drinking at the aid stations. The course closes at 11:30 a.m., which gives everyone a comfortable window to enjoy the day.
Sample week
A sample Parkersburg Half Marathon training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Intervals: 5 × 1 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 5–6 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 7 mi with 4 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 10–12 mi easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Parkersburg Half Marathon
Start the taper ten to fourteen days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on August 21, 2027, your taper starts around August 9, 2027.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon & Two Mile Race on August 21, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Parkersburg Half Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Parkersburg Half Marathon?
Most runners give a half marathon twelve to sixteen weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Parkersburg Half Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. The half marathon starts at 7:30 a.m. in downtown Parkersburg near the Oil and Gas Museum and climbs Juliana Street into the Julia-Ann Historic District before turning onto 12th Street.
What is the weather usually like at the Parkersburg Half Marathon?
Parkersburg in August averages a high of 86 °F and a low of 64 °F, so the 7:30 a.m. start usually comes in the upper 60s to 70s °F and warms quickly. Humidity is often high: the 2024 men's winner raced in clear skies and high humidity. Start a little easier than goal pace, use the 16 aid stations, and save your push for the final miles back into downtown.
When should I start tapering for the Parkersburg Half Marathon?
Start the taper ten to fourteen days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on August 21, 2027, your taper starts around August 9, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Parkersburg Half Marathon training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.