Blair Regional YMCA October Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Saturday, October 7, 2023 • Hollidaysburg, PA • Course Map

The hometown of the company that manufactures the world-famous “Slinky” toy plays host in the early weeks of fall to the local YMCA’s annual October Half Marathon, 10K Run and 5K Walk, which usually sees a few hundred runners and walkers cross the finish line in all three races combined each year.

Organized and hosted by the Blair Regional YMCA, the race makes its 18th annual running along a course filled with rolling hills between this small town of roughly 5,700 residents and nearby Frankstown, where runners in the half marathon will cross over the Juniata River and make a loop around Loop Road and Sand Bank Road before retracing their steps along Scotch Valley Road.

Runners and walkers in all three events start at the Hollidaysburg YMCA on Hewit Street. From there, the half marathon heads south along Penn Street toward Blair Street and in the direction of Chimney Rocks Park.

Before they hit Blair, runners turn left on Allegheny Street and head east for about half a mile, before they turn left again onto Scotch Valley Road and follow it east toward Frankstown.

Scotch Valley offers terrain just like its name sounds — runners will make their way through the valley between the hills along these two miles, surrounded by tree-covered hills in the distance.

Much of the scenery along the race course is rural farm fields and forests, and the biggest hills occur on Scotch Valley Road twice — between mile markers 2 and 3, and then again on the return route between mile markers 10 and 11.

Runners who wish to participate in the half marathon must be at least 16 years old by the day of the race; runners also will need to have arrived at the water station just past the mile 10 marker on Scotch Valley Road within 2 hours.

For runners who haven’t reached this point within 2 hours, they may either wait for the van to ferry them to the finish line or continue on the course, though they will not be counted as official finishers in the race.

Race Weather & Climate

Located among the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, about 7 miles south of Altoona and roughly 95 miles east of Pittsburgh, Hollidaysburg typically sees cool to mild weather in October, which has brought record temperatures here as low as 16°F (in 1969) and as high as 85°F (in 1986).

On race day (Oct. 7), the average low is 44ºF and the average high is 66ºF.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Hollidaysburg YMCA October Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

7:30 AM

Fees

  • $38 – $48 for the half marathon
  • $22 – $33 for the 10K, 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2023 running of Hollidaysburg’s YMCA October Half Marathon, register online at RunSignUp.com here.

Official Race Website

www.blairregionalymca.org

Comments

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See more races in: October, Pennsylvania

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