The mountains of this university town along the banks of the Monongahela River beckon runners each year as summer is turning to fall with the annual WVU Medicine Morgantown Marathon, Thirteener, and Mountain Mama 8K race, which starts on the campus of West Virginia University and then unfold in the surrounding neighborhoods, along plentiful rolling hills.
Set for its 6th annual running this year, the marathon begins in the parking lot in front of the WVU Coliseum, just off Monongahela Boulevard. From there, the opening miles of the half marathon take runners just to the north and east of the coliseum, with long stretches along Patteson Drive, University Avenue, and Fairfield Street.
The race isn’t flat, but while the hills are plentiful the changes in elevation aren’t overly challenging — the highest point on the course lies at just over 1,040 feet above sea level, while the lowest point lies at just over 930 feet, so there’s not a dramatic change in elevation over the course of the route.
Rather, it’s the number of hills out on the course that really is challenging — there are few flat areas out there, so be prepared to run plenty of up-and-down stretches at this race.
Also know that you’ll be running through the hometown of some famous faces — actor Don Knotts of “Andy Griffith” fame went to high school here, as did Hollywood screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”) and Tommy and Terry Bowden.
More than 600 runners crossed the finish line in all three distances combined in 2016, including 319 finishers in the half marathon alone.
