Saturday, September 8, 2018 • Waterloo, IA • Course Map
A scenic trail race that’s designed to be friendly to both runners and walkers, the Park to Park Half Marathon shows off some of the most beautiful off-road trails of northeastern Iowa’s Cedar Valley area, taking runners from the starting line at George Wyth State Park through four different parks along the trail.
Though it will take place along wooded park trails, the race will feature music along the 13.1-mile course for participants in the half-marathon, which share the same starting line but different starting times.
After 3 1/2 hours, the trail course will be closed and the finish line will start to be taken down, so runners and walkers will need to complete the race by 10:30 AM in order to cross the “official” finish line. The race features a combination of paved and natural surfaces along the out-and-back trail.
The best spots for spectators to view their friends and family in the race, organizers add, lie at Island Park just off Center Street, near the banks of the Cedar River. Runners will reach mile 3.75 and 8.6 at this point, so you’ll get a chance to see your runners pass through twice here.
Other good spots around the course include downtown Cedar Falls and the Black Hawk Park Campground, which is the race’s turnaround point.
As they run along the course, runners (and walkers) will be running along an 80-mile system of trails developed for the Cedar Falls and Waterloo area, with miles of hiking, biking, walking and in-line skating trails as well as several miles grassland trails within George Wyth State Park alone.
Most of the trails are paved, and have become increasingly popular as recreational trails for locals and visitors in recent years.
Race Weather & Climate
Set in the center of the state’s northeastern corner, about 90 miles northeast of Des Moines, the city of Waterloo typically experiences moderately warm to mild and sometimes quite cool weather in the early days of fall. In September, record temperatures here have risen as high as 102°F (in 1939) and fallen as low as 19°F (in 1899).
On race day (Sept. 8), the average low is 52°F and the average high is 78°F.
Past Results
- 2017 Park to Park Half Marathon Results
- 2016 Park to Park Half Marathon Results
- 2015 Park to Park Half Marathon Results
Course Map
See the race route map for the Park to Park Half Marathon here.
Starting Time
7:30 AM
Fees
See race website
Registration
To reserve your spot in the late summer 2018 running of Waterloo’s Park to Park Half Marathon or 10K race, register online at ChronoTrack.com here.
Official Race Website
Facebook Conversations
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