Hatfield-McCoy Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Williamson, WVJune 12, 2027
The Hatfield-McCoy Marathon has no time limit at all, and that is the most useful thing to know about it before you sign up. It is not a throwaway detail on a course that climbs Blackberry Mountain and tops out around 1,275 feet after starting near 660. The organizers took the clock off, and it changes who can realistically run this race.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
You start at 7 a.m. at the Food City in South Williamson, Kentucky, and you finish across the state line in Williamson, West Virginia, which makes this one of the few road marathons where you change states on foot. The field is small, about 181 finishers in 2025, so expect long stretches of quiet road broken up by 21 water stops staffed by people who all know each other.
260 days to race day
Hatfield-McCoy Marathon · June 12, 2027 · about 37 weeks out
Your plan starts with your race and works backward. Every week lands on a real calendar, with race day at the end.
When to start training for the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon 2027
Race day is June 12, 2027, which is 260 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildStart November 14, 2026
- 24-week buildStart December 26, 2026
- 18-week buildStart February 6, 2027
- 16-week buildStart February 20, 2027
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart March 20, 2027
You have about 37 weeks until race day, so there is still room for a full build. Stride reads the runway you actually have and maps every week from today to June 12, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Hatfield-McCoy Marathon course facts
- Course
- Loop · Hilly · Mostly on Road/Pavement
- Highest / lowest point
- 1,275 ft / 660 ft
- Marathon finishers
- 181 in 2025 (very small field)
- Boston qualifier
- Not a certified Boston qualifying course
- Race day high / low
- 76°F / 56°F on average
Let’s find the plan for you.
Your race, current mileage, longest run, marathon experience, and available days decide the best fit. Stride maps the plan you choose to race day at the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon.
- Stride Run-Walk FinisherThree sessions a week with planned walk breaks, cover the full distance before race day.
- Stride First MarathonThe classic four-day first-marathon build: easy running and one weekly long run, no speedwork.
- Stride First Marathon PlusA first-marathon build with a little more volume and weekly race-pace miles.
- Stride 6-Day FinisherFinish your first marathon on frequency: six easy-leaning runs a week, no monster long runs.
- Stride 5-Day Pace BuilderFive days a week with race-pace runs before your long runs, built for a mid-pack time goal.
- Stride 6-Day RhythmSix days a week with three quality sessions, steady fatigue that teaches you to finish strong.
- Stride Time-Based FoundationFive time-based runs a week, mostly easy, the injury-averse way to a strong finish.
- Stride Time-Based BuilderSix time-based runs a week at a strict 80% easy / 20% hard split, chase a time goal without breaking.
- Stride 3-Day Cross-TrainThree runs plus two cross-training days over 24 weeks, marathon fitness on a busy schedule.
- Stride 3-Day QualityExactly three hard runs plus two mandatory cross-training sessions, every workout counts.
- Stride 6-Day CumulativeThe six-day cumulative-fatigue build with quality from week two, for PR chasers with a base.
- Stride Threshold 55The serious BQ/PR build to 55 miles a week: threshold work, medium-long runs, and 20-milers.
- Stride Threshold 70The high-mileage BQ/PR build to 70 miles a week for veterans with a deep base.
- Stride 2-Quality FlexTwo fixed quality sessions a week, everything else flexible easy running, fits any schedule.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Choose your Hatfield-McCoy Marathon training window.
Compare 12, 16, 18, and 20 weeks counted back from race day. The 18-week option includes the complete four-day schedule.
The course: Blackberry Mountain at mile 7
Blackberry Mountain is the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon's defining climb, and it comes early. The organizers put aid at the summit at mile 7 and at the foot at mile 8, which tells you the shape of it: a long grind through the first quarter of the race, then a steep mile back down to the valley.
Getting up Blackberry Mountain is not the problem. Getting down it is. A descent that concentrated, in the first third of a marathon, loads your quads at exactly the point where you feel good enough to run it hard. There is also an off-road section over a swinging bridge near the golf course, so this is not a race for a shoe that only works on smooth pavement.
How to train for Hatfield-McCoy
Training for Hatfield-McCoy means training the descent off Blackberry Mountain more than the climb up it. Most runners here lose their last 10 miles because their quads gave out on a mile of downhill they ran too hard at mile 8. Add downhill repeats to your build starting about eight weeks out, and run every one of them under control.
The second half of the job is heat. Mid-June in this part of Appalachia averages a high near 76, the valley holds humidity, and you will still be on the road for hours after a 7 a.m. start. Do at least six long runs in the warmest part of the day, drink to a plan rather than to thirst, and rehearse the pace you will actually hold when it is humid instead of the one you hold in April. Since there is no cutoff, the smart move on a hot morning is to give up time early rather than gamble with it.
Getting in
Registration runs through RunSignUp with no lottery and no qualifying standard, opening at midnight on the announced date. With a field around 181 finishers, getting in is rarely the hard part. Plan your race morning around the buses rather than around the gun: shuttles to the start leave between 5 and 6:45 a.m. for a 7 a.m. start, which means a very early alarm and a long wait if you take the first one.
Where does the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon get hard?
The steep descent off Blackberry Mountain between miles 7 and 8 is where the race is decided, because quads wrecked that early have 18 miles left to pay for it.
What is the weather like at the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon?
Mid-June in Williamson averages a high around 76 and a low around 56, and the river valley holds humidity through the morning. The 7 a.m. start buys you the coolest hours, but a mid-pack finisher is still running through the warmest part of the day. Train in heat deliberately through May, and treat a hot forecast as a reason to adjust your goal rather than to ignore it.
Is the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Hatfield-McCoy is not a Boston qualifier, and the organizers say so plainly in their own FAQ. Do not come here for a time. Come for the course and for the fact that the race removes every clock-related reason to quit. If Boston is the goal, use this as a training race or a weekend away and qualify somewhere else.
Is the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon a good first marathon?
It is an unusual but defensible first marathon. There is no time limit, which removes the single biggest fear a first-timer carries, and a field of about 181 finishers means nobody is racing past you. The catch is Blackberry Mountain at mile 7 and June heat, so choose it only if your build can include hills and warm-weather running.
Hatfield-McCoy Marathon questions, answered.
Is the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon hard?
Yes, mostly because of Blackberry Mountain. The course climbs from around 660 feet to roughly 1,275 feet, with aid stations at the summit at mile 7 and the base at mile 8, so both a long climb and a steep descent land in the first third of the race. June heat and humidity add to the bill.
Does the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon have a time limit?
No. The organizers state that none of their races carry a time limit, which is unusual for a road marathon and makes this a realistic option for slower runners and first-timers. You still need a fuel and heat plan for a long day, because a mid-June finish can land well into the warm hours.
Is the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon a Boston qualifier?
No. The race's own FAQ states it is not a Boston qualifier, so do not plan a qualifying attempt here. Choose it for the course instead: a point-to-point run that starts in South Williamson, Kentucky, crosses into West Virginia, and finishes in Williamson, with Blackberry Mountain in the first half.
What shoes should I wear at the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon?
Road shoes with some grip. The course is mostly pavement but includes an off-road stretch over a swinging bridge near the golf course, and you run a steep descent off Blackberry Mountain around mile 8. Pick something with enough cushion for downhill pounding and enough tread for a short unpaved section.
Where does the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon get hard?
The steep descent off Blackberry Mountain between miles 7 and 8 is where the race is decided, because quads wrecked that early have 18 miles left to pay for it.
What is the weather like at the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon?
Mid-June in Williamson averages a high around 76 and a low around 56, and the river valley holds humidity through the morning. The 7 a.m. start buys you the coolest hours, but a mid-pack finisher is still running through the warmest part of the day. Train in heat deliberately through May, and treat a hot forecast as a reason to adjust your goal rather than to ignore it.
Is the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Hatfield-McCoy is not a Boston qualifier, and the organizers say so plainly in their own FAQ. Do not come here for a time. Come for the course and for the fact that the race removes every clock-related reason to quit. If Boston is the goal, use this as a training race or a weekend away and qualify somewhere else.
Is the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon a good first marathon?
It is an unusual but defensible first marathon. There is no time limit, which removes the single biggest fear a first-timer carries, and a field of about 181 finishers means nobody is racing past you. The catch is Blackberry Mountain at mile 7 and June heat, so choose it only if your build can include hills and warm-weather running.
When should I start training for the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon 2027?
Race day is June 12, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around January 23, 2027, a 16-week build around February 20, 2027, and a 12-week build around March 20, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Hatfield-McCoy Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon as your race, and answer a few questions about your recent running and your weekly schedule. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans, maps every week from today to June 12, 2027, adjusts when life gets in the way, and puts you in a feed of runners training for the same race.
Choosing a training app?
A Hatfield-McCoy Marathon buildup is months of your life. See how Stride compares before you commit it to an app.
Find your plan.
Your race, current mileage, recent longest run, goal, and run days determine which plans rank first. Choose one and subscribe, then open every workout in Stride.