Marshall University Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Huntington, WVNovember 1, 2026
The Marshall University Marathon finishes on the field at Joan C. Edwards Stadium, and the race hands you a football to carry across the goal line. To get there you run the loop twice, which means passing the stadium at halfway and heading straight back out while other runners are finishing.
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379 people finished in 2025. That's a small race, and on a double loop it means the second lap can be quiet in a way first timers don't expect. It also means no shuttle buses, no corral queues, and a parking lot less than 100 feet from the start and finish.
38 days to race day
Marshall University Marathon · November 1, 2026 · about 5 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 Marshall University Marathon 2026
Race day is November 1, 2026, which is 38 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildWindow has passed
- 24-week buildWindow has passed
- 18-week buildWindow has passed
- 16-week buildWindow has passed
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsWindow has passed
You have about 5 weeks until race day, which is inside the shortest build Stride matches. Stride won’t pretend there is room for a responsible full build. You can still use the finder to check your starting point, then choose a later race if this runway is too short.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Marshall University Marathon course facts
- Course
- Multiple Loops · Mostly Flat · Mostly on Road/Pavement
- Elevation gain / loss
- 354 ft gain, 357 ft loss
- Highest / lowest point
- 567 ft / 531 ft
- Marathon finishers
- 379 in 2025 (small field)
- Boston qualifier
- Certified Boston qualifying course
- Finishers running a qualifying time
- 13.5% in 2025
- Typical race morning
- 44°F at the start, 84% humidity, clear
- Race day high / low
- 58°F / 39°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 Marshall University 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 Marshall University 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: two laps of Huntington, finishing at the goal line
The Marshall University Marathon is a double loop. Marathoners cover the half marathon course twice, starting on 3rd Avenue beside Joan C. Edwards Stadium and finishing inside it at the goal line. The route runs through downtown Huntington past Pullman Square, alongside the Ohio River, and through Ritter Park.
It isn't all pavement. The loop includes the crushed limestone path around Ritter Park and the trail leading into it, which the race describes as very compacted and fast and says needs no special shoes. Because you run the loop twice, you take that surface once on fresh legs and once when you're tired.
The elevation backs up the organizer's flat and fast claim: about 354 feet of climbing across the whole marathon, with everything between 531 and 567 feet. The race starts at 7:00 a.m. and the course closes at 1:00 p.m., giving you six hours or roughly a 13:45 mile, with 9 to 10 water stops along the way. Marathoners can also stop to place a flower at the Marshall University Memorial Fountain.
How to train for the Marshall University Marathon
Train for Marshall by rehearsing the halfway moment. A double loop brings you back past the stadium at 13.1 miles and sends you out again while other people are collecting medals, and that is the hardest thing about this race. The terrain, at 354 feet of climb over 26.2 miles, is not.
Make the rehearsal literal. Two or three times in the block, run a long run as two laps of the same route, passing your car or your front door at halfway, and run the second lap slightly faster than the first. That's precisely the skill this course asks for, and you cannot build it on point to point routes.
Add solo work. With 379 finishers in 2025, the back half of the second lap gets genuinely empty, so put at least three long runs in your block alone at goal effort with no group and no pacer. Generating your own rhythm is a trainable skill and this course will ask for it around mile 20.
Then rehearse the surface. Run some goal pace work on crushed limestone or packed gravel so the switch off pavement in Ritter Park doesn't cost you rhythm the second time through, when your feet have less patience for a change of footing.
Getting in
Entry is simple and this race doesn't sell out the way big city marathons do: 379 finishers in 2025, 359 in 2024 and 330 in 2023. Registration runs through RunSignup. Parking sits less than 100 feet from the start and finish, so this is a marathon you can genuinely drive to on race morning rather than staging around.
Where does the Marshall University Marathon get hard?
Right around 13.1, when the loop brings you back to the stadium and you turn out for a second lap while other runners are finishing.
What is the weather like at the Marshall University Marathon?
Race morning in Huntington averages about 44F, clear, nearly windless, with humidity around 84%, and the day only tops out near an average high of 58F. That's about as good as marathon weather gets. The catch is that a 16 week block starts in mid July in West Virginia humidity, so your goal pace work will feel much harder in training than it will on the day.
Is the Marshall University Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
It's a legitimate qualifier and the organizer promotes it as one, but keep the number in perspective: 13.5% of finishers ran Boston qualifying times in 2025 and 12.8% in 2024, on a flat, USATF certified course. Flat and certified gives you a fair shot at it. It doesn't hand you the time.
Is the Marshall University Marathon a good first marathon?
It works well, with two things to know. The course is flat, the logistics are about as easy as marathons get, and the stadium finish is a genuine reward. But the course closes at 1:00 p.m. after a 7:00 a.m. start, which is six hours or roughly 13:45 per mile, and the second loop of a 379 person race gets lonely.
Marshall University Marathon questions, answered.
Is the Marshall University Marathon a double loop?
Yes. Marathoners run the half marathon loop twice, starting on 3rd Avenue beside Joan C. Edwards Stadium and finishing inside the stadium at the goal line. Passing the finish area at halfway and heading back out is the mental test of this race, and it's worth rehearsing in training.
Is the Marshall University Marathon flat?
Yes. The course gains about 354 feet across 26.2 miles and stays between 531 and 567 feet of elevation, running through downtown Huntington, alongside the Ohio River and through Ritter Park. The race calls it flat and fast and the profile agrees. There's no hill here to train for.
What is the time limit at the Marshall University Marathon?
Six hours. The marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. and the course closes at 1:00 p.m., which works out to roughly a 13:45 mile. There are 9 to 10 water stops on course. Confirm the current year's times with the organizer, since start and cutoff times can shift between editions.
What is the football finish at the Marshall University Marathon?
Runners enter Joan C. Edwards Stadium at the end of the race, take a football and carry it down the field across the goal line to finish. Marathoners can also choose to place a flower at the Marshall University Memorial Fountain, which the race offers as part of the route.
Where does the Marshall University Marathon get hard?
Right around 13.1, when the loop brings you back to the stadium and you turn out for a second lap while other runners are finishing.
What is the weather like at the Marshall University Marathon?
Race morning in Huntington averages about 44F, clear, nearly windless, with humidity around 84%, and the day only tops out near an average high of 58F. That's about as good as marathon weather gets. The catch is that a 16 week block starts in mid July in West Virginia humidity, so your goal pace work will feel much harder in training than it will on the day.
Is the Marshall University Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
It's a legitimate qualifier and the organizer promotes it as one, but keep the number in perspective: 13.5% of finishers ran Boston qualifying times in 2025 and 12.8% in 2024, on a flat, USATF certified course. Flat and certified gives you a fair shot at it. It doesn't hand you the time.
Is the Marshall University Marathon a good first marathon?
It works well, with two things to know. The course is flat, the logistics are about as easy as marathons get, and the stadium finish is a genuine reward. But the course closes at 1:00 p.m. after a 7:00 a.m. start, which is six hours or roughly 13:45 per mile, and the second loop of a 379 person race gets lonely.
When should I start training for the Marshall University Marathon 2026?
Race day is November 1, 2026. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around June 14, 2026, a 16-week build around July 12, 2026, and a 12-week build around August 9, 2026. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Marshall University Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Marshall University 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 November 1, 2026, 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 Marshall University 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.