BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — The 24th Annual Hatfield McCoy Marathon race will be Saturday, June 10.

Tug Valley Road Runners Club founded and sponsored the marathon in 2000. At that time, Dave Hatfield was club president.

The inaugural race began with just 13 runners. Now it welcomes hundreds of runners each June.

The Hatfield McCoy Marathon has a run for everyone: the full 26.2-mile marathon, one of the 13.1-mile runs, or a shorter 5K.

Runners from several different states usually participate in the marathon. The event has even seen runners from Canada and other countries.

Runners who are “50-staters” (trying to run a marathon in all 50 U.S. states) can choose either West Virginia or Kentucky as the race runs through both states.

The race begins at Belfry High School in Pike County and finishes on Second Avenue in downtown Williamson, W.Va.

The course will take runners along historic feud sites, such as Randolph McCoy’s birthplace and water well, the Hog Trial Cabin, the Paw Paw Trees (where three McCoy boys were hung), and Rosanna’s baby gravesite.

At mile 6.5, runners go up Blackberry Mountain to the top and run down to the other side to the Hog Trial Cabin. At the half-marathon point, the course goes into historic Matewan, where the Matewan Massacre (Battle of Matewan) occurred.

Racers will venture along River Road for a few miles until they reach the swinging bridge at mile 18.5 that connects both states at the old Tug Valley Country Club golf course. The race runs through Kentucky and West Virginia several times due to the direction of the Tug Fork River.

The best water stop volunteers will man the course. Also, there will be EMTs along the route in case an injury occurs.

The marathon starts promptly at 7 a.m.

Visit hatfieldmccoymarathontvrrc.com for more information. Register at hatfieldmccoymarathontvrrc.com/register.