This Sunday, the 43rd Marine Corps Marathon will send 30,000 runners all over the region, from Arlington, VA, to Washington, D.C. and back again. Major road closures are planned.
Each fall, the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) draws tens of thousands of runners and spectators to the area for this amazing annual event. The MCM is a grueling urban course that winds through Arlington, across the Potomac and past famous sites in D.C. for the majority of the day.
Road closures on Sunday, October 28, start at 3:30 a.m. (even though the race begins at 7:55 a.m.), and many will remain in place through the early evening. View the entire closure list on the MCM website here.
Courtesy of the Marine Corps Marathon
Notable closures include routes that may affect longer drives on connected highways such as 395 and the Potomac bridges; make sure out-of-towners know in case these closures affect their planned routes:
3:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Boundary Channel Drive from Rt 110 to Long Bridge
6 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW in both directions
6:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Lee Highway (eastbound) between N. Kirkwood Street to Lynn Street
6:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Spout Run Parkway from Lee Highway to GW Parkway
6:30 a.m.-12 p.m. ALL LANES OF THE KEY BRIDGE
6:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway NW from Beach and Shoreham Drives to Independence Avenue
Photo Courtesy of Stay Arlington
On race day, it is a good idea to stay out of the areas of North Arlington, Rosslyn, Georgetown, the Key Bridge, the National Mall, the Tidal Basin, and many other spots along the way, unless you're there to watch the race. If you have guests this weekend, try to get them to all of the D.C. museums before Saturday or after Sunday. Old Town Alexandria and Annapolis are great tourist spot alternatives! Metro will be packed on Sunday, so bring along your patience or get there early!
Courtesy of My Best Runs
Spectators are encouraged to check the MCM Spectator Page for information on transportation (Metro is best), and the locations of official spectator staging areas. Track your favorite runner with the text alerts available through the official MCM website, and know exactly where to watch and when. Along the course on the Virginia side, there will be special services and vendors set up to keep everyone entertained. Businesses along the marathon route will be open, but parking will be minimal if any is available at all. Be sure to use #RunWithTheMarines on your MCM-related social media posts!
In addition to the marathon on Sunday, the Health and Fitness Expo held on Friday, Oct. 26 (10 a.m.-8:00 p.m.) and Saturday, Oct. 27 (8 a.m.-6 p.m.) will have the National Harbor packed as runners pick up their race day envelopes at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. After the race, Rosslyn will host an enormous Finish Festival from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. just steps from the MCM Finish Line. For more details about the MCM events, check their website here.
Have you experienced the Marine Corps Marathon, either as a runner or a spectator? How did the road closures affect the trip in? Let us know in the comments below.
Looking for a bird's eye view of the marathon? The CEB Tower is the place to be!
