Baltimore Running Festival: Marathon Start, Road Closures

BALTIMORE, MD — The Baltimore Running Festival will be in town Saturday, Oct. 19, and road closures will be in effect around the race routes. About 20,000 people are expected to participate.

Five different races are included in the festival — a 5K, half-marathon, marathon, team relay and BaltiMORON-a-thon (both 5K and half-marathon).

Marathon participants will hit the pavement around the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill and Fells Point, with a course that also runs to the Maryland Zoo on Druid Park Lake Drive, past the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus, Lake Montebello and Patterson Park.

Drivers may experience significant delays if they are traveling within the footprint of the race course and should plan on extra travel time, according to the Baltimore City Department of Transportation.

"Traffic will be impacted in many city communities, and in order to minimize delays, motorists should use alternate routes outside of the race footprint," the Baltimore City Department of Transportation advised. "This includes using roadways north of 33rd Street, south of McComas Street, west of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and east of Highland Avenue."

The Baltimore Running Festival races begin at various times and locations:

• 7:30 a.m. –5K race starts at Light and Pratt streets
• 7:55 a.m. – Wheelchair athletes begin at Light and Pratt streets
• 8 a.m. – Marathon and team relay begin at Camden and Paca/Russell streets
• 9:45 a.m. – Half-marathon begins at Light and Pratt streets
• 3 p.m. — Courses close

There will be a finish line watch party from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Inner Harbor, with events that are free and open to the public, including live music.

Some roads will be closed, and parking will be prohibited in various areas around the race route. Those who violate parking restrictions will be ticketed and towed, and drivers who are not sure where to find their vehicles should call 311.

Here is an interactive map showing when and where neighborhoods will be affected by the Baltimore Running Festival.

Lane And Road Closures, Parking Restrictions

This is the full advisory from the Baltimore Department of Transportation:

Parking restrictions will be in place on these roads on Saturday, Oct. 19:

• Linwood Avenue from Eastern Avenue to Fayette Street 12 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Eastern Avenue (north side) from Linwood to Patterson Park Avenues 12 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Boston Street (north side) from Aliceanna Street to Lakewood Avenue 2 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Lancaster Street from President to Exeter Streets 2 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• E. 33rd Street from Hillen Road to Guilford Avenue 2 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Maryland Avenue/Cathedral Street/Liberty Street/Hopkins Street/Sharp Street from W. 29th to Pratt Streets 2:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• W. 28th Street from Fox to Howard Streets – 2 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Camden Street from Eutaw to Paca Streets 2 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Baltimore Street (south side) from President Street to Patterson Park Avenue 2 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Key Highway from Light to Lawrence Streets 2 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Fayette Street (south side) from Gay to Calvert Streets 2 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Hillen Road from East 33rd Street to Mervo entrance 2 a.m. to 12 p.m.

In preparation for the event, these streets/lanes will be closed for setup:

• Right lane of Pratt Street from Light to Calvert Streets begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17
• Left lane (next to median) of southbound Light Street from Pratt to Conway Streets begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17.
• Pratt Street closure from Charles to Light Streets begins at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18. This portion of Pratt Street will remain closed until the event clears late Saturday afternoon.

• Paca Street from Pratt to Lombard Streets 5:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
• Camden Street from Paca to Howard Streets 6 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
• Eutaw Street from Pratt to Camden Streets 7 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
• Russell Street from Lee to Pratt Streets 6– 10 a.m.
• Russell Street at Hamburg Street 7 – 10 a.m.
• Hamburg Street Bridge from Russell to Leadenhall Streets 7 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Key Highway from Cross to Light Streets 8 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
• Southbound Light Street from Lombard Street to Key Highway 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Northbound Light Street from Henrietta Street to Key Highway 8 – 11 a.m.
• Pratt Street from Green to Eutaw Streets 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. (until marathon and half-marathon clear)
• Pratt Street from Howard to Light Streets from 1 p.m. to clear
• Southbound Jones Falls Expressway exit ramp to 28th Street 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

The following streets will be impacted by the marathon on Saturday, Oct. 19:

• Paca Street from Pratt to McCulloh Streets 8:05 a.m. – 8:31 a.m.
• McCulloh Street from Paca Street to North Avenue 8:10 a.m. – 8:47 a.m.
• McCulloh Street from North Avenue to Gwynns Falls Pkwy 8:15 – 9:03 a.m.
• Gwynns Falls Pkwy from Beechwood Drive to Mansion House Drive (in Druid Hill Park) 8:20 a.m. - 9:19 a.m.
• Mansion House Drive to Wyman Park Drive 8:25 a.m. to 9:35 a.m.
• Wyman Park Drive from Remington Avenue to W. 28th Street 8:30 a.m. – 9:51 a.m.
• 28th Street from Fox to St. Paul Streets 8:35 a.m. – 10:07 a.m.
• St. Paul Street from W. 28th to Light Streets 8:40 a.m. – 10:23 a.m.
• Light Street from Pratt Street to Key Highway 8:45 a.m. – 10:39 a.m.
• Key Highway from Light Street to Key Highway Extension to Hull Street 8:55 a.m. - 11:11 a.m.
• Hull Street to Key Highway Extension to Key Highway to Light Street 9:00 a.m. to 11:27 a.m.
• Light Street to Pratt Street to President Street to Lancaster Street 9:05 a.m. to 11:43 a.m.
• Aliceanna Street from President to Boston Streets 9:10 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.
• Boston Street to Lakewood Avenue to O’Donnell Street to Linwood Avenue 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• Linwood Avenue from O’Donnell Street to Madison Street 9:20 a.m. to 12:31 p.m.
• Madison Street from Linwood Avenue to Washington Street to St. Lo Drive 9:25 a.m. to 12:47 p.m.
• Harford Road from St. Lo Drive to 30th Street to Hillen Road 9:30 a.m. to 1:35 p.m.
• Hillen Road from Lake Montebello to E. 33rd Street to Guilford Avenue 9:20 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
• Guilford Avenue from E. 33rd to W. 29th Streets 9:50 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• 29th Street from Guilford to Maryland Avenues 9:55 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
• Maryland/Cathedral/Hopkins/Sharp St from W. 29th to Pratt Streets 10:00 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
• Race finish line on Pratt Street between Charles and Light Streets 10:00 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.

Commercial Vehicle Restrictions

Commercial vehicles will not be allowed downtown in the Inner Harbor areas of the cities, including tanker trailers. Exceptions are cabs, buses and other mass transportation vehicles.

Commercial vehicle restrictions will be implemented on the following streets during the date and times listed above:

• Fayette Street from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (MLK) to President Street (no commercial vehicles will be allowed to travel on or south of Fayette Street)
• President Street from Aliceanna to Fayette Streets (no commercial vehicles will be allowed to travel on or west of President Street)
• Light Street from Pratt Street to Key Highway
• Key Highway from Light to McComas Streets
• Hanover Street from McComas to Montgomery Streets (no commercial vehicles will be allowed on or north of McComas Street, including Hanover Street)
• Pratt and Lombard Streets from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to President Street
• I-395 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. split to Pratt Street (commercial vehicles on I-395 are required to use Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to continue north of the race area)

Commercial vehicle restrictions will be strictly enforced in the downtown area, officials said.

Public Transit

People taking public transit are encouraged to take the metro or light rail because the CityLink and LocalLink will be affected due to the road closures.

These bus routes will be impacted from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the Maryland Transit Administration: CityLink routes and LocalLink routes 21, 22, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 63, 65, 67, 71, 73, 76, 78, 80, and 94.