2026 Marine Corps Marathon: Road closures, start times and what to know
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The 51st Marine Corps Marathon brings thousands of runners to closed streets around D.C. and Arlington. Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images
The 51st Marine Corps Marathon takes over D.C. and Arlington on Sunday.
Why it matters: "The People's Marathon" is the nation's third-largest marathon without prize money, drawing thousands of runners — and widespread traffic disruptions.
State of pavement: Road closures in Arlington and D.C. begin as early as Saturday.
- Parts of I-395 and George Washington Memorial Parkway will be impacted.
- Key and Memorial bridges will close Sunday from 5:30am-3pm.
- Metro will reroute several bus lines, while rail opens early at 5am Sunday.
- See the full list of road closures.
🚆 Taking Metro: The closest rail stations to the start of the MCM race are the Pentagon and Pentagon City Stations (Blue and Yellow lines).
- The nearest Metro access to the Finish Festival is the Rosslyn station (Blue, Orange, or Silver lines).
Beyond the marathon: The main race ceremony starts around 7am near the Pentagon, with an 8K, kids' fun run and Finish Festival in downtown Rosslyn (8am-4pm).
- Registration is still open for select events.
🍝 1 fun thing: Eat pasta, run fasta! Chef Matt Adler is bringing back his annual carb-loading special at Osteria Morini (Navy Yard) and Cucina Morini (Downtown).
- Both D.C. restaurants will serve unlimited spaghetti (cacio e pepe or pomodoro) Saturday and Sunday for $30, plus $10 meatballs. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available. Bring your race bib and appetite.