About 15,000 runners are expected to participate in the Baltimore Running Festival this Saturday, including the marathon, half-marathon, 10K and 5K races.
With those athletic events come the necessary road closures to facilitate the annual festival. Some traffic and parking changes will go into effect as early as Thursday and Friday.
To avoid getting caught in the gridlock, know which roads will be closed and when.
Starting at 10 a.m. Thursday, the left lane of southbound Light Street from Pratt to Conway streets will be closed.
Then, starting at 9 a.m. Friday, the city will close all lanes of Pratt Street from Charles to Light streets. That portion of Pratt Street will remain closed until late Saturday afternoon when the festival clears.
At 6 p.m. Friday, parking restrictions will go into effect on Charles Street between Pratt and Lombard streets (west side only). Those restrictions will continue through 6 p.m. Saturday.
These other parking restrictions will begin at 8 p.m. Friday and remain in place through 6 p.m. Saturday:
- Linwood Avenue between O’Donnell and Madison Streets
- Madison Street between Linwood Avenue and Washington Street (north side only)
- Washington Street between Madison Street and Sinclair Lane
- Eastern Avenue between Linwood and Patterson Park Avenues (north side only)
- Boston Street between Aliceanna Street and Lakewood Avenue (north side only)
- Lancaster Street between President Street and Central Avenue
- 33rd Street between Hillen Road and Guilford Avenue
- 28th Street between Howard and St. Paul Streets
- St. Paul Street between 28th and Baltimore Streets
- Maryland Avenue/Cathedral Street/Liberty Street/Hopkins Place/Sharp Street between 29th and Pratt Streets
- Camden Street between Howard and Paca Streets
- Baltimore Street from President Street to Patterson Park Avenue (south side only)
- Key Highway between Light and Lawrence Streets
- Fayette Street between Calvert and Gay Streets (south side only)
- Hillen Road between Harford Road and 33rd Street (east side only)
- Harford Road between St. Lo Drive and Hillen Road (east side only)
- Hillen Road between 33rd Street to Mervo High School entrance
- Calvert Street between Pratt and Fayette Streets
- Druid Park Lake Drive access road between Lakeview Avenue and Mt. Royal Terrace
- Charles Street between North and Lafayette Avenues
- Lafayette Avenue between Charles Street and Maryland Avenue
- McCulloh Street between Paca Street and Druid Park Lake Drive (east side only)
- Remington Avenue between Wyman Park Drive and 31st Street
- 31st Street between Remington Avenue and Wyman Park Drive
- Howard Street between 29th and 28th Streets
- Patterson Park Avenue between Baltimore Street and Eastern Avenue (east side only)
- Aliceanna Street between Caroline and Boston Streets
- O’Donnell Street between Lakewood and Linwood Avenues
- Guilford Avenue between 33rd and 29th Streets
- 29th Street between Guilford and Maryland Avenues
- Point Street between Central Avenue and Wills Street (south side only)
- Point Street between Wills Street and Caroline Street
- Caroline Street between Point Street and Aliceanna Street
- Light Street between Pratt and Lee Streets (west side only)
- Light Street between Lombard and Pratt Streets (east side only)
- Central Avenue between Dock and Point Streets (west side only)
- East Coast Greenway between Lee and Barre Streets (east side only)
If any of your errands can’t wait until Saturday evening, you’ll want to run them during the week because the bulk of the road closures will start bright and early Saturday.
6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. closures:
- Russell Street from Lee to Paca Streets 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
- Camden Street from Paca to Howard Streets 6:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Eutaw Street from Pratt to Camden Streets 6:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Russell Street at Hamburg Street 6:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- Paca Street from Camden to McCulloh Streets 6:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
- Key Highway from Light Street to Key Highway Extension 6:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Conway Street from I-395 to Light Street 6:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
7:00 a.m. closures:
- Northbound Light/Calvert Streets from Key Highway to Lombard Street
- Charles Street between Conway and Pratt Streets until 9:30 a.m.
- McCulloh Street between Paca Street and Gwynns Falls Pkwy until 10:00 a.m.
- Gwynns Falls Pkwy from McCulloh Street to Mansion House Drive until 10:00am
- Beechwood Drive, Safari Place, Mansion House Drive, and East Drive within Druid Hill Park until 10:00 a.m.
- Russell Street at Hamburg Street until 10:00 a.m.
- Wyman Park Drive between East Drive/Druid Hill Park and 29th Street until 11:00 a.m.
- Remington Avenue between Wyman Park Drive and Wyman Parkway/Howard Street until 11:00 a.m.
- Howard Street between 29thand 28th Streets until 11:00 a.m.
- 28th Street between Howard and St. Paul Streets until 11:00 a.m.
- Calvert Street between Pratt and Baltimore Streets until 1:00 p.m.
- Pratt Street between Greene and Eutaw Streets (until the marathon and half-marathon clear the area) until 1:00 p.m.
- Pratt Street between Howard and President Streets until 6:00 p.m.
- Hamburg Street Bridge between Russell and Leadenhall Streets until 1:00 p.m.
7:30 a.m. closures:
- Druid Park Lake Drive between McCulloh Street and Lakeview Avenue until 10:00 a.m.
- Druid Park Lake Drive access road between Lakeview Avenue and Mt. Royal Terrace until 10:00 a.m.
- Lakeview Avenue between Druid Park Lake Drive and the Druid Park Lake Drive access road until 10:00 a.m.
- Mt. Royal Terrace between Druid Park Lake Drive and North Avenue until 10:00 a.m.
- North Avenue (eastbound) between Mt. Royal Terrace and Charles Street until 10:00 a.m.
- Charles Street between North and Lafayette Avenues until 10:00 a.m.
- Lafayette Avenue between Charles Street and Maryland Avenue until 10:00 a.m.
- St. Paul Street/Light Street (southbound) between 28th and Lombard Streets until 11:30 a.m.
8:00 a.m. closures:
- Key Highway Extension between Key Highway and Haubert Street until 12:00 p.m.
- Light Street (southbound) between Lombard Street and Key Highway until 12:00 p.m.
- Light Street (northbound) between Henrietta Street and Key Highway until 12:00 p.m.
- President Street (southbound) between Pratt and Lancaster Streets until 1:00 p.m.
- Lancaster Street between President Street and S. Central Avenue until 1:00 p.m.
- S. Central Avenue between Lancaster and Point Streets until 1:00 p.m.
- Point Street between S. Central Avenue and S. Caroline Street until 1:00 p.m.
- S. Caroline Street between Point and Aliceanna Streets until 1:00 p.m.
- Aliceanna Street between S. Caroline and Boston Streets until 1:00 p.m.
- Boston Street between Aliceanna Street and Lakewood Avenue until 1:00 p.m.
- Lakewood Avenue between Boston and O’Donnell Streets until 1:00 p.m.
- O’Donnell Street between Lakewood and Linwood Avenues until 1:00 p.m.
- Linwood Avenue between O’Donnell and Madison Streets until 1:00 p.m.
- Jones Falls Expressway (I-83) Southbound Exit Ramp to 28th Street until 12:00 p.m.
- Jones Falls Expressway (I-83) Southbound Exit Ramp to North Avenue until 12:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m. closures:
- Madison Street between Linwood Avenue and Washington Streets until 2:00 p.m.
- Washington Street/St. Lo Drive between Madison Street and Harford Road until 2:00 p.m.
- Harford Road between St. Lo Drive and Hillen Road until 3:00 p.m.
- 33rd Street, Whitman Drive, and Curran Drive at Lake Montebello until 3:00 p.m.
- 33rd Street (westbound) between Hillen Road and Guilford Avenue until 3:00 p.m.
- Hillen Road (northbound) between Harford Road and 33rd Street until 3:00 p.m.
- Hillen Road between 33rd Street and Kennewick Road until 3:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. closures:
- Baltimore Street between President Street and Patterson Park Avenue until 1:00 p.m.
- Fayette Street between President and Calvert Streets until 1:00 p.m.
- Patterson Park Avenue between Fayette Street and Eastern Avenue until 1:00 p.m.
- Eastern Avenue between Patterson Park and Linwood Avenues until 1:00 p.m.
- Guilford Avenue between 33rd and 29th Streets until 4:00 p.m.
- 29th Street between Guilford and Maryland Avenues until 4:00 p.m.
- Maryland Avenue/Cathedral Street/N. Liberty Street/Hopkins Place between 29th and Pratt Streets until 4:00 p.m.
- Pratt Street between Howard and Light Streets (until the marathon and half marathon clear the area) until 4:00 p.m.
The 5K race will begin at McKeldin Square at Light and Pratt streets at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
Next, wheelchair athletes will begin the marathon at 7:55 a.m. at the Brooks Robinson statue at Paca and Camden streets.
They will be followed closely by the rest of the marathoners as well as the 10K participants, starting at 8 a.m. also at the Brooks Robinson statue. The marathon will end on Pratt Street between Charles and Light streets.
At 9:30 a.m., half-marathon participants will begin at Pratt and Calvert streets.
By 3 p.m., all courses will be closed.
The particularly ambitious runners out there can opt to participate in the Baltimoron-a-thon, which requires them to complete both the 5K (in under 1 hour) and the half-marathon (in under 5 hours) in the same day.
Meanwhile, those whose strengths lie more in short bursts can participate in the .05K – a whopping 162 feet – presented by 98 Rock.
Racers can use the Baltimore Running Festival to satisfy the first leg of the Chessie Challenge. After the Baltimore Running Festival, Chessie challengers will have to also complete the Ocean City Running Festival on Nov. 14.
To participate in the Black-Eyed Susan Challenge, racers have to have completed the Frederick Running Festival in May and the Baltimore Ten Miler in June.
