51st Marine Corps Marathon closes DC and Arlington roads Sunday
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The gist
The 51st Marine Corps Marathon runs Sunday with about 40,000 participants starting on Route 110 in Arlington.
Bridges and roads shut for hours, so organizers urge runners to take Metro.
Background
The Marine Corps Marathon, nicknamed "The People's Marathon," is the nation's third-largest marathon without prize money, per Axios, and this year holds its 51st edition. It has grown sharply: the 50th edition in October 2025 drew a record 40,000 registrants, up from over 16,000 racers in 2024, according to Military.com, and nearly 700,000 runners have finished it since it began in 1976. The 2026 race brings road closures and parking restrictions across Arlington and near the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
How it unfolded
- Oct 21, 2026Arlington County Police Department releases the full list of road closures and parking restrictions; southbound Route 110 closes from Washington Boulevard to Route 1 around 4:00 p.m. Saturday and reopens 5:00 p.m. Sunday.
- Oct 21, 2026Officials say Key Bridge and Memorial Bridge shut Sunday from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with significant disruptions on I-395 and the George Washington Memorial Parkway; closures begin as early as 3 a.m. and run until 6 p.m.
- Oct 22, 2026Police detail start times: wheelchair and hand cycle division at 7:05 a.m., duo division at 7:07 a.m. and the main marathon at 7:20 a.m., all from Route 110 in Arlington; Metro opens at 5 a.m. Sunday.
- Oct 25, 2026Race day: the course runs from between the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery through Rosslyn, Georgetown, the National Mall and Hains Point, finishing uphill at the Marine Corps War Memorial.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Race organizers say participants should use Metro, ridesharing or other transportation options instead of driving.
- Caution
- Arlington County says reopening estimates will vary depending on course cleanup efforts in the closure areas.
Still unverified
Olga Markova, who set the women's course record of 2:37:00 in 1990, was reportedly a sergeant in the Soviet Army at the time, per Wikipedia.