Baltimore will close dozens of streets on Saturday, Oct. 17, for the Baltimore Running Festival, with the first closures starting at 6 a.m. and all race courses shutting at 3 p.m. If you live, work or plan to drive anywhere between Druid Hill Park, Charles Village, Lake Montebello, Canton and the Inner Harbor that morning, here is when your streets close and how to get around.
The city’s Department of Transportation published the full closure list on Oct. 11. About 15,000 runners are expected across four races: the marathon, the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half-Marathon, the Royal Farms 5K and the apgfcu 10K, according to the Baltimore City Department of Transportation.
When does each race start?
The start times determine which neighborhoods feel the impact first. Downtown closures begin before dawn, while East Baltimore and the Lake Montebello area stay closed into the afternoon because the marathon passes there in its later miles.
| Time (Sat., Oct. 17) | Event | Start location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m. | 5K | Light and Pratt streets / McKeldin Square |
| 7:55 a.m. | Marathon wheelchair athletes | Paca and Camden streets / Brooks Robinson statue |
| 8 a.m. | Marathon and 10K | Paca and Camden streets / Brooks Robinson statue |
| 9:30 a.m. | Half-marathon | Pratt and Calvert streets |
| 3 p.m. | All courses closed | Marathon finish on Pratt Street between Charles and Light streets |
Which streets close before race day?
Two closures start early. On Thursday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m., the left, median-side lane of southbound Light Street closes between Pratt and Conway streets. On Friday, Oct. 16, at 9 p.m., Pratt Street closes completely between Charles and Light streets and stays closed until the event clears late Saturday afternoon.
Parking restrictions along the course take effect at 8 p.m. Friday and run through 6 p.m. Saturday on most listed blocks, including stretches of St. Paul Street, Key Highway, Boston Street, Linwood Avenue, 33rd Street, Hillen Road, Calvert Street and Charles Street north of North Avenue. The city says vehicles parked in violation will be ticketed and towed. If your car disappears, call 311.
Which Baltimore streets close Saturday, and when do they reopen?
Closure times are approximate, and the city says more lane closures and parking restrictions may be added during the day. The main windows, grouped by area:
- Camden Yards and the west side of downtown: Russell, Camden, Eutaw and Conway streets begin closing at 6 a.m. Camden Street (Paca to Howard) and Eutaw Street (Pratt to Camden) stay closed until 3:30 p.m.
- Druid Hill Park and Reservoir Hill: McCulloh Street, Gwynns Falls Parkway and the park’s internal roads close from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.; Druid Park Lake Drive, Lakeview Avenue and Mount Royal Terrace close from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Remington and Charles Village: Wyman Park Drive, Remington Avenue, Howard Street (29th to 28th) and 28th Street close from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Southbound St. Paul and Light streets, from 28th to Lombard, close from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- JFX ramps: The southbound I-83 exit ramps to 28th Street and North Avenue close from 8 a.m. to noon.
- Federal Hill and Key Highway: Key Highway (Light Street to Key Highway Extension) closes from 6:30 a.m. to noon.
- Harbor East, Fells Point and Canton: President, Lancaster, Central, Point, Caroline, Aliceanna, Boston, Lakewood, O’Donnell and Linwood close from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Patterson Park and East Baltimore: Baltimore Street (President to Patterson Park Avenue), Fayette Street, Patterson Park Avenue and Eastern Avenue close from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Madison Street and Washington Street/St. Lo Drive close from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Lake Montebello and Harford Road: Harford Road (St. Lo Drive to Hillen Road), Hillen Road, 33rd Street and the roads around Lake Montebello close from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- The return route into downtown: Guilford Avenue, 29th Street and the Maryland Avenue/Cathedral Street/Liberty Street/Hopkins Place corridor to Pratt close from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pratt Street between Howard and President streets stays closed until 6 p.m.
The city also has an interactive closure map and a turn-by-turn course PDF linked on its announcement page.
“Motorists should expect significant delays and traffic holds throughout the day.”
Baltimore City Department of Transportation
Police and transportation enforcement officers will let cars cross the course when there are gaps between runners, but the city warns that getting into or out of the race footprint will be very difficult. Its advice is to travel before the races start or after 3 p.m.
Can trucks and delivery vehicles get downtown?
No, not during most of the day. From 2 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, commercial vehicles, including tanker trailers, are barred from much of downtown and the Inner Harbor: Pratt and Lombard streets between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and President Street, Light Street from Pratt to Key Highway, Key Highway from Light to McComas, and areas on or south of Fayette Street, on or west of President Street and on or north of McComas Street. Cabs, buses and other mass transit are exempt. Businesses expecting Saturday deliveries downtown may want to reschedule.
Will buses, the Circulator and the subway run?
- Metro Subway: runs normally, and parking is free at all Metro stations from Owings Mills to Mondawmin, which makes it the simplest way for spectators from Baltimore County to reach the area.
- Local buses: expect detours along the course; check route changes with the Maryland Transit Administration before leaving.
- Charm City Circulator: the Orange, Purple and Banner routes are suspended from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Green route is detoured; the Cherry route runs normally south of Henrietta Street.
- Harbor Connector: Harbor Connector boats run from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with stops at Harborplace, Harbor East, Federal Hill, Fells Point, Locust Point and Canton Waterfront Park.
What else is happening downtown that day?
The race is not the only crowd. The city notes several Disney on Ice shows at CFG Bank Arena on the same Saturday, so traffic around the arena and the west side of downtown will be heavier than on a typical race morning. Combine that with the parking bans and closures around Camden Yards, and leaving extra time is the safest plan.
Saturday’s forecast is still several days out. For the week’s conditions, see our Baltimore weather outlook.
What if I still need to register or have a problem?
Online registration for the marathon closes at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, or earlier if the field fills, according to the race’s registration page, which caps the marathon at 2,500 runners and sets a seven-hour time limit. The course passes the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Fells Point and the Maryland Zoo and loops Lake Montebello between miles 16 and 20.
For towed cars, blocked streets or other problems on race day, call 311 inside the city or 443-263-2220 from outside it.
Featured image: Runners on Patterson Park Avenue during the 2015 Baltimore Marathon. Photo: Chrissymad / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.