Marine Corps Marathon closes dozens of Arlington roads and ramps on Sunday

By Hannah Prewitt

ARLINGTON, Va. — Dozens of roads and highway ramps in Rosslyn, Crystal City and around the Pentagon will close before dawn Sunday for the 51st Marine Corps Marathon, and one stretch of southbound Route 110 has been closed since about 4 p.m. Saturday, according to a traffic alert from Arlington County.

The wheelchair and hand cycle division starts at 7:05 a.m., followed by duos at 7:07 a.m. and the marathon at 7:20 a.m., all on Route 110, the county said. Arlington County police, Virginia State Police, U.S. Park Police and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency will handle closures on the Virginia side.

“Motorists should expect significant delays in and around the racecourse,” the county said, urging drivers to allow extra time, seek alternate routes or use transit.

The Arlington closures

Southbound Route 110 between Washington Boulevard and Route 1 closed at about 4 p.m. Saturday and is scheduled to reopen at about 5 p.m. Sunday, according to the alert. The race-day closures fall into three windows:

Reopening times are approximate and depend on course cleanup, and police may close other roads “in the interest of public safety,” the county said. Temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted, and illegally parked cars will be ticketed or towed. Drivers who cannot find a towed car can call the county’s non-emergency line at 703-558-2222. ARLnow also published the full list.

E-scooters, bicycles and other micromobility devices will not be allowed inside some restricted areas, and riders may be told to turn around or park and walk, according to the county.

Across the river

In the District, the Metropolitan Police Department said Key Bridge, Memorial Bridge, the HOV lanes of the 14th Street Bridge and Rock Creek Parkway from Calvert Street to Ohio Drive will be closed from about 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., along with stretches of M Street and Canal Road in Georgetown and streets crossing the National Mall, according to an MPD traffic advisory. Emergency no-parking rules apply on many of those streets from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Getting there by Metro

Metro will open at 5 a.m. Sunday and run normal Sunday frequencies, Metro said. Runners can take Metro to Pentagon for the start, and the agency said “only runners will be allowed at the start and finish lines this year.” Spectators can use the Smithsonian, Crystal City, L’Enfant Plaza and Arlington Cemetery stations; Arlington Cemetery opens at about 9 a.m. Families can meet runners at a link-up zone near Rosslyn.

Bus riders should expect changes. From 2:30 a.m. to about 7 p.m., Metrobus service at the Pentagon Transit Center and at Crystal City will move to Pentagon City, and Rosslyn Bus Terminal service will move to N. Oak Street between Wilson Boulevard and N. 18th Street, Metro said. Twenty-one routes, including the A11, D10 and F44, will be detoured or turned back between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The county asked the public to report suspicious behavior or unattended packages to police on the course or at 703-558-2222, or 911 in an emergency.

The Inquisitor contacted Arlington County, Metro, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Marine Corps Marathon Organization on Saturday.

Photo: Runners in the 50th Marine Corps Marathon in 2025. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Rowdy Vanskike / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.