Marine Corps Marathon 2026: Start Times, Road Closures and Cutoffs on Oct. 25

The 51st Marine Corps Marathon is on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, and all runners start at 7:20 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), according to the Marine Corps Marathon race-day page. Wheels start at 7:05 a.m. and Duos at 7:07 a.m. Every participant must pass 14th and D Streets by 1:15 p.m., the “Beat the Bridge” time, and Arlington County lists road closures from about 3:00 a.m.

The marathon calls itself “the third largest marathon in the United States.” The U.S. stays on daylight time until Nov. 1, so every time below is EDT and no clock change affects race morning. The official site lists no 10K or 50K on race day.

What is the full race-day clock?

The table puts the start times, the three course cutoffs and the main closure windows in one list, earliest first. The sources are the Marine Corps Marathon race-day and course map pages, Arlington County’s traffic alert (published Oct. 16, 2026) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) detour notice (updated Oct. 20, 2026).

Time (EDT)	What happens	Source
2:30 a.m.	Metrobus detours begin	WMATA
About 3:00 a.m.	Closures begin on 26 Arlington segments	Arlington County
About 6:00 a.m.	Closures begin on 4 segments (to about 11:00 a.m.) and on 23 segments (to about 5:00 p.m.)	Arlington County
7:05 a.m.	Wheels start	Marine Corps Marathon
7:07 a.m.	Duos start	Marine Corps Marathon
7:20 a.m.	All runners start	Marine Corps Marathon
12:33 p.m.	DC Gauntlet cutoff	Marine Corps Marathon
1:15 p.m.	Beat the Bridge: reach 14th and D Streets at Mile 20	Marine Corps Marathon
1:49 p.m.	Crystal City Gauntlet cutoff	Marine Corps Marathon
About 5:00 p.m.	Southbound Route 110 reopens	Arlington County
About 6:00 p.m.	Closures end on the 26 segments	Arlington County
7:00 p.m.	Metrobus detours end	WMATA

The printable below carries the same clock on one page.

When is the Beat the Bridge cutoff?

The 2026 course map says all participants must reach the intersection of 14th and D Streets, before the 14th Street Bridge, by 1:15 p.m. at Mile 20. Counting from the 7:20 a.m. All Runners start, that is 5 hours 55 minutes of race time, or an average of 17 minutes 45 seconds per mile over the first 20 miles. That is our arithmetic from the gun time, not an official pace; the course map does not state one.

The same math gives 5 hours 13 minutes after the 7:20 a.m. start for the DC Gauntlet cutoff at 12:33 p.m., and 6 hours 29 minutes for the Crystal City Gauntlet cutoff at 1:49 p.m. Participants who miss the DC Gauntlet cutoff are moved off the course at Independence Avenue and “won’t be recognized as official finishers,” the course map says.

Which Arlington roads are closed?

Arlington County’s traffic alert for the 51st Marine Corps Marathon groups the closures by window.

Window (approximate)	Segments	Examples named by the county
3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.	26	Fort Myer Drive, Wilson Boulevard, Route 110 in both directions, Interstate 395 (I-395) ramps and high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, Washington Boulevard (Route 27)
6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.	4	Not listed here
6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.	23	Long Bridge Drive, Crystal Drive

Southbound Route 110 closes earlier than the rest. At approximately 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, it closes from Washington Boulevard to Route 1 and reopens at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25.

Arlington County says the listed reopening times are approximate and depend on course cleanup. Watch for temporary “No Parking” signs: illegally parked vehicles will be ticketed or towed.

What about D.C. streets and the parkway?

The District of Columbia (D.C.) closure list and hours for 2026 were not found when this story was written, so none are given here. Check Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) notices before you travel. Closures by the National Park Service and any early Metrorail opening for 2026 were not confirmed either.

How do I get around by bus?

WMATA says that beginning Sunday, Oct. 25, from 2:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., buses detour because of the marathon. The routes named in the notice are:

• A11, A1X, A27, A40, A58, A66 and A76
• D10, D1X, D30, D32, D40, D4X, D44, D50, D60, D6X, D74 and D80
• F44 and F62

Where do runners and finishers gather?

The Marine Corps Marathon race-day page says Runners Village is in the North Pentagon Parking Lot. The Finish Festival is at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Lynn Street in Rosslyn. The runner count and spectator spots for 2026 were not confirmed in the sources used.

Mark the date on our October 2026 printable calendar, and see the November 2026 printable calendar for the clock change on Nov. 1, covered in when daylight saving time ends. Another fall race weekend is covered in NYC Marathon 2026 start times and road closures.