Marine Corps Marathon 2026: Start 7:20 a.m., Beat the Bridge 1:15 p.m.

Updated Sun., Oct. 25, 2026, 5:35 p.m. ET. The 51st Marine Corps Marathon was run on Sunday morning. Marine Corps Maj. Kyle King won the men's race in 2:17:31, his third straight win, and Kaylee Slade won the women's race in 2:44:34, Stars and Stripes reported. The official results page had not been updated for 2026 when we checked. The times and closures below are the plan as published before the race.

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

The marathon calls itself “the third largest marathon in the United States.” The U.S. stayed on daylight time until Nov. 1, so every time below is EDT and no clock change affected race morning. The official site listed 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.

What was the Beat the Bridge cutoff?

The 2026 course map says all participants had to 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 missed the DC Gauntlet cutoff were moved off the course at Independence Avenue and “won’t be recognized as official finishers,” the course map says.

Which Arlington roads were 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 closed earlier than the rest. At approximately 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, it was to close from Washington Boulevard to Route 1 and reopen at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25.

Arlington County says the listed reopening times are approximate and depend on course cleanup. The county warned that illegally parked vehicles near temporary “No Parking” signs would 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 did buses run on race day?

WMATA said that on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 2:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., buses detoured because of the marathon. The routes named in the notice were:

• 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 said Runners Village was in the North Pentagon Parking Lot. The Finish Festival was 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. The New York City Marathon weekend is covered in NYC Marathon 2026 start times and road closures.