BALTIMORE, MD—The 25th annual Baltimore Running Festival, expected to draw over 14,000 runners, will bring a full day of severe traffic disruptions, road closures, and commercial vehicle restrictions across the city on Saturday, October 18, 2025. The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) has issued a comprehensive advisory, urging residents and visitors to plan alternate travel and use public transportation.

The festival features a 26.2-mile marathon, the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half-Marathon, the 5K, and the Pandora 10K Race, with courses shutting down at 3:00 p.m.

Race Start Times and Locations:

  • 7:30 a.m.: 5K race begins at Light & Pratt Streets / McKeldin Square.
  • 8:00 a.m.: Marathon & 10K begin at Paca & Camden Streets / Brooks Robinson Statue.
  • 9:30 a.m.: Half-Marathon begins at Pratt & Calvert Streets.

Major Travel Warning: Expect Significant Delays

BCDOT warns that travel into, out of, or across the race footprint will be “very difficult” throughout the day. Motorists should anticipate “significant delays” due to traffic stops implemented for participant safety.

To minimize delays, drivers are strongly advised to use alternative routes outside the race footprint, specifically:

  • Roadways north of 33rd Street.
  • Roadways south of McComas Street.
  • Roadways west of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
  • Roadways east of Highland Avenue.

An interactive road closure map is available online to help the public track neighborhood impacts throughout the day. Motorists should aim to travel before the races begin or after they end.

Key Road Closures and Timings

Street and lane closures for race setup begin as early as Thursday, October 16, with the left lane of southbound Light Street closing at 10 a.m.

Major full closures begin Friday evening:

  • Pratt Street from Charles to Light Streets will fully close at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, October 17, and remain closed until the event clears late Saturday afternoon.

Significant, multi-hour street closures on Saturday include:

  • 6:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Camden Street from Paca to Howard Streets.
  • 6:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Key Highway from Light Street to the Key Highway Extension.
  • 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Pratt Street from Howard to President Streets.
  • 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: A segment of Linwood Avenue, Madison Street, Washington Street, Eastern Avenue, and Boston Street as the course traverses East Baltimore.
  • 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Long-term closures along Maryland Avenue/Cathedral Street/Liberty Street/Hopkins Place between 29th and Pratt Streets.

Parking and Commercial Vehicle Restrictions

Dozens of streets along the race route will have posted parking restrictions in effect from 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 17 through 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18. Vehicles parked in violation will be ticketed and towed. Motorists seeking their towed vehicles should call 311.

Additionally, strict commercial vehicle restrictions will be enforced in Downtown Baltimore from 2:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18. This includes tanker trailers and prohibits most commercial vehicles (excluding cabs, buses, and mass transit) from traveling on or south of Fayette Street and on or west of President Street, among other designated downtown areas.

Public Transportation Alternatives

BCDOT highly encourages the use of public transit. The MTA Metro SubwayLink is recommended as it will not be affected by the marathon route.

Charm City Circulator service will be severely limited:

  • The Orange, Green, Purple and Banner routes will not be in operation from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Service will resume from 4:00 p.m. until midnight.
  • The Cherry route will operate regular service hours south of Henrietta Street.

Motorists are advised to be on the lookout for changing traffic patterns and officials directing traffic throughout the event. Detailed race routes and course information are available on the event website.

The full list of traffic advisories and closures can be viewed online here.

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