Twin Cities Marathon: 2026 Road Closures and Race Times covers Sunday starts, closures, alternate routes, and events.
Twin Cities Marathon: 2026 Road Closures and Race Times highlights schedules and closures across Minneapolis, St. Paul.
The marathon starts Sunday, October 4, at 8 a.m., after the 10 Mile and half marathon starts.
Twin Cities Marathon Weekend Schedule
Race weekend begins Friday with the Health and Fitness Expo, while Saturday brings shorter races and events.
Saturday features the TC 10K at 7:30 a.m., followed by the TC 5K at 9 a.m. later.
The Health and Fitness Expo runs Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Saint Paul RiverCentre.
Family events begin Saturday at 10 a.m., while Loony Challenge participants continue their multi-race weekend schedule.
Sunday begins with the Medtronic TC 10 Mile at 7 a.m. from Minneapolis toward the State Capitol.
The TC Half Marathon for More starts at 7:40 a.m., while the marathon begins twenty minutes later.
Marathon Finish And Time Limits
Marathon runners have a six-hour, thirty-minute course window, with the official finish line open until 2:50 p.m.
That cutoff requires runners to maintain an average pace of 14:52 per mile throughout the marathon.
Course services, including medical support and traffic control, end after the permitted pace window expires for participants.
Twin Cities Marathon Road Closures
Downtown Minneapolis streets near U.S. Bank Stadium begin closing at 3:45 a.m. Sunday for marathon activities downtown.
Portland Avenue, Park Avenue, Chicago Avenue, Fourth Street, Sixth Street, and Hennepin Avenue face significant downtown restrictions.
West River Parkway also closes between Plymouth Avenue North and Franklin Avenue during the morning race activity.
Closures spread through Minneapolis and St. Paul as runners travel around lakes, cross the Mississippi, reach downtown.
Minneapolis parkways include Lake of the Isles, Dean Parkway, Bde Maka Ska, William Berry, Lake Harriet, Minnehaha.
Lake Nokomis, Godfrey Parkway, West River Parkway, and East River Parkway also experience closures during Sunday races.
Most closures reopen gradually behind runners, with several early Minneapolis sections expected to reopen near 9 a.m.
Best Driving Alternatives
Drivers should use highways I-94, I-35W, and I-35E for wider metro travel while race routes remain closed.
Motorists crossing Minnehaha Parkway can use Nicollet Avenue, I-35W, or Highway 55 and Hiawatha Avenue as alternatives.
Drivers crossing the Mississippi can use I-94, the Lake Street and Marshall Avenue bridge, or Ford Parkway.
Those traveling north or south around Summit Avenue should consider Ayd Mill Road as an alternative route.
Public Transportation During Marathon Weekend
Public transportation will face Sunday bus detours between roughly 4 a.m. and 4 p.m. across affected routes.
Light rail trains continue operating normally, giving spectators another option while road closures disrupt regular driving patterns.
The marathon route moves from downtown Minneapolis through the lakes before crossing the Mississippi toward St. Paul.
Runners then continue along Summit Avenue before reaching the finish area near Minnesota’s State Capitol grounds.
With thousands attending throughout the weekend, drivers should plan extra travel time and expect changing closures.
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