Plan ahead: see route maps and which roads are closed for Kansas City marathon Saturday
Morning commuters on Saturday, Oct. 19, will need to watch out for runners, joggers, and walkers, as roads will be closed around midtown Kansas City to accommodate the foot traffic.
Long stretches of The Paseo, Broadway Boulevard, Ward Parkway and other roads are shutting down for the Garmin KC Marathon. The races start at 7 a.m. and run until 2 p.m., according to the marathon guide.
Routes for the day’s 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathon races will require street closures through the Country Club Plaza, midtown and downtown Kansas City, so plan accordingly.
The Kansas City Police Department will provide traffic control and allow residents to cross the road when there are gaps between the runners and when it is safe, even in instances when the roads are closed.
The marathon starts at Frank A. Theis Park, across the street from The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, but each route differs. Racers will go by the World War I Museum & Memorial, the Country Club Plaza, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Waldo, Westport, 18th & Vine and other neighborhoods as they complete the marathon.
The 5K keeps runners within the Plaza, the 10K stretches to Ward Parkway North and Roanoke Parkway, the half-marathon takes participants into Westport and Gillham roads, The Paseo and 18th and Vine, and the full marathon encompasses all routes.
The streets at the beginning the race -- Ward Parkway North, W. 47th St., Brookside Boulevard, Emmanuel Cleaver II Boulevard and Roanoke Parkway -- will be closed completely at the start, according to the race guide.
The race guide says there is a six-hour time limit for the full marathon course. Participants must keep a 14-minute-per-mile pace to make the course deadline and if they have not reached mile 13 by 10:30 a.m., they will be directed to the half-marathon course to finish.
If runners choose to finish the full marathon after the 10:30 a.m. cutoff time, they will be asked to move to the sidewalk and cannot run on the roads, since security and race support will be dismissed by the police department’s tail vehicle.
For more information, visit the Garmin KC Marathon website: sportkc.org/marathon.
Where can I park for the Garmin KC Marathon?
If you’re running the Garmin KC Marathon or hoping to catch a friend when they reach the finish line, parking is available at the lots on UMKC’s Volker Campus and the Country Club Plaza, which are a few blocks from the starting point.
Nearly 3,000 spaces are available in the Cherry Street Garage and Rockhill Garage with additional lots throughout the campus. Parking is first come first serve.
Check out the list of parking garages online.
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 1:50 PM.
