Pittsburgh Marathon 2026: Road Closures, Route, and Everything You Need to Know This Weekend
Published: April 29, 2026 | By Tim Pettigrew
The 2026 Pittsburgh Marathon is Sunday, May 3 — and it sold out in record time this year. More than 50,000 participants are expected across all weekend events. Whether you're running it, cheering it, or just trying to get to brunch on Sunday morning, here's everything you need before the weekend hits.
The Quick Version
Full marathon + half marathon start: Sunday May 3, 7:00 a.m.
Course: 26.2 miles through 14+ Pittsburgh neighborhoods
Weather: 66°F, clear skies, zero chance of rain. Perfect.
Road closures: Start Friday noon, peak Sunday morning, clear Sunday afternoon
Parking: North Shore garages open 4 a.m. Sunday. ParkPGH app for real-time options.
Weekend Schedule
Saturday, May 2
5K: 7:30 a.m. — starts at West General Robinson Street (near PNC Park), crosses the Andy Warhol Bridge, finishes on Boulevard of the Allies
Toddler Trot: 8:30 a.m. — Point State Park
Champion's Mile: 8:30 a.m. — near PNC Park
Kids Marathon: 9:30 a.m. — North Side to Downtown
Pet Walk: Noon — Point State Park
Live Well Expo: All day, David L. Lawrence Convention Center (free, open to public; runners need bib + ID to collect packets)
Sunday, May 3
Full Marathon (26.2 mi) + Half Marathon (13.1 mi): 7:00 a.m.
Four-Mile Fitness Challenge: 9:30 a.m.
Finish line: Boulevard of the Allies, near Downtown
The Course: Neighborhood by Neighborhood
The full marathon starts on Liberty Avenue near 10th Street and moves through (official course map):
Miles 1–5: Strip District → Uptown → Polish Hill
Miles 5–10: Bloomfield → Friendship → East Liberty
Miles 10–14: Highland Park → Homewood → Point Breeze
Miles 14–18: Shadyside → Oakland → South Side
Miles 18–22: Allentown → Mount Washington → West End
Miles 22–26.2: North Side → finish on Boulevard of the Allies
The half marathon follows the full course through mile 12, then cuts back via the Birmingham Bridge to the same finish line.
Road Closures by Day
Friday, May 1
Boulevard of the Allies (between Wood and Stanwix Streets) closes at noon
Plan alternate routes into Downtown from the south side of the Monongahela
Saturday, May 2
North Shore area closures for the 5K, Kids Marathon, and other events
Golden Triangle access limited in the morning
Most Saturday closures lift by early afternoon
Sunday, May 3 — The Big One
The full marathon course means closures across most of the city's major neighborhoods. Expect limited or no vehicle access along the route from approximately 6:30 a.m. through midday in these areas:
Strip District — Liberty Ave corridor
Polish Hill — Brereton Street area
Bloomfield — Liberty Ave and Penn Ave corridors (if you live here, plan early or plan late)
Friendship / East Liberty — Penn Ave
Highland Park / Homewood / Point Breeze — rotating closures through miles 10–14
Shadyside / Oakland — Forbes Ave and surrounding streets
South Side — East Carson Street corridor
Mount Washington / Allentown — Grandview Ave area
North Shore — near the finish on Boulevard of the Allies
The general rule: If you need to cross the city before noon on Sunday, give yourself twice as much time and check the PRT detour map before you leave.
How to Get Around
Drive: Use the ParkPGH app (free download) for real-time garage availability. North Shore garages open at 4:00 a.m. Sunday. Station Square is accessible via the Smithfield Street Bridge.
Transit: Pittsburgh Regional Transit runs its regular weekend schedule with detours around the course. Expect longer-than-normal wait times near the route.
Rideshare: Generally available throughout the weekend, but surge pricing is likely near the start/finish areas Sunday morning. Book ahead or walk a few blocks off the course before requesting.
Bike: One of the better options. The Great Allegheny Passage and riverfront trails are not part of the course and stay accessible.
Best Spots to Watch
Miles 5–7 (Bloomfield, Liberty Avenue): The neighborhood comes out. Local bars open early. Good energy, street-level access, and you can grab a coffee while you wait.
Miles 8–10 (East Liberty, Penn Avenue): One of the most vocal stretches. Community cheering stations, live music at several points. Easy to get to via EBA or Penn Ave before closures.
The Finish Line (Boulevard of the Allies, Downtown): The best single spot if you only pick one. Elite finishers come through around 9:15–9:30 a.m. The bulk of the field arrives from 10 a.m. onward. There's nothing like watching someone cross a finish line they've been chasing for five hours.
North Shore (near miles 22–24): The late-race miles hit harder — you're watching people who have been running for three-plus hours. The crowd energy here is different. It matters more.
If You're Not Running (Resident Survival Guide)
Live on the course? The marathon goes until roughly noon. If you need to get out Sunday morning, do it before 6:30 a.m. or plan to wait until early afternoon.
Need groceries? Saturday is your day. Sunday strip-district and Oakland-area grocery options will be disrupted.
Sunday brunch plans? Pick a spot that's either well off the course or book early. Downtown and South Side spots near the finish area will be packed from 10 a.m. onward with finishers and their families.
Parking in your own neighborhood? The marathon draws spectators. If you park on-street near the course, expect competition Sunday morning.
A Note on This Year
The 2026 Pittsburgh Marathon sold out in April — a first for this event. It follows immediately on the heels of the NFL Draft, which drew 805,000 people to the city last weekend. Pittsburgh is having a moment. The Marathon is the part that's always been here.
If you want to see the city at its most Pittsburgh — neighborhoods out, strangers cheering strangers, police officers at every intersection looking slightly over it but keeping everyone safe — show up Sunday morning and watch for a while.
You don't need a bib. You just need to be there.
Tim Pettigrew is a Pittsburgh real estate agent and the author of The Pittsburgh Pulse newsletter. Subscribe here.
For official race information: thepittsburghmarathon.com