Road Closures Begin for Philadelphia Marathon

There are still two days to go until the Philadelphia Marathon, but the first wave of road closures are already being experienced in the city. The inner lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway closed at 9:30 this morning and will remain closed until 3:30 this afternoon. At that point, the westbound lanes will open up for the afternoon rush hour. Then the inner lanes will be totally closed from 6:30 tonight until 6 PM on Sunday.

Runners compete in last year’s Philadelphia Marathon.

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway will also be closed between 18th and 25th streets and in the Martin Luther King Drive from 4 AM. to 2 PM for the Rothman Institute 8K and Kids Fun Run On Saturday. Furthermore, the area around Logan Circle and 18th Street will be closed until 11 AM.

The roads are being closed in preparation for the GORE-TEX Philadelphia Marathon which attracts some 30,000 runners and 60,000 onlookers each year. This is in addition to 3,000 volunteers. The 26.2 mile race winds through the city of Philadelphia, including historic parts like Old City and Fairmount Park. The path winds along the Schuylkill River and passes landmarks like the Liberty Bell and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Runners and those coming to watch the marathon and cheer on loved ones can expect heightened security in the wake of the terrorism attacks in France and, further back, the attacks at the Boston Marathon in 2013. Both runners and visitors will be made to go through security screening to get to the race start and finish areas on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Checkpoints to get into these areas will open Sunday at 5 AM and will be located at 18th, 20th, 22nd, 25th and Kelly Drive.