U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials to close main roads throughout downtown, midtown this weekend

ATLANTA — Nearly 750 of the country’s top runners will descend on midtown and downtown for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

The Olympic marathon trials will determine which three women and three men will represent the United States in the marathon in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Atlanta won against three other cities to hold the marathon trials for both men and women.

There will be significant road closures this weekend because of the race.

Here’s what you need to know:

When:

The race will start around noon Saturday, with the men leaving the start line around 12:03 p.m. and the women slated to begin around 12:13 p.m.

Race Route:

The race begins and ends at Centennial Olympic Park. Just after noon, runners will start along Marietta Street to Peachtree Street. The runners will then continue north up Peachtree for about three miles to the intersection of Peachtree and West Peachtree streets. Here the runners will turn around and head back south on Peachtree Street and will end up running through the Old 4th Ward before returning downtown. Runners will continue the loop three times and complete the race by running a 2.2. mile loop that will take them under the Olympic rings and torch from the 1996 Summer Olympics before finishing at Centennial Olympic Park.

The race is expected to end around 3:30 p.m.

Street closures:

The area around Centennial Olympic Park will be shut starting at 7 a.m. and will no reopen until at least 4 p.m. Street closures in the area include:

• Marietta Street from Ivan Allen Jr Boulevard to Peachtree Street
• Andrew Young International Boulevard from Centennial Olympic Park Drive to Marietta Street
• Peachtree Street from 7th Street to 14th Street from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Forsyth Street from Marietta Street to Peachtree Street
• Walton Street from Peachtree Street to Forsyth Street
• Peachtree Street from Forsyth to South Rhodes Center/Peachtree Circle
• Ralph McGill Boulevard from Peachtree Street to Piedmont Road
• Piedmont Avenue to Baker-Highland Avenue
• Highland Avenue from Piedmont Avenue to Jackson Boulevard
• Jackson Boulevard from Highland Avenue to Edgewood Avenue
• Edgewood Avenue from Jackson Street to Marietta Street
• Lower race loop – Full road closures from 1 – 3:30 p.m.
• Piedmont Avenue to Capitol Avenue
• Capitol Avenue Southeast from Piedmont Road to Fulton Street and one block south of Fulton
• Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southwest to Centennial Olympic Park Drive
• Centennial Olympic Park Drive from Martin Luther King Jr Drive Southwest to Andrew Young Intl Boulevard

Several exit ramps from the interstates will also be closed from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. These exit ramps include:

• I-85/75 northbound - 249B (Pine St/Peachtree Street)
• I-85/75 northbound - 248B (Edgewood Ave)
• I-20 westbound - 58A (Capitol Ave)

Because of the race, there will be no on-street parking along the race route beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday.

No Parking signs and cones will be placed along the race route as a notification 48 hours prior to race day. Any cars parked along the route will be towed.

Officials are urging people to take MARTA if they need to get to anywhere along the race route while the trials are going on.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this story.

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