As the fields for the SunTrust Richmond Marathon and NTELOS 8k have grown, so has the need for increased street closings to accommodate the thousands of participants.  The primary message that Richmond area motorists should heed on race day is to travel by interstate whenever possible.  These traffic pattern changes are also posted at http://www.richmondmarathon.com.

TRAFFIC PATTERN CHANGES SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2008

•  Cary Street will be closed between 3rd and 12th Streets from 5 AM to 5 PM.  The recommended detour is southbound 3rd Street to Byrd Street.  Byrd Street will bear left and intersect Canal Street.  Follow Canal east to 14th Street.
•  Broad Street (both eastbound and westbound) between 4th and 11th Streets will be closed to traffic from 4 to 9 AM.  Westbound traffic will be detoured north onto 11th Street and west on Leigh Street to the Boulevard.
•  Broad Street (both eastbound and westbound) between 4th Street and the Boulevard will be closed from 6 to 9AM.  Eastbound traffic will be detoured north on Sheppard Street, east on Marshall Street, north on the Boulevard, east on Leigh Street, south on 10th Street, east on Marshall Street, south on 12th Street back to Broad Street.
•  Traffic on 4th Street will be reversed starting at 9am to allow Eastbound Broad Street traffic to access Franklin Street to Bank Street to 12th or 14th Street.
•  Grace Street from Allen Ave. to 3rd Street will be closed from 6am to 3pm.
•  3rd Street from Broad Street to Cary Street will be closed from 6am to 3pm.
•  Mulberry Street between Broad St. and Monument Ave. will be closed from 6am to 9am for the Ntelos 8K.
•  Grace Street will be closed between Boulevard and Allen Ave. from 6am to 9am for the NTELOS 8K.
•  Lombardy Street between Brook Rd. and Monument Ave will be closed from 7am to 3pm.
•  North Boulevard northbound from Broad St. to Hermitage Rd. will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon.
•  Hermitage Road northbound from Boulevard to Pope Ave will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonalds Half Marathon.
•  Brookland Parkway eastbound from Hermitage Rd. to Lamont St. will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon
•  Lamont Street from Brookland Pkwy to Whitby Rd. will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon
•  Whitby Road from Lamont St. to Rennie Ave will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon.
•  Rennie Ave. from Whitby Rd. to Loxley Rd. will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon.
•  Loxley Road from Rennie Ave. to Westwood Ave will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon.
•  Westwood Ave. from Loxley Rd. to Hermitage Rd. will be closed from7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon.
•  Gloucester Road from Westwood Ave. to Wilmington Ave. will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon
•  Confederate Ave. from Chatham Rd. to Lamont St. will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon.
•  Wilmington Avenue from Chatham Rd. to Lamont St. will be closed from 7am to 10am for the McDonald’s Half Marathon.
•  Monument Avenue westbound between Mulberry and Westmoreland will be closed from 7:30 to 9:30 AM
•  Grove Avenue westbound between Commonwealth and Granite will be closed from 7:30 to 9:30 AM.
•  Riverside Dr. will be closed from the Huguenot Bridge to Scottview Drive from 6 AM to Noon.
•  Forest Hill Ave. westbound from Roanoke St. to W. 47th St. will be closed from 8 AM to 11:30 AM
•  Belvidere Street northbound at Grace Street will be closed from 7am to 3pm.  The recommended detour will be east on Byrd Street to the Downtown Expressway eastbound to I-95 northbound.
•  Belvidere Street southbound between Broad and Grace Streets will be closed from 7am to 3pm.  The recommended detour for southbound Belvidere Street will be onto I-95 southbound just north of Leigh Street
•  The Huguenot Bridge will be closed to northbound traffic from 8 AM to approximately 11 AM.  Northbound traffic on Huguenot Road will be detoured north from Huguenot Road onto Chippenham Parkway to the Willey Bridge
•  The southbound exit ramp from the Powhite Parkway to Forest Hill Avenue and the northbound entrance ramp from westbound Forest Hill Avenue onto the Powhite Parkway will be closed to traffic from 8 AM until approximately 11 AM.
•  There will also be numerous and frequent lane closures along the Marathon, Half Marathon & 8k routes, including closures on:  Broad Street, North Boulevard, Monument Avenue, Grove Avenue, Granite Avenue, Cary Street Road, River Road, Scottview Drive, Forest Hill Avenue, Semmes Avenue, the Lee Bridge, Belvidere Street, West Main Street, Hermitage Road, Fauqier Avenue, Brook Road.  Motorists are advised to use extreme caution when entering these roadways or making turns across the runners’ paths along these roadways.

Registration still open—Online registration for the SunTrust Richmond Marathon, the McDonald’s Half Marathon, the NTELOS 8K or the Richmond Times-Dispatch Kids Run will be open at richmondmarathon.com until 11:59 p.m., Wednesday November 12.  Late walk-up registration is available at the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center during the SecureHorizons Health & Fitness Expo on Thursday, November 13 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 14 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.  There is no race day registration or packet pickup!

Richmond Times-Dispatch Kids Run New Time and Location – The Kids Run will now take place under the lights at Sports Backers Stadium (adjacent to the Arthur Ashe Center) on Friday, November 14th at 7 p.m.  Kids ages 5 through 12 can enter the one-mile fun run that starts and finishes on the track at Sports Backers Stadium.  Participants get a race number, T-shirt and a commemorative medal.

New Start Times, Course Changes – The addition of the new McDonald’s Half Marathon this year has resulted in changes to the race schedule.  The NTELOS 8k will now start at 7 a.m. on Saturday, November 15th.  That will be followed by the McDonald’s Half Marathon start at 7:30 a.m.  Both starts will be in the vicinity of 9th and Broad Street.  The SunTrust Richmond Marathon will maintain its traditional 8 a.m. start time at 7th and Broad Street.

The SunTrust Richmond Marathon course includes a change at Mile 22 onto Brook Road rather than Chamberlayne Avenue and adds a new stretch on Lombardy Street past Virginia Union University to Grace Street.  The finish line for all events will move to 9th and Cary Street that will allow for expanded competitor and spectator opportunities in the adjacent post-race celebration at the James Center Plaza.

Other course changes to note are that the McDonald’s Half Marathon will not pass through Bryan Park as originally mapped.  The new route takes participants through Sherwood and Ginter Park neighborhoods.  And the NTELOS 8k course will be run on Broad, Mulberry, Grace, 3rd and Cary Streets.  For updates on final course changes go to http://www.richmondmarathon.com. 

Schedule

Thursday, November 13, 2008
5 p.m. – 9 p.m. SecureHorizons Health & Fitness Expo, Packet pick-up and walk-up registration at the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center

Friday, November 14, 2008
11 a.m. – 9 p.m. SecureHorizons Health & Fitness Expo, Packet pick-up and walk-up registration at the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center
11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Bus tours of Marathon course leaving from Expo (advance registration recommended)
6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Pasta dinner at the Omni Hotel (advance reservation required)
7 p.m. Richmond Times-Dispatch Kids Run at Sports Backers Stadium adjacent to the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center

Saturday, November 15, 2008
7 a.m. NTELOS 8k start (7th & Broad St.)
7:30 a.m. McDonald’s Half Marathon start (7th & Broad St.)
8 a.m. SunTrust Richmond Marathon start (7th & Broad St.)
8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market Finish Line Festival
3 p.m. Marathon course closes

For more information go to http://www.richmondmarathon.com or call 804-285-9495.