(Washington, DC) The 3rd Annual SunTrust National Marathon and Half Marathon will be run on Saturday, March 29, 2008 with a 7:00 AM start time and 1:30 PM finish time. This half-day event includes both a 26.2-mile Marathon and a 13.1 mile Half Marathon.

• The race route starts and ends at RFK Stadium and runs through six of the city’s eight wards. Race officials advise the public that temporary, intermittent street closings will be in effect on Saturday, March 29th starting at 6:55 AM.
• Vehicles may be parked along the route, however they will not be allowed to be moved once runners enter the area to ensure that no moving vehicles will collide with participants.
• All affected streets will be posted with temporary RACE ROUTE signage prior to the day of the event. MPD will handle the alteration of traffic patterns and enforce moving violations.

The event course encompasses six wards of the city in two large loops. East Capitol Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic starting at 6:45 AM. It will reopen at approximately 10:30 AM. Residents of Capitol Hill, who normally use East Capitol to get to or from their homes, will be allowed intermittent northbound/southbound travel across East Capitol Street. 

Metrorail will be running as normal on Saturday. Some bus lines will be affected; WMATA will advise as to these bus route detours.

Residents are advised to take Metro during the hours of the marathon to avoid expected traffic delays. The official marathon route is provided below.

Public safety officials are committed to reopening streets along the route as quickly as it is safe to do so. For more information on the SunTrust National Marathon, please visit www.NationalMarathon.com.

Marathon Route (a map* is also available):

1. start at RFK Stadium on 19th Street, NE
2. to west on East Capitol Street, SE
3. turn South on 13th Street, SE at Lincoln Circle
4. west on East Capitol Street, SE
5. north on 11th Street, SE
6. west on East Capitol Street, NE
7. south on 2nd Street, SE
8. west on Independence Avenue, SE
9. north on 3rd Street, SW
10. west on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
11. west on Constitution Avenue, NW
12. (turnaround) east on Constitution Avenue, NW at 21st Street, NW
13. north on 18th Street, NW
14. north/northwest on Connecticut Avenue, NW
15. north on Columbia Road, NW
16. east on Harvard Street, NW
17. east on Michigan Avenue, NW
18. south on North Capitol Street, NW
19. east on K Street, NE
20. south on 4th Street, NE
21. east on H Street, NE
22. south on 13th Street, NE
23. east on North Carolina Avenue, NE
24. merge onto C Street, NE
25. south onto 22nd Street, NE (HALF MARATHON SPLITS TO FINISH LINE).
26. Marathoners continue EaStreet, into RFK Lot 7 (under C Street, pedestrian tunnel)
27. continue south in RFK Lot 7 (under East Capitol Street)
28. continue WeStreet, in RFK Lot 8
29. exit RFK Lot 8 onto East Capitol Street, SE
30. merge WeStreet, onto Independence Avenue, SE
31. north on 19th Street, SE, WeStreet, on East Capitol Street, SE
32. south on 13th Street, SE at Lincoln Circle, WeStreet, on East Capitol Street, SE
33. north on 11th Street, SE, WeStreet, on East Capitol Street, NE
34. south on 2nd Street, SE, WeStreet, on Independence Avenue, SE
35. north on 3rd Street, SW, WeStreet, on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, WeStreet, on Constitution Avenue, NW
36. south on 9th Street, NW (tunnel), East/South EaStreet, on Maine Street, SW
37. south on 6th Street, SW to south on Water Street
38. to merge onto the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, EaStreet, on P Street, SW
39. south on 2nd Street, SW
40. (turnaround) North on 2nd Street, SW at R Street, SW, EaStreet, on P Street, SW
41. south onto South Capitol Street, SW, EaStreet, on South Capitol Bridge access road
42. north on South Capitol Bridge access road, EaStreet, on Anacostia Drive, SE
43. loop clockwise around the Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion, WeStreet, on Anacostia Drive, SE
44. south on Nicholson Street, SE, EaStreet, on Fairlawn Avenue, SE
45. south EaStreet, on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
46. north on L’Enfant Square, SE
47. merge EaStreet, on Minnesota Avenue, SE
48. continue north EaStreet, on Minnesota Avenue, SE, EaStreet, on East Capitol Street, SE onramp, WeStreet, on East Capitol Street, SE
49. merge north WeStreet, onto C Street, SE
50. merge north WeStreet, onto 22nd Street, NE, WeStreet, onto East Capitol Street, SE