Travel Planning for the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon

 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon organizer Twin Cities In Motion advises Minneapolis and St. Paul residents to plan their travel ahead of time due to street closures for the 34th annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Medtronic TC 10 Mile on October 4.

On race day, motorists will also notice traffic restrictions in downtown Minneapolis starting in the early morning hours on Sunday. An area near the U.S. Bank Stadium site from 5th Avenue to 11th Avenue and from 6th Street to 3rd Street will be closed at 5:00 a.m. for start line setup, reopening at approximately 9:00 a.m.

Along the marathon course which runs from downtown Minneapolis, along the chain of lakes to Minnehaha Parkway, up West River Road to the Franklin Bridge, down East River Road to Summit Avenue, to the finish at the state capitol will prompt rolling road closures on the course itself and limit traffic across it to selected crossing points.The crossing points are listed on the Twin Cities In Motion website at www.tcmevents.org/traffic.

At the finish area on the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul, following closures are scheduled:

·         Summit Avenue between Ramsey Street and Portland Ave. will be closed from Saturday from noon and through Sunday October 4 at 6:00 p.m. Traffic will be detoured on Portland Ave to Arundel Street.

·         John Ireland Blvd. between 12th Street and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. closed Thursday, October 2 at 9:00 a.m.

·         Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Aurora Avenue will close Friday, October 3 at 5:00 p.m.

·         12th Street from Wabasha to John Ireland Blvd. will be closed Saturday, October 4 from 5:00 a.m. to noon and on Sunday, October 5 from 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Franklin Avenue Bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Minneapolis will be closed to motor vehicle traffic while the Medtronic TC 10 Mile passes the bridge entrance along East River Road. The motor vehicle closure is expected to last from roughly 7:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Parking: Motorists are reminded to take note of any hooded meters  and no parking sign along and near the course. Finish line parking is available on the streets and in various lots around the Capitol grounds in Saint Paul. The Sears store, west of the Capitol, offers limited Event Parking near the finish line on a first come first serve basis for $20.

METRO Lines: Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Medtronic TC 10 Mile runners can ride the METRO Green, Blue and Red Lines for free on Sunday, October 4. To use the service, runners simply need to show their race bib when asked by Metro Transit officials. The offer is good for rides on the METRO Green, Blue & Red Lines.

More than 30,000 runners are expected for the 34^th annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend which includes events on Saturday, October 3 on and near the State Capitol grounds.  For more information about the events, visit the Twin Cities In Motion website, tcmevents.org.