SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego's annual Rock 'n' Roll Marathon will see about 30,000 runners crowd the streets of downtown.
And that means one thing for sure: Road closures and delays. If you plan to make it down to run, cheer, or just enjoy San Diego for the day, be aware of the impending traffic you'll hit.
First, on Saturday, June 3, the event will bring back its 5K event. While most of the road closures will be inside Balboa Park, few closures will be in place on 6th Avenue.
From the marathon's starting line on 6th and Quince at Balboa Park to the finish at Ash St. between Columbia St. and State St. downtown, a number of road closures will be in effect on Sunday, June 4, to make way for racers.
Sunday's closures will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Here's a look at the closures:
- 6th Ave. from Elm St. to University Ave.
- University Ave. from Goldfinch St. to 6th Ave.
- 30th St. from University Ave. to Adams Ave.
- Fort Stockton Dr. from Eagle St. to Randolph St.
- Morena Blvd. from Taylor St. to W. Morena Blvd.
- Sea World Dr. from E Mission Bay Dr to South Shores Parking Lot
- E Mission Bay Dr. from Sea World Dr. to Playa Pacifica Park
- Friars Rd. from Colusa St. to NB163 Friars East Exit
- Pershing St. from Upas St. to B St.
- State route 163 North from Downtown (A St.) to Friars Rd.
- Sr-163 South from Ash St. to A St.
- B St. from I-6/Park to A St.
- Ash St. from 5th Ave to State St.
While some freeway and ramp locations associated with the event will be closed, southbound Sr-163 will remain open to Interstate 5.
Event organizers recommend downloading the Waze smartphone app to keep track of road closures. Google Maps does not take into account road closures on race day.
For more information on race day closures and how to get around the traffic, visit the event's website. Also, keep an eye on 10News' interactive traffic map for real-time conditions.
Public transit
San Diego bus and trolley service will be up and running for participants, volunteers, and observers Sunday as well.
Free parking will be available at Qualcomm Stadium for about 5,000 vehicles. MTS trolley service will begin running in both directions between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. The best stations to get to the starting line will be the Fifth Ave. Station (Orange and UC San Diego Blue Lines) and the County Center/Little Italy Station (Green Line).
Prepaid shuttle service from County Center/Little Italy Station to the starting line is available too. Runners can pre-purchase a shuttle ticket at the Health and Fitness Expo Friday and Saturday at the San Diego Convention Center. Runners can also buy a prepaid MTS Day Pass on the Compass Cloud smartphone app, and take the Green Line to County Center/Little Italy.
The Green Line will be running from Qualcomm Stadium to County Center/Little Italy starting at 4:08 a.m., with stops in Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, Old Town, and more.) The line will depart Qualcomm at:
- 4:08 a.m.
- 4:16 a.m.
- 4:23 a.m.
- 4:31 a.m.
- 4:38 a.m.
- 4:46 a.m.
The starting line is about 1.3 miles from the Little Italy stop.
For spectators, MTS says the best viewing areas for the full marathon will be along the Green Line at Old Town, Morena/Linda Vista and Fashion Valley.
