The Marine Corps Marathon closes roads across two jurisdictions — Arlington County and Washington, DC — and the logistics of getting around on race weekend are as much a part of planning for MCM as your training block. The short version: this is a Metro race. Plan around the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's rail system, and race weekend gets dramatically simpler.

Why driving doesn't work on race day

MCM's course threads through the Pentagon, Rosslyn, Georgetown, the National Mall, and Crystal City, and road closures follow the runners — meaning closures ripple across the region for most of the morning and into the afternoon. Key Potomac River crossings, including the bridges the course itself uses, are closed to vehicle traffic for hours. Locals who don't plan around this find themselves stuck rather than simply inconvenienced, and runners who try to get dropped off near the start by car often end up walking further than if they'd taken transit in the first place.

Metro is the backbone of race day

On race morning, Metrorail typically opens earlier than its normal Sunday schedule specifically to move runners and spectators — exactly how much earlier varies from year to year, so check WMATA's race-week service announcements for the exact opening time. Trains still run at normal weekend frequencies rather than rush-hour frequency, so build in extra buffer time rather than assuming a train every few minutes. Fares are paid by tapping a SmarTrip card or a contactless debit/credit card at the gate — no need to buy a paper ticket in advance, though a one-day pass can simplify a day with multiple trips.

Getting to the start

Runners access Runners Village and the start corrals via the Pentagon or Pentagon City Metro stations, both served by the Blue and Yellow lines. If you're staying in Crystal City, MCM also runs its own shuttle service from the neighborhood directly to Runners Village on race morning — a good option if you'd rather avoid the Metro crowds entirely. Whichever way you go, build in more time than feels necessary; security screening and the walk from the station to the corrals both take longer than a typical race-morning routine.

Getting from the finish

The finish and the Finish Festival are both in Rosslyn, served by the Rosslyn Metro station on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines. MCM also runs return shuttles from the Finish Festival back to Crystal City for runners and spectators staying on that side of the course. Expect the Rosslyn station itself to be one of the most crowded points on the whole system in the hours after the race — a short walk to a neighboring station can sometimes beat waiting out the crowd at Rosslyn directly.

Flying in from out of town

Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the closest airport to the race, a short Metro ride from both Crystal City and Rosslyn on the Blue and Yellow lines. Dulles (IAD) is connected to the Metro system via the Silver Line, adding more travel time but avoiding the need for a rental car. Runners flying into BWI, further from the course, typically connect via MARC train or Amtrak into Union Station before transferring to Metro.

If you must drive

• Don't plan to drive directly to the start or finish. There is no runner drop-off at either location, and the roads around both are closed well before race time.
• Park at a Metro station outside the closure zone, ideally further out on the line you plan to ride in on, and take the train the rest of the way.
• Give yourself far more time than a normal Sunday for any drive that touches Arlington or downtown DC, even if your destination has nothing to do with the race.
• Check the official road-closure page close to race day. Exact streets and closure windows are finalized shortly before the event and can shift from year to year.

None of this is unique to MCM — most big-city marathons close roads — but the scale here is larger than most, since the course crosses between two separate jurisdictions. Build your race-weekend transportation plan around Metro first, and treat a car as a backup rather than the default.