SAN ANTONIO – WATCH: Check out video from the starting line of the marathon in the video above
The biggest running event of the year is almost here.
The 2019 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio marathon, half-marathon, 10K and 5K will host thousands of runners this Saturday and Sunday downtown.
Along with the excitement comes the preparation for road closures, an expo at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and a post-race celebration headlined by country singer Mike Ryan.
More than 60 roads will close early Sunday due to the marathon and half-marathon races, so organizers stress year after year to plan ahead.
The races will start downtown and head north to Brackenridge Park before coming back to downtown. They will split after mile 11.
Contrary to last year, the marathon course will stray from South Side, and instead stretch east to Jefferson Heights and Southside Lions Park.
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The 5K and 10K races on Saturday will start at Sunset Station and snake toward the Pearl before heading back downtown.
To see the exact course maps for all four races, click here.
Below is a guide on what to expect this weekend as thousands of runners will hit the streets downtown for the 2019 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio marathon and half-marathon.
Hours
The marathon and half-marathon will begin at 7:15 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Alamo and Market streets. Both distances will conclude at the southeastern corner of Hemisfair.
The time limit for the marathon is seven hours and the time limit for the half-marathon is four hours.
Pre-race tips for runners ahead of the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon weekend in San Antonio
The 5K and 10K races will begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Sunset Station. They will conclude at Travis Park.
The time limit for the 10K is two hours and the time limit for the 5K is one hour.
Parking
No parking — meter or free — will be allowed on the streets along the course. Vehicles will be towed and ticketed, according to the Rock 'n' roll website.
To see a map of city-owned parking garages, click here.
Expo
The Health & Fitness Expo will take place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center from noon-7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.
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Runners must pick up their own bibs and packages, as they cannot be handed out to friends or family.
The expo is free and open to the public.
Bystanders
Bikes, skateboards, scooters and strollers are not allowed on the course.
After-race festivities
Country singer Mike Ryan is the headliner for the post-run concert at the finish line at Hemisfair Park
The concert is free and open to the public. Ryan will take the stage at 11 a.m.
Road closures for Sunday
The majority of roads will close between 7-7:30 a.m., depending on the location on the course. Streets will reopen between 8:30-11:15 a.m., depending on the location.
Market Street, Alamo Street and Cesar Chavez Boulevard will close at 2 a.m.
- Alamo St.: Between Cesar Chavez Blvd. and Market St.
- Cesar Chavez Blvd.: Between Alamo St. and Interstate 37
- Navarro St.: Between Travis St. and E. Commerce St.
- Market St.: Between Presa St. and N. Flores St.
- Flores St.: Between Dolorosa and W. Travis St.
- Travis St.: Between Flores St. and Broadway
- Broadway St.: Between Travis St. and Jones Ave. (southbound), between Tuleta Drive and Pershing (whole road), and between Brackenridge Ave. to Post Ave. (northbound)
- Jones Ave.: Between Broadway St. and Camden St.
- Camden St.: Between Jones Ave. and Newell Ave.
- Newell Ave.: Between Camden St. and Avenue A
- Avenue A: Between Newell Ave. and Grayson St.
- Grayson St.: Between Avenue A and Isleta St.
- Isleta St.: Between Grayson St. and Josephine St.
- Josephine St.: Between Isleta St. and St. Mary’s St.
- St. Mary’s St.: Between Josephine St. and Mulberry Ave.
- Mulberry Ave: Between St. Mary’s St. and Red Oak Road
- Red Oak Road: Between Mulberry Ave. and Tuleta Drive
- Tuleta Drive: Between Red Oak Road and Brackenridge Drive, and between Avenue B and Broadway St.
- Brackenridge Drive: Between Tuleta Drive and Avenue B
- Avenue B: Between Brackenridge Drive and Tuleta Drive
- Pershing: Between Broadway St. and Catalpa St., and between New Braunfels and Old Austin Road
- Catalpa St.: Between Pershing and Allensworth
- Allensworth: Between Catalpa St. and New Braunfels Ave.
- New Braunfels Ave.: Between Allensworth and Pershing Ave.
- Old Austin Road: Between Pershing Ave. and Eleanor Ave.
- Eleanor Ave.: Between Old Austin Road and Tendick St.
- Tendick St.: Between Eleanor Ave. and Brackenridge Ave.
- Brackenridge Ave.: Between Tendick St. and Broadway St.
- Post Ave.: Between Broadway St. and N. Pine St.
- Pine St.: Between Post Ave. and Brahan Blvd.
- Brahan Blvd. (westbound): Near Pine Street
- Pine St.: Between Brahan Blvd. and Cunningham Ave.
- Cunningham Ave.: Between N. Pine St. and N. Alamo St.
- Alamo St.: Between Cunningham Ave. and Josephine St.
- Josephine St.: Between N. Alamo St. and Austin St.
- Austin St.: Between Josephine St. and Brooklyn Ave.
- Brooklyn Ave.: Between Austin St. and Burnet St.
- Burnet St.: Between Brooklyn Ave. and Chestnut St.
- Chestnut St.: Between Burnet St. and Nolan St.
- Nolan St.: Between Chestnut St. and Olive St.
- Olive St.: Between Center St. and Lamar
- Center St.: Between Olive St. and Pine St.
- Pine St.: Between Center St. and Montana St.
- Montana St.: Between Pine St. and Tower of Americas Way
- Tower of Americas Way: Between Montana St. and Cesar E. Chavez Blvd.
- Lamar: Between Olive St. and St. James, and between St. Martin Ave. and Grevers St.
- St. James: Between Lamar and Sherman
- Sherman: Between St. James and St. Martin Ave.
- St. Martin Ave: Between Sherman and Lamar
- Grevers St.: Between Lamar and Hays St.
- Hays St.: Between Grevers St. and Grimes St.
- Grimes St.: Between Hays St. and Belmont
- Belmont: Between Grimes St. and Mel Waiters Way
- Mel Waiters Way: Between Belmont and Commerce St.
- Commerce St.: Between Mel Waiters Way and Houston St.
- Pecan Valley Drive: Between Hiawatha St. and Roland Road
- Roland Road: Between Pecan Valley Drive and J St.
- J St.: Between Roland Road and Clark Ave.
- Clark Ave.: Between J St. and Essex St.
- Essex St.: Between Clark Ave. and Mittman St.
- Mittman St.: Between Essex St. and Westfall Ave.
- Westfall Ave.: Between Mittman St. and Cherry St.
- Cherry St.: Between Westfall Ave and Delaware St.
- Delaware St.: Between Cherry St. and Mesquite
- Mesquite: Between Delaware St. and Montana St.
- Salado Creek Greenway: Between Commerce St. and Southside Lions Park
- Interstate 37 exit 140B (southbound)
- Interstate 10 exit 577 (eastbound and westbound)
- Interstate 35 exit 158C (southbound)
- U.S. Highway 281 exit to St. Mary’s St.
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Road closures for Saturday
Not as many roads will be closed Saturday for the 5K and 10K races, considering the shorter distances.
Nearly all streets will close at 7 a.m., and open between 8:30-11:15 a.m. Navarro Street will open at 1 p.m.
These are the main streets that will be closed. A full list can be seen here.
- Navarro St.: Between Travis St. and Pecan St.
- Commerce St.: Between Hoefgen Ave. and Chestnut St.
- Brooklyn Ave.: Between Burnet St. and Austin St.
- Jones Ave.: Between Austin St. and Camden St.
- Camden St.: Between Jones Ave. and Newell Ave.
- Quincy St.: Between Newell Ave. and St. Mary’s St.
- St. Mary’s St.: Between Quincy St. and Camden St., between Josephine and Ashby Place, between Wilmington Ave. and McCullough Ave.
- Main Ave.: Between Dewey Place and Laurel
- Lexington Ave.: Between Maple St. and Camden St.
- McCullough Ave.: Between St. Mary’s St. and Avenue A
- Interstate 35 exit 157A (southbound, lower level)