Love Run Philly 2026: Route, Start Time, Road Closures & Live Updates for Sunday’s Half Marathon

Love Run Philly surges back into Center City this Sunday, March 29, as more than 15,000 athletes toe the line for the Saucony Philly Love Run Half Marathon and 7K, a spring tradition that sells out every year and showcases Philadelphia’s most iconic streets and river drives. The starter’s horn sounds at 7:30 a.m. on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Runners sweep through Center City landmarks before tracing Kelly Drive and MLK Drive along the Schuylkill River, with the course closing at noon. Finish-line festivities—including a beer garden—keep the celebration going until midday. ROAD CLOSURES To create a vehicle-free race corridor, the city will shut down major arteries: • 3 a.m.–1 p.m. — Benjamin Franklin Parkway (22nd St. to Eakins Oval), Eakins Oval, MLK Drive (to Falls Bridge) and Kelly Drive (to Fairmount Ave.). • 6:45 a.m. total course lock-down — stretches of JFK Boulevard, Market Street, 16th–20th Sts., 6th Street, Arch Street and additional segments of MLK Drive in Fairmount Park. Streets reopen on a rolling basis, with all Center City roads expected clear by 11 a.m. PARKING & TOWING ALERTS “Temporary No Parking” signs line the entire route; vehicles left between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday will be relocated by the city, so plan to park well outside the closure grid or take transit. SEPTA DETOURS Bus routes 2, 4, 7, 16, 17, 23, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 61, 124 and 125 will operate on special detours from 6 a.m. to roughly 1 p.m. Sunday, while routes 38 and 43 divert beginning Saturday morning. Riders should check SEPTA’s System Status page for real-time updates before heading out. WHAT RUNNERS & SPECTATORS NEED TO KNOW • Arrive early: bag check and corrals open well before dawn to ease security lines. • Dress in layers and label gear—race morning temperatures often start chilly before warming up. • Skip the drone: hobbyist flights are banned along the course for safety. • Download course maps and pace charts at LoveRunPhilly.com to pick prime cheer zones or plan your PR strategy. With panoramic river views, crowd-lined streets and a stack of fresh spring PRs up for grabs, the Love Run Philly promises another unforgettable race day in the City of Brotherly Love.