ATLANTA — The US Olympic Team Trials - Marathon are set for the streets of Atlanta on Saturday, February 29. The race is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. and will be aired on NBC and 11Alive.
This year's trials are being administered by the Atlanta Track Club, which is no stranger to big race events.
Each July 4, they put on the world's largest 10K race, the AJC Peachtree Road Race, which hosts you and more than 60,000 of your friends and neighbors.
This year's 26.2-mile Olympic marathon trial course will go through some of Atlanta's most historic and visually stunning neighborhoods. The race will begin in front of Centennial Olympic Park and head down Marietta Street toward Peachtree Street.
Racers will then take the legendary thoroughfare northward for three miles, passing the spot where Peachtree Street meets West Peachtree Street before turning around and heading back toward downtown and looping through the historic Old Fourth Ward neighborhood.
Runners will then head back downtown.
This is a loop that the racers will take three times before they take a final 2.2-mile-long loop which will take them under Atlanta's Olympic Ring and Torch structure which is a visual landmark and reminder of Atlanta's 1996 Summer Olympic heritage.
The racers will run past the Georgia State Capitol building, then head past Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena before getting to the Finish Line, located in Centennial Olympic Park.
The top three men and women finishers in the race become eligible to represent the United States in the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. The fourth and fifth place finishers will be designated as alternates.
When to watch
Saturday, February 29 at 12 noon on NBC and 11Alive.
Road Closures
Motorists who head downtown on that day will face traffic nightmares as they try to navigate the streets of downtown and midtown Atlanta, but we have a full list of what streets will be closed so that you can navigate around the city on that day.
Of course, the best way to get around the city will be on MARTA, as multiple train stations will provide access to visitors throughout the city.
In addition to street closures, a number of exits from the Downtown Connector (I-75/85) in both directions, as well as I-20, will be closed to traffic as a result of the race, which will cause additional traffic tie-ups and significant delays for motorists.
Everyone is advised to use MARTA when and where possible.
These street closures are subject to change, but here's a list of what is expected to be closed on race day:
Downtown/Centennial Olympic Park Area from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Marietta Street from Ivan Allen Jr Blvd to Peachtree Street
Andrew Young International Blvd from Centennial Olympic Park Drive to Marietta Street
Peachtree Street from 7th Street to 14th Street from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
North & Southbound traffic beginning at 9:00 a.m. and will remain closed until 3:30 p.m.
Main race loop – Full road closures from 1 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Forsyth Street from Marietta Street to Peachtree Street
Walton Street from Peachtree Street to Forsyth Street
Peachtree Street from Forsyth to S. Rhodes Center/Peachtree Circle
Ralph McGill Blvd. from Peachtree Street to Piedmont Road
Piedmont Avenue to Baker-Highland Avenue
Highland Avenue from Piedmont Avenue to Jackson Blvd.
Jackson Blvd. from Highland Avenue to Edgewood Avenue
Edgewood Avenue from Jackson Street to Marietta Street
Lower race loop – Full road closures from 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Piedmont Avenue to Capitol Avenue
Capitol Avenue SE from Piedmont Road to Fulton Street and 1 block south of Fulton
Martin Luther King Jr Drive SW to Centennial Olympic Park Drive
Centennial Olympic Park Drive from Martin Luther King Jr Drive SW to Andrew Young Intl Blvd.
Interstate Exit Ramp Closures
Interstate exit ramp closures from 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
I-85/75 northbound - 249B (Pine St/Peachtree Street)
I-85/75 northbound - 248B (Edgewood Ave)
I-20 westbound - 58A (Capitol Ave)
Additional notes:
No street parking permitted on the course route beginning 8:00 a.m. on February 29. (No Parking signs/cones will be placed in these locations as a notification 48 hours prior to race day (Thursday, February 27). Any vehicles on the course after 8:00 a.m. on February 29 will be towed.
Atlanta Streetcar will not be in service from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Downtown area hotels and businesses – vehicles can exit the downtown area via Ellis Street to access Freedom Parkway and the I-85/75 north and south connectors. Vehicles can enter downtown from the north via I-85/75 southbound exit 249A (Courtland Ave/Freedom Parkway) and can enter from the south via northbound exit 248C (International Blvd/SR 101/Freedom Pkwy).
Plan for significant traffic delays. Use MARTA if possible.
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