MANCHESTER – With nearly 15,000 runners signed up for this year’s Manchester Road Race, the race’s committee has issued an advisory to inform residents and visitors about street closures, parking restrictions and traffic disruptions expected to occur before and during the race.
“The wellbeing and safety of all our runners and spectators is always our primary concern,” said Tris Carta, president of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “We are working closely town and state officials to ensure that the 90th running of our road race will be a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.”
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Presented by Hartford HealthCare and organized by more than 400 volunteers, the 90th annual Thanksgiving Day race will be held at 10 a.m. at a 4.737-mile loop through the central streets of Manchester, starting and finishing on Main Street in front of St. James Church.
For runners interested in joining the road race, registration is available online for $40, and then will increase to $42 on Nov. 21.
Participants unable to make it to Manchester on Thanksgiving Day can sign up for the race’s virtual option, according to Danie Kennedy, registrar and executive board member of the Manchester Road Race Committee. Kennedy said participants can register for the online option for $30 and download the race app to track their progress.
Kennedy said all registration will close at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 24.
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All proceeds from this year’s race will be split between Rebuilding Together of Manchester and Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut.
In preparation for the road race, the Manchester Police Department has announced that no on-street parking will be allowed on East Center Street from Lenox Street to Main Street during the overnight period from 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 25 through 1 p.m. on Nov. 26, according to the traffic advisory.
No overnight parking will be permitted on Main Street from East Center Street to Charter Oak Street or Linden Street from Center Street to Chestnut Street during the same period. If necessary, vehicles will be towed, the traffic advisory said.
Downtown Main Street will be closed to all traffic between Bissell Street and Maple Street at 5 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning to allow crews to erect fencing and ropes along the roadway. The Main Street closures will be extended from East Center Street to Charter Oak Street, beginning at 5:30 a.m.
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All local roads intersecting the race course will be closed to vehicular traffic at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Motorists will not be permitted to enter or leave the streets on the interior of the road race course from 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning until after the race has ended at approximately 11:30 a.m.
While private vehicular traffic will be barred from entering or exiting the interior streets of the road race course while the event is being held, Manchester officials have extensive plans in place to provide fire, police. and emergency medical services to residents who live in the affected areas, according to the advisory.
Exit ramps on I-384 that abut the road race course will be closed from 8:45 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. These include westbound Exit 4 (Charter Oak Street), westbound Exit 5 (Highland Street), eastbound Exit 4 (Main Street) and eastbound Exit 5 (Wyllys Street). No parking is permitted along the shoulders or median of I-384.
Normal traffic and access on the affected Manchester streets should resume at approximately 11:30 a.m.
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A map of the Manchester Road Race course, which indicates the interior streets that will be affected by the closures, can be viewed on the “Race Information & Rules” page on the road race website.
Given the high volume of traffic expected in Manchester on Thanksgiving morning, the Manchester Road Race Committee will once again offer free shuttle bus transportation to and from the event, according to the traffic advisory.
The buses will run from the parking lot at the Connecticut Community College at Manchester on Great Path in Manchester before the race and return there after it concludes. More information about the free shuttle service and its schedule of operation can be obtained on “Shuttle, Parking and Rest Rooms” on the road race website.
For more information, visit the Manchester Road Race website.
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This story includes prior Hearst Media Connecticut reporting.
This article originally published at Here’s what to know about road closures, parking restrictions for the 2026 Manchester Road Race.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
