Marathon makes way for Palm Sunday services

The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Raleigh Sunday coincides with Palm Sunday services for dozens of churches, and organizers have been working with those congregations to make sure worshippers can get in and out.

Posted 4:09 p.m. Apr 7, 2014 — Updated 4:09 p.m. Apr 7, 2014

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Raleigh Sunday coincides with Palm Sunday services for dozens of churches, and organizers have been working with those congregations to make sure worshippers can get in and out.

Race organizers have posted church-specific alternate routes for 24 churches and will have officers posted to guide traffic flow.

Churches began telling congregants about the change weeks ago, and some have decided to avoid the hassle altogether.

The marathon begins and ends in the heart of downtown Raleigh, and runners will wind their way east to Chavis Park, north through the Oakwood neighborhood before making a turn to the west. The course passes William Peace University and Cameron Village. Runners of the half marathon make the turn on the campus of North Carolina State University and head back to the start/finish line. Those who choose to run the full 26.2-mile marathon continue west on Hillsborough Street and past PNC Arena before circling back downtown.

With more than 12,000 runners registered to participate and dozens of bands performing along the route, road closures are expected to make a major impact on traffic flow.

Suggest A Correction