How to Avoid 2026 Buffalo Marathon Road Closures This Weekend

This Sunday (5/24) is the annual running of the Buffalo Marathon, which means we will be dealing with some road closures. Here's where you'll find them and when they're happening so you can avoid getting stuck because of them.

There will be thousands of people in town for the race

The Buffalo Marathon is a very popular race amongst runners for multiple reasons. The first is that it's mostly flat. It makes for an easy run when there aren't a ton of hills to climb. That means that a lot of people will get some really good times when they run this race. It's a big qualifier for the Boston Marathon. Historically, about 10% to 11% of the full marathon field successfully hits a Boston Qualifying time.

The weather is another reason why a lot of people run it. Although the year I ran the half marathon, it felt like it was 90 degrees before 9 am, normally, the weather in Buffalo around Memorial Day is pretty cool, so you don't have to run in scorching temperatures.

Also, it's a pretty scenic race. Not only does it run through the city with our incredible architecture, but it also goes along the waterfront. You get a great view of Lake Erie for a portion of the run and also a nice cool breeze while you're running.

Roads will be closed

As it is with most races of this size and with that many runners, the city needs to shut down certain roads in order to keep them safe. The good news is that most of them will only be closed early in the morning, and they should be fully operational by the afternoon. Many will close as early as 4 am. Expect to see closures on stretches of Delaware, Hertel, Elmwood Avenue, Franklin, Pearl, Niagara, Washington streets, and some smaller side streets along the route.

See the full list of closures here.

5a-2021-graphic-Road+Closures+-+media-v002