Metro Adjusts Routes for Alexandria Half Marathon

Metro A11 and A12 buses detour for 8.5 hours Sunday for Alexandria Half Marathon

Metro Reroutes A11, A12 Buses for Half Marathon

Metro riders on routes A11 and A12 in Alexandria will need alternate plans Sunday morning as buses detour around the PNC Alexandria Half Marathon. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced the temporary reroutes will affect service from 4am until 12:30pm on April 26, 2026. Street closures on S Washington St between Gibbon St and Green St will force both routes onto alternate paths during the eight-and-a-half-hour event window.

Context

The service modifications accommodate one of Alexandria's largest annual running events, which draws thousands of participants through the city's historic streets. Transit agencies routinely adjust bus routes during major community events to balance street access for participants with continued public transportation service. The detours affect two key routes connecting Alexandria neighborhoods to Pentagon and Ballston stations. Metro typically provides advance notice of such changes to help riders plan alternative travel arrangements during special events.

Details

Route A11 northbound to Pentagon will detour via S Patrick St at Franklin St, then resume its regular route on N Washington St at Oronoco St. Southbound A11 service to Huntington will detour on N Washington St at Princess St before returning to its normal path on Old Richmond Hwy at Ft Hunt Rd. Route A12 Ballston-Hunting Point will operate only between Ballston Station and a temporary southern terminus at S Washington St and King St, with riders able to board at stop ID 4000025. Metro officials said alternative stops will be available throughout the detour period.

Timeline

The detours take effect at 4am Sunday, April 26, 2026, and will remain in place until 12:30pm that day. The early morning start time allows Metro to implement route changes before the half marathon begins and most weekend service ramps up. Regular routing will resume once race organizers reopen S Washington St to vehicle traffic in the early afternoon.

Impact

Metro advised riders to plan ahead and allow extra travel time during the detour period. Passengers who regularly use stops on the closed section of S Washington St will need to walk to alternate stop locations along the detour routes. Transit officials encouraged riders to sign up for MetroAlerts for real-time service updates during the event. Moovit provides live bus tracking and detour information for Metro routes throughout the Washington area.