Thousands of Runners Coming to Grand Rapids for Annual Marathon
Thousands of runners will soon be running all over the streets of Grand Rapids and streets will be closed.
Sunday, October 18, 2026, is the big day. It's the 23rd Annual University of Michigan Health - West Grand Rapids Marathon. And between 4500 to 5000 long distance runners will fill our streets.
They will all begin the 26.22 mile course at the David D. Hunting YMCA in downtown Grand Rapids at 8 a.m. with an optional early start of 7:00 a.m.
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It is an exciting course as runners will run through Grand Rapids West Side for a bit running not only on main streets but neighborhoods as well. That should be cool for residents in those neighborhoods.
WHAT STREETS WILL BE CLOSED?
Winter Street between Lake Michigan Drive & Watson – 7am – 2pm
Fulton Street between Monroe & Seward 7am – 9:30am Between Street between
Mt. Vernon & Seward 7am – 2pm (with course monitoring so you can still get
through)
Seward Ave between Lake Michigan and Leonard 7am – 9:30am
Leonard Street between Seward & Broadway 7am – 8:30am
Broadway Ave between Leonard & Sixth 7am – 8:45
Sixth Street between Broadway & Monroe 7am – 8:45
Monroe Ave between Sixth & Fulton 7:30am – 9am
Watson between Winter & Front 7:30am – 2pm
Front Ave between Watson & Wealthy 7:30am – 2pm
Wealthy Street between Front & Garfield 7:30am – 2pm
Butterworth Street between the Coke Plant trailhead and Maynard 8am – 9:30am
This gives everyone a chance to plan for the big day.
Remember to watch out for runners as they pass through your area. Or better yet, come on out as a spectator, and cheer them on! Let’s show them what awesome people live here in this great city of ours!!!
For more information on the event, go to grandrapidsmarathon.com.
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