Thousands set to run San Francisco Marathon, road closures expected

More than 33,000 runners are set to fill San Francisco streets for the 2026 San Francisco Marathon, and the biggest pinch point will arrive before sunrise on the Embarcadero. The full marathon starts Sunday at 5:15 a.m. from Embarcadero at Market, with the first wave leaving Mission Street & The Embarcadero and the finish line set for Embarcadero at Howard.

Road closures will begin just after midnight on the Embarcadero, starting in the northbound direction, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency says streets will stay affected until the marathon ends and roads reopen. More than 30 closures are scheduled for the weekend, creating the heaviest disruption along the waterfront corridor and the streets that feed into it. Runners will move north past Fisherman’s Wharf and Aquatic Park, then through the Presidio, with the course crossing some of the city’s most recognizable terrain before looping back downtown.

The organizer says the 26.2-mile race carries a 6-hour time limit, and its 2026 athlete guide includes schedule, start times, corrals, gear check and course details for every distance. The race weekend runs July 25-26, but Sunday will be the day San Francisco feels it most, especially around the Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf and the Presidio. The marathon’s history page says 2026 is its 49th anniversary, tracing the first running to July 10, 1977, and noting the race has been held annually since then except for 1988.

KRON4 reported that the full marathon and first half marathon are sold out and waitlists are closed, while limited spots remain for the second half marathon, 10K and 5K. Race director Lauri Abrahmsen said, “The San Francisco Marathon highlights our city’s unmatched beauty.”

For hotels, restaurants and shops near the waterfront, the weekend brings a rare surge of runners and spectators. For residents and commuters along the Embarcadero and the neighborhoods touched by the course, it means detours, slower trips and a city that will move on marathon time until the final runners clear the finish line on Howard Street.