March 26, 2026
Provided Image/RWB Multimedia
The Love Run returns Sunday. The half marathon and 7K races start at 7:30 a.m. at Eakins Oval. All runners will pass through Center City and Old City, but half marathoners will continue along MLK Drive before finishing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
An estimated 15,000 runners are expected to race Sunday in the Saucony Love Run, which returns for its 12th year in Philadelphia.
The Love Run includes a half marathon and a 7K that each start at 7:30 a.m. at Eakins Oval. Road closures, parking restrictions and SEPTA detours will be in effect in Center City, Fairmount Park and Kelly Drive. City officials warned the races may cause traffic delays and congestion.
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The half marathon take runners down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, through Center City on long stretches of Market and Arch streets, and out to East Falls and back via Martin Luther King Drive. The finish line is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The 7K follows the same course, but runners veer off to finish at the art museum instead of continuing along MLK Drive.
The Love Run also coincides with the start of seasonal weekend closures on MLK Drive. Beginning this weekend, MLK Drive is closed from Saturdays at 7 a.m. to Mondays at 7 a.m. until the fall. Pedestrians and cyclists still will have access to a portion of the MLK Drive during the Love Run, city officials said.
More information about the Love Run's weekend activities can be found on its website.
Road closures will start taking effect early Sunday morning ahead of the race. Roads in Center City are expected to be reopened by 11 a.m. The road closures specific to the half marathon course will lifted around 1 p.m.
Temporary "No Parking" signs will be posted along closed roads between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday
The following roads will be closed beginning at 3 a.m.:
• Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 22nd Street to Eakins Oval
• Eakins Oval from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art
• MLK Drive from Eakins Oval to Falls Bridg
• Kelly Drive from Eakins Oval to Fairmount Avenue
The following roads will be closed beginning at 6:45 a.m.:
• Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 16th Street to Eakins Oval
• 16th Street from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to John F. Kennedy Blvd.
• John F. Kennedy Blvd. from 16th to 20th streets
• 20th Street from John F. Kennedy Blvd. to Market Street
• Market Street from 20th to 15th streets
• Penn Square to Juniper Street
• Juniper to Market streets
• Market Street from Juniper to Sixth streets
• Sixth Street from Market to Arch streets
• Arch Street from Sixth Street to Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Lansdowne Drive to Sweet Briar Drive
• Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to Falls Bridge
• Black Road to Avenue of the Republic
• Avenue of the Republic to Memorial Hill Drive
• Memorial Hill Drive to S. Concourse Drive
The route for the Love Run half marathon loops through Center City, Old City and Fairmount Park on Sunday. The 7K veers off before MLK Drive to end at the art museum
Detours can be expected through Center City and Old City during the race. Specific route changes and updates can be found online. Bus routes 38 and 43 will be detoured on Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The following routes will be detoured from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• 2, 4, 7, 16, 17, 23, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 61, 124 and 125
