Getting to the BALTIMORE COMIC-CON: BALTIMORE RUNNING FESTIVAL Saturday Information
Concerned with the Baltimore Running Festival interrupting with your Balti.ore Comic Con experience? Well, it appears the show has these potential concerns covered. Read down below - in an official press release - to find out how the show is prepared to relieve attendees from any possible interruptions with Con experience.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - October 11, 2019 - The Baltimore Comic-Con will be held October 18-20, 2019 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. You can purchase tickets online now.
On Saturday morning, the Baltimore Running Festival will take place. This will create changes to the usual traffic and parking options in the city on Saturday. Please plan ahead.
We have been working with the City of Baltimore and the Baltimore Running Festival to come up with the information YOU need to get to and from the Baltimore Convention Center. We have the following recommendations:
Take advantage of mass transit, especially if you are coming in from the north on Saturday morning. Baltimore's light rail system will not be affected by the marathon, and is a great way to get into the city. Plus, the Pratt Street (Convention Center) Light Rail stop is directly across the street from our halls! This is the best way to get in and out of the City on Saturday..
In addition, the Metro SubwayLink from Owings Mills to Downtown Baltimore is an alternate mass-transit option. This operation will be unaffected by the marathon. Outside the City, the Metro may be boarded at the Owings Mills or the Old Cort Stations. Closest stations to the Baltimore Convention Center are Lexington Market and Metro Charles Center West. Please see maps at https://www.mta.maryland.gov/schedule/metrosubway.
Have a relaxing Saturday morning and stay in town Friday night with our partner hotel, the Lord Baltimore, which is offering a special rate Friday night to Maryland residents.
If driving, pre-purchase a parking spot, and understand how to get there and when that garage will be available.
If you are driving into town, please keep the following in mind:
Coming from the south, the best route into the city is from I-95 to exit 53 (I-395). Exit 52 (Russell St) may have delays as the street is closed north of Ravens Stadium from 6am-10am.
Pratt Street in front of the Baltimore Convention Center will be closed from approximately 7am to approximately 1pm.
Pre-purchase your parking spot, and understand when you can get access to that parking spot. Working with our partner, Parking Panda, will help guarantee your spot is waiting for you.
In general, parking west of the Baltimore Convention Center will be easier than parking to the east, based on where the race will be run in the city.
Be aware of the marathon course and possible road closures. See https://transportation.baltimorecity.gov/BaltimoreMarathon2019Map for explicit detailed information.
It is NOT recommended that you drive into the city from the north using route I-83. If you must, we recommend exits 6 (North Avenue, Mt. Royal Avenue) or 5 (Maryland Avenue). Road closures southwest of those exits should be over by 10:00am. If you use this route, stay west of Charles Street at all times, parking to the west of the Baltimore Convention Center.
We have included the map focusing on the area around the Baltimore Convention Center, as well as the full route and an estimate from the Baltimore Running Festival as to where people will be during the day.
The chart below gives the times marathon and half-marathon runners should be in neighborhood locations:
Mile 1: 8:05am-8:31am
Mile 2: 8:10am-8:47am
Mile 3: 8:15am-9:03am
Mile 4: 8:20am-9:19am
Mile 5: 8:25am-9:35am
Mile 6: 8:30am-9:51am
Mile 7: 8:35am-10:07am
Mile 8: 8:40am-10:23am
Mile 9: 8:45am-10:39am
Mile 10: 8:50am-10:55am
Mile 11: 8:55am-11:11am
Mile 12: 9:00am-11:27am
Mile 13: 9:05am-11:43am
Mile 14: 9:10am-11:59am
Mile 15: 9:15am-12:15pm
Mile 16: 9:20am-12:31pm
Mile 17: 9:25am-12:47pm
Mile 18: 9:30am-1:03pm
Mile 19: 9:35am-1:19pm
Mile 20: 9:40am-1:35pm
Mile 21: 9:45am-1:57pm
Mile 22: 9:50am-2:13pm
Mile 23: 9:55am-2:29pm
Mile 24: 10:00am-2:45pm
Mile 25: 10:05am-3:01pm
Mile 26: 10:10am-3:17pm
The following link is provided by the city of Baltimore with specific road closure times: https://transportation.baltimorecity.gov/BaltimoreMarathon2019Map. It is the source of much of the information in this summary.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) encourages travelers to be mindful of parking and road closures, and to make public transportation your choice for getting to the area. On race day, roadways around town, near the stadium, and near the Inner Harbor will be closed prior to 7:30am for the marathon start. This will be further complicated by the half-marathon start at 9:45am. Light Rail will deliver riders to the area, and provides free parking where parking is available. The Light Rail system will run every 30 minutes beginning at 6am coming South from Hunt Valley (which is a 50 minute ride) to the stadium, and at 5am coming North from Cromwell (a 26 minute ride) to the stadium. Riders should exit from the Convention Center stop.You may also save a few dollars if you had planned to pay to park for the show.
For maps, schedules, and parking information, please see http://mta.maryland.gov/light-rail.
GUARANTEED PARKING
To make parking easy and stress free, we have partnered with Parking Panda, the nationwide leader in online parking reservations, to allow attendees to purchase guaranteed parking near the Baltimore Comic-Con. View real-time availability and pricing at many convenient locations within easy walking distance to the convention center.
Once purchased, parking is 100% guaranteed even if the location otherwise fills up. Simply present your purchase confirmation at the selected location, and this serves as your payment with no additional payments or fees ever. Parking availability is very limited, so it is strongly recommended that you purchase your parking in advance, if driving.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
While they are available, be sure to take advantage of discount rate arrangements we have made with hotels near the Baltimore Convention Center. For all the details, see: http://baltimorecomiccon.com/about/hotels/
Additionally, the Lord Baltimore Hotel is offering a special $99 offer for Maryland residents who wish to avoid any traffic delays around the Baltimore Marathon on Saturday morning (Friday night only - must show MD State ID upon check-in), which can be found at:
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