The streets of Cincinnati will once again host the annual Thanksgiving Day Race, with a scheduled start time of 9:00 AM on November 28. As runners take their marks, many streets will close to accommodate this tradition, with closures including Liberty Street, Reading Road, Central Parkway, and Mehring Way.
According to the City of Cincinnati's official announcement, significant closures will occur starting at 8:30 AM, lasting through approximately noon to make way for the event. Of note, Central Parkway will see closures beginning at 6:30 AM due to the construction of the Start Line, impacting the flow of early morning traffic. Major arteries such as Liberty Street, Race Street, and Vine Street will see certain sections closed off.
The race, a staple of the city's holiday festivities, necessitates a complex network of street closures. These include Liberty Street between Linn and Reading Road, Reading closed from Elsinore Place to Central Parkway, and Mehring Way shut down from Freeman Avenue to E Pete Rose Way. Runners will navigate the packed streets as onlookers cheer amidst a temporary urban transformation that echoes the city's celebratory atmosphere.
This widespread re-routing will likely affect morning commutes and access throughout downtown Cincinnati. Residents and visitors are advised to plan their Thanksgiving Day activities with an eye on these extended traffic disruptions. Alternative routes should be considered, and extra travel time should be factored into plans. Long familiar with the race-day drill, the local community prepares for the annual disruption as an accepted part of the holiday pageant, punctuated by the thud of runner’s footsteps rather than the usual hum of car engines. One can visit the city's traffic alerts page for detailed information on all the street closures.
