Marathon, other races to close Las Vegas streets Sunday

One of the largest series of annual street closures returns to Southern Nevada this weekend.

The Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half-Marathon, now part of the two-day, four-race Rock ’n’ Roll Running Festival, is planned today and Sunday, and roads on and around the four courses will have rolling closures both days.

Sunday will be the highlight with rolling closures from 10 a.m. to midnight along the 26.2-mile marathon and 13.1-mile half-marathon courses.

The marathon and half-marathon start at 4:30 p.m. and 36,000 runners have registered.

The Zappos.com “half of a half” race runs on Las Vegas Boulevard from near Mandalay Bay to the downtown Las Vegas Container Park beginning at 3:30 p.m.

The centerpiece of the closures will be Las Vegas Boulevard, from Sunset Road to Fremont Street. Traffic won’t be allowed to cross Las Vegas Boulevard until runners have cleared the area and Regional Transportation Commission buses serving the Strip will be detoured during the race.

The races will affect other streets in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, and some freeway exits will be closed when runners are in the vicinity.

Street closures and approximate times

■ Fourth Avenue and Fremont Street from 2-10 p.m.

■ Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, 11th and Main streets, from 2-11 p.m.

■ Bridger, Garces and Carson avenues from 2-9 p.m.

■ South Central Parkway and West Symphony Park Avenue from 2-9:30 p.m.

■ Martin Luther King Boulevard from Symphony Park to Brooks Avenue from 4-9:30 p.m.

■ West Carey Avenue from Martin Luther King to Rancho Drive from 4-9 p.m.

■ Freeway ramp closures are planned on eastbound Tropicana Avenue, Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard and at Martin Luther King between about 2 and 4 p.m.

The course runs from Mandalay Bay, north to Fremont Street, west to Martin Luther King on Grand Central and Symphony Park, north to Brooks Avenue, then reversing. The return run has several additional extensions to make it a full 26.2-mile course. At Carey, runners will head west, then turn around near Rancho back to Martin Luther King. At Mount Mariah Drive, the course cuts into a neighborhood to Stella Lake Street and Wheeler Peak Drive back to MLK.

And, on the return in downtown, the course zigzags along Third Street, Colorado Avenue, Main Street and Utah Avenue back to Las Vegas Boulevard. The finish line is near The Mirage.

Smaller areas will be affected by a race on Saturday. A 5-K race that begins at 6 p.m. will be run on streets surrounding the SLS Hotel at Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue.