Travel alert: Prague marathon will see road closures, tram diversions Sunday

The 2024 Prague International Marathon, which takes place on Sunday, May 5, will disrupt traffic and public transport in the center of Prague from the early morning to around mid-afternoon.

Around 8,000 runners will descend onto the center of Prague to take part in the annual event, which gets underway at 9 a.m. The race starts at Old Town Square, and runs through Celetná, Na Příkopě, and Národní streets, all of which will be closed to motor traffic. All roads should open by about 3 p.m., or whenever the race completely finishes, although members of the public may watch the action from the sidewalks.

Participants will also run on Masarykovo nábřeží and Sematnovo nábřeží parallel to the Vltava River, as well as Legion Bridge, Charles Bridge, and Manes Bridge. They will head south, running along the length of the Vltava along Podolské nábřeží, before making their way back towards the center. Participants will also cross into Prague 5, running along a part of the lengthy Strakonická Street.

The area around Prague Castle will also be affected by closures; the race goes through Mostecká and Tomášská streets close to Malostranské náměstí.

They’ll also make their way towards the north of the city, running through Dvořákovo nábřeží and Bubenské nábřeží – all these roads will be closed until Sunday afternoon.

Parts of Holešovice, Karlín, and Libeň will also be affected by the marathon – runners will run on the long Rohanské nábřeží in Prague 8, as well as in Prague 7’s Jateční and Jankovcova streets, before crossing Libeň Bridge.

Over 20 tram lines and 14 bus routes will also be disrupted until Sunday afternoon due to the marathon. Tram line 2, for example, will be diverted from the Hradčanská stop to the Špejchar loop. Line 3 in the direction of Senovážné náměstí will be rerouted from the Karlovo náměstí stop via the Štěpánská, I.P. Pavlova and Bruselská stops, all the way to the Zvonařka loop. 

Bus number 207 will be shortened on Sunday – running from the Ohrada to Na Františku Hospital stops. Route 194 will run between Nemocnice pod Petřínem and Malostranská.

A full list of diversions can be found on the Prague Public Transport Company website, where you can also plan your route on Sunday.

All trams and buses should return to normal operation by 4 p.m., with some lines restoring services sooner.