PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

The early bird gets the worm, but even the birds may not be awake when Pittsburgh roads start to close early Sunday morning for the Pittsburgh Marathon.

Road closures begin at 1:30 a.m. on Liberty Avenue where the race is set to start. Streets in the city are organized into sectors and will close and reopen at intervals along the race’s 26.2-mile course.

(Note: The Boulevard of the Allies, Downtown, will close Friday at noon. The city is preparing for Saturday’s races too: the 5K, Champions Mile and Kids Marathon. A map for those road closures can be found here.)

Related: This Week in Pittsburgh History: A Married Couple Wins the First Pittsburgh Marathon

When does the Pittsburgh Marathon start?

The Pittsburgh marathon — along with the half marathon and marathon relay — starts at 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 5.

Participants can line up in the race corrals starting at 5:30 a.m.

Where does the Pittsburgh Marathon start?

The race starts at Liberty Avenue between Smithfield and 10th Streets.

What is the Pittsburgh Marathon route?

The course winds through the city, passing through neighborhoods like Downtown, the South Side, Shadyside, Point Breeze, Homewood, Highland Park, Bloomfield and back through the Strip District.

The exact route can be found on a map here.

Where does the Pittsburgh Marathon end?

The finish line is at the end of the Boulevard of the Allies between Wood and Stanwix Streets Downtown.

When does the Pittsburgh Marathon end?

The marathon has a 16 minute-mile time limit. With 26.2 miles, that’s about 419 minutes or just under seven hours.

With the 7 a.m. start time, you can expect the race to end around 2 p.m. — but don’t expect roads to immediately reopen.

What roads will be closed for the race?

Race organizers have put together a “marathon escape guide” that details how to get in and out of the city during the marathon.

In the guide, you can see sections of the city and their approximate closure times.

• Starting line back (Liberty Avenue down to Point State Park): 1:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
• Start, Liberty Avenue through the Strip: 5:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
• Penn Avenue in the Strip District: 5:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
• North Side to West End Bridge: 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• West End to Station Square: 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Carson to Birmingham Bridge: 6 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
• Oakland to Fifth and Craig: 6:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
• Shadyside to Fifth and Penn Avenue: 6:30 a.m. to noon
• Penn Avenue to Braddock: 6:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• Homewood to Bryant Street: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Negley Avenue to Liberty Avenue: 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Liberty Avenue to 30th Street: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Downtown to Finish: 5:30 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.
• Finish Line Spillover: Midnight to 4:30 a.m., but expect this area to be closed from Saturday’s races.

What are the no parking zones?

The city begins to enforce no parking from 11 p.m. Saturday through Sunday, says Bob McGann of McGann and Chester Towing. That company has the city contract for towing the marathon route.

In recent years, McGann has seen anywhere from 125 to 235 cars towed during marathon weekend.

The bar areas, he says, are the worst.

He warns people to be especially careful in areas along Craig Street, Walnut Street to Highland Avenue, Penn Avenue and Carson Street.

McGann also says to pay special attention to the new Back Half Marathon. That route starts along Ellsworth Avenue and passes Neville Street in Oakland. Those areas have not been a part of a race route in the past.

McGann has been passing out flyers to people and warning businesses in those problem areas to find alternative parking.

“I don’t want to tow that many cars,” he says. “I’d like to see none at all.”