PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Downtown Pittsburgh will be a very busy place Sunday as runners hit the pavement for the Pittsburgh Marathon.

The race coupled with an afternoon Pirates game over at PNC Park will make things tricky if not impossible for drivers.

The obvious challenge for the 25,000 runners taking to the starting line on Liberty Avenue Sunday morning is 26.2 miles.

But the other challenge may be just getting there.

“Like almost impossible to get around,” said John Antolee, a marathon participant. “This year, it’s going to be even worse with the Pirate game going on and the marathon at the same time; it’s going to be crazy out there.”

Beginning at 3 a.m., many of the main streets downtown will be blocked off to drivers.

“Liberty Avenue, Boulevard of the Allies, Stanwix, Penn; all of the inner streets, I would stay away from,” said Adriane Deithorn, of the Pittsburgh Marathon.

For runners like Paul Stein who came all the way in for the race from Minnesota, staying in a hotel close to the action helps him avoid the traffic.

“Well, I’ll be coming on foot, so I don’t think traffic is much of an issue since we’re all close enough to walk,” said Stein, who was carbing up at the annual Pasta Party at the Spaghetti Warehouse Saturday night.

Others say while they know things will be congested, it’s expected.

“I think it’s just part of the fun, it’s just inevitable, you want to have a big event and the Pirates need to play, you just got to go with it,’ Jackie Culp, another marathon participant, said.

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