Cherry Blossom 10 Miler 2024

The 2024 Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race is scheduled for April 7, 2023. Here’s a rundown of the impact on visiting the cherry blossoms.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.
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The cherry blossoms reached peak bloom on March 17, 2024. That's the second-earliest on record.

RELATED:
Latest Updates on the 2024 Bloom
Peak Bloom Forecasts in Detail

The 2024 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run & 5K Run-Walk is scheduled for the weekend of April 6 (5K) and April 7 (10M).

The 10-mile race course goes around the Tidal Basin and Hains Point (on the roads, not on the walkway along the water’s edge), as well as Memorial Bridge, a short section of Rock Creek Parkway, and areas of the National Mall. If you’re planning to visit the cherry blossoms that morning you’ll need to work around it. (The 5K race course has much less impact on the area around the Tidal Basin.)

You can find more information, along with entry details, on their website.

Road Closures

The Tidal Basin will still be open and accessible to pedestrian traffic on the morning of the race, but road closures will create complications for visitors trying to get there, especially those planning to drive and park.

The road closures have not been published for the 2024 race yet. For a general sense of what to expect, here’s the map of the course for 2023 race:

Getting Around

By far the best bet will be to Metro, walk, or ride.

If you arrive while runners are still running you’ll have to find a way to cross the road safely without disrupting the stream of runners.

It consistently draws over 20,000 runners, so it’s quite a big race. The start is staggered in waves, and it can take a while for a gap to appear so that you can safely cross the road without tripping up runners. But please be sure to cross safely and sensibly–the runners are tired, focused on other things, and may not have an unobstructed view because of the crowds. No one wants an injury from a crash, runners, or spectators. But while you wait for the stream to thin out, feel free to get into the spirit of the race. Having run it several times myself, I can say that the cheering really is appreciated.

If you’re running the race and looking for info on picking up race packets or results, you can find it here.

In the meantime, here’s a taste of what’s in store with some photos from previous years.

Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Washington DC
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Runners in Washington DC's Cherry Blossom 10-Miler 2013
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Washington DC
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Washington DC
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Runners in Washington DC's Cherry Blossom 10-Miler 2013
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Race Leaders in the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Washington DC
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Race Leaders in the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Washington DC
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Runners in Washington DC's Cherry Blossom 10-Miler 2013
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Runners in Washington DC's Cherry Blossom 10-Miler 2013
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
2012 Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Elite Men at Start Line
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Washington DC with Lincoln Memorial
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Washington DC
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Runners in Washington DC's Cherry Blossom 10-Miler 2013
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
Runners in Washington DC's Cherry Blossom 10-Miler 2013
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH
2012 Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Runners Legs in Motion
Photo by David Coleman / CHERRYBLOSSOMWATCH