Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 20, 2010

Metrorail opening early Sunday morning

System opening at 6 a.m. Sunday for Army 10-Miler

Additional Blue Line service will be available to race participants and spectators attending Sunday's Army 10-Miler race, as the Metrorail system is opening an hour early at 6 a.m. on Oct. 24.

Metrobus operations at the Pentagon Transit Center will be relocated temporarily to Pentagon City until Arlington County reopens the impacted roadways, which is expected to happen at about 2 p.m. The Pentagon Metrorail station will remain open to accommodate race spectators and participants.

To help get everyone to and from the race, Metro will operate additional Blue Line trains between 6 a.m. and the start of the race (8 a.m.), and again afterward from 11:15 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. Blue Line trains will depart approximately every 7 1/2 minutes from the Franconia-Springfield and Stadium-Armory Metrorail stations headed to the Pentagon. On a typical Sunday, Blue Line trains operate every 15 minutes from the terminal stations.

Participants and spectators who take Metrorail to the race should exit at the Pentagon or Pentagon City Metrorail stations on the Blue and Yellow Lines. For those driving to Metrorail stations to begin their trips, parking is free at Metro-operated parking facilities on weekends.

Metro encourages race participants to use a SmarTrip card or a plastic cover to protect paper farecards. In previous years, race participants have had their farecards demagnitized while participating in the race after they became covered in moisture.

The organizers paid Metro in advance for the early opening.

For more information on Metrorail and Metrobus, customers are encouraged to call (202) 637-7000, TTY (202) 638-3780, or visit Metro=s Web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.
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News release issued at 12:17 pm, October 20, 2010.