Council signals support for one‑time exception to allow Dallas Marathon half to cross Highway 5

Representatives of the BMW Dallas Marathon briefed McKinney councilors on a proposal to host a McKinney half marathon in 2026 that would include a crossing of State Highway 5 through the historic downtown, and councilors indicated they were inclined to grant a narrowly tailored exception to the city's restricted‑route rules.

City staff told councilors the marathon group has experience managing large races and is proposing mitigation measures such as an earlier start (7 a.m.), use of trails where feasible later in the course, and a "rolling street cleanup" approach in which barricades are removed as runners pass a block. The organizers estimated about 4,300 participants in the first year.

The city ordinance limits races on certain restricted streets (including Highway 5) but allows exceptions when the council approves a route and the city coordinates with TxDOT and law enforcement. Staff said any use of Highway 5 will require a resolution authorizing the closure and a subsequent submission to TxDOT for approval. Staff also said the event would be a privately run race and that, for an independent route, traffic control and device costs would be borne by the event rather than the city. "Some personnel hours" by city staff are expected to support the permit and route work, staff said.

Council members flagged detour routes and concerns about neighborhood traffic during the event; staff said they will coordinate detour routing with TxDOT and seek to minimize impacts to local residents. Several councilors praised the publicity benefit of hosting a well‑established race organization in McKinney and asked staff to bring a closure resolution to the upcoming regular meeting.

Next steps: staff will work with organizers and TxDOT on detour plans and submit a highway‑closure resolution for council consideration at the regular meeting.