The nearly 30,000 runners participating in the Marine Corps Marathon and 10K race this year in Washington will face some transit issues on the way to the starting line: D.C. Metro officials have refused to disrupt their repair schedule for the event.

The annual Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in the nation's capital, one of the premier road-racing events in the U.S., generally attracts runners from more than 25 countries. The 26.2-mile (42-kilometer) course gives runners a look at many well-known monuments and attractions.

This week's decision by WMATA, the Washington-area mass transit agency, means marathon organizers have had to adjust the race course and extend the start time for the event on October 30.

The Metro rail system began SafeTrack, an aggressive maintenance schedule, in June, and the work will continuework for at least a year. Some of the rail network's lines will have only a single track available for days or weeks at a time, instead of the normal dual-track system used to keep trains moving freely in both directions.

Some stations will close for equipment upgrades and other work needed to improve safety for passengers throughout the transit system.

Metro has reduced its operating hours to accommodate the maintenance program, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays, and the system's administrators have refused to adjust train schedules for special events, as was customary in the past for the marathon and other special events.

FILE - Teens wearing cow-horn hats and ringing cow bells cheer on runners in the Marine Corps Marathon along Independence Avenue in Washington in October 2014.

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