The inaugural Bands on the Run Half Marathon & 5K will be held Sunday, June 24, in Lewiston and Auburn downtowns.

The race, a fundraiser to support Museum L-A, replaces the LADU twice organized to support the museum.

The event blends racing with music, with two distinct races featuring nine live bands along race routes, including Girl Power Fitness at the start line.

Other bands are New Wine Band at Kennedy Park; The Grumps at Pedro O’Hara’s; the Repeat Offenders at Festival Plaza; Chapel Street Alley at Gas Light Park in Lewiston; Ron Bergeron on Bradman Street in Auburn; the Rhythm Junkies Drum & Dance Tribe at Sunnyside Park; the Brookside Blues Band on Strawberry Avenue by the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society; and Veggies By Day at Simard-Payne Park near the finish line.

The farmers’ market held Sundays at the Bates Mill No. 5 parking lot will go on as scheduled. Race officials will provide access for cars to get to that venue throughout the race.

The half-marathon steps off first, in two waves. Women will cross the start line on Mill Street by DaVinci’s Eatery at 8:30 a.m.; the men will start at 8:40 a.m.

The Bernard Lown Peace Bridge, formerly known as the South Bridge, will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. to accommodate runners on the Lewiston side who will be on Lincoln and Oxford streets. Runners will not cross the bridge but traffic will be detoured there, so organizers ask that motorists plan ahead.

From Mill Street, the race route swings around the block briefly on Lincoln, turning on Cross Street and on to Oxford and back to Lincoln. From there, runners will go down Lincoln, turning around at South Avenue and back along Lincoln.

Runners will then cross through Simard-Payne Memorial Park and into Auburn, running along the Auburn Riverwalk, through Festival Plaza and up Turner Street to Center Street, turning right on North River Road.

The leading female runners are expected to make the turn on to North River Road at 9:07 a.m.; trailing runners are expected to turn at 9:44 a.m. The leading men are expected to make that turn at 9:13; trailing runners at 9:54 a.m.

Runners will turn off North River Road at Bradman Street, turn left on Center Street and make the turn across the Veterans Memorial Bridge and back into Lewiston.

Runners are expected to be on the bridge between 9:19 a.m. and 10:27 a.m.

From the bridge, the course continues to Main Street, Libby Avenue and along Strawberry Avenue before turning down Tall Pine Drive.

Runners will use the Riverside trail, past Riverside Cemetery and through Sunnyside Park, along Winter, Avon and Middle streets behind Central Maine Medical Center, returning to Main Street and back across the Longley Bridge and into Great Falls Plaza.

Runners will swing around Auburn Esplanade and back to the Riverwalk to the finish in Simard-Payne park.

The leading woman are expected to finish the race in an hour and 28 minutes, or 9:58 a.m.; trailing runners are expected to cross at 11:27 a.m.

The leading men are expected to finish in an hour and 19 minutes, or 9:59 a.m.; trailing runners are expected to cross at 11:45 a.m.

Volunteers will be on course corners to assist runners and direct traffic. Motorists are asked to cooperate with course officials.

Cones will also be placed on some roads to create safety zones, including across the Veterans Memorial Bridge, where runners will run in the breakdown lane facing traffic into Lewiston. Cones will also be placed on Longley Bridge, narrowing traffic to one travel lane in each direction for the duration of the race. Cones will also narrow Center Street from Turner to North River Road to a single northbound lane just before 9 a.m. until shortly after 10 a.m.

The 5K race, which is set to begin on Mill Street at 9:30 a.m. will also run through Simard-Payne Park to Bonney and Moulton parks, turning on Hutchins, High and Main streets and across the Longley Bridge back to Lewiston. Runners will turn off Main Street at Lisbon Street around 9:41 a.m., and move down Pine, Bates and Spruce streets around Kennedy Park, turning back on Lisbon and Chestnut before crossing the finish at Simard-Payne.

For more information, including detailed course maps and specific band locations, go to: http://bandsontherunhalf.com/

Alternate routes during Bands on the Run race

* Vehicles seeking to travel from Main Street (Route 202) to Lisbon Street (Route 196) should either use Russell Street (outer Main Street) or Sabattus Street (Route 126 – downtown.)

* Vehicles seeking to enter Lewiston from Auburn should use either the Longley Memorial Bridge (Route 202) or the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge (Center Street – Route 4) and should avoid using the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge coming from New Auburn.

* Vehicles traveling on Lisbon Street (Route 196) toward downtown Main Street (Route 202) will be rerouted into neighborhoods and may encounter delays. Pass-through motorists should bypass this area by using East Avenue to Webster Street to Sabattus Street (Route 126.)