A breakaway awning includes an awning moveable between an open position and a closed position and having a lead rail attached to a leading edge of the awning. A pair of tracks mountable on opposite sides of a window are provided with longitudinal slots therein. Track guides are slidably disposed within a corresponding slot and awning guides are fixed to opposite ends of the lead rail. Track guide fittings and awning guide fittings engagable with one another enable both longitudinal movement of the lead rail along the tracks and transverse separation of the lead rail and awning guides from the track guides and track upon the application of force thereto thus facilitating egress from the underline window.