LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This weekend marks the 22nd year of the Little Rock Marathon. This event is one of the city's largest and most anticipated annual events.
Starting on Thursday, some roads will begin to close as people from all over the Natural State gear up to enjoy a day of races.
"We're in the middle of this master planning process for the downtown and one of the key points of focus is making it more walkable, making it more bikeable. To continue to attract more of these people doing these types of activities," said Gabe Holmstorm, executive director of the downtown Little Rock partnership.
However, this year's race will be a little different from previous years since there are going to be some changes in place to help keep people safe from the expected inclement weather.
"Based on the forecast and what we've seen predicted for this weekend, we've made the decision to start our races on Sunday, a couple hours earlier to make sure we're doing what's best for the athletes," said Mike Garrity, race director.
Other additions to this year's race include having more cooling towels, ice at aid stations, and dunk tanks to keep runners from overheating.
"Over 40% of the participants come from outside the state of Arkansas, and about a quarter of them are running a marathon or half marathon [and it's] their first time running that distance. So kind of giving them as much information as we can to make sure they're aware and make sure they're able to make any adjustments that need for their schedule," Garrity described.
Runners coming from all over to take on the 26-mile course means big business for the city, and Holmstrom said that the amount of visitors makes the prep work worth it.
"Anytime we do an event of this size and scope, the restaurants see a bump, the hotels see a bump, and we just want to make sure they have a fantastic experience," Holmstorm added.
For a complete list of road closures that are happening during the Little Rock Marathon, please click here.