3,200 runners expected at Rochester marathon events

Crowds of runners and spectators are expected in Rochester this weekend for the city's Med City Marathon.

A record 3,200 runners, about 200 more than last year, will participate in various events, including a children's marathon, a 5-K, a half-marathon and a marathon.

The marathon is scheduled for Sunday morning between Byron and downtown Rochester.

Participants are coming from across the United States and abroad, said race Executive Director Wally Arnold.

"We've got people coming in from 35 different states and four countries," Arnold said. "There's an energy and everybody is just kind of excited and anticipating it, and people you see year after year, they come out and race -- that's probably the best thing."

A forecast of rain will likely not affect the races, he said, adding that runners are looking forward to cooler weather this weekend. Last year, the temperature hit 90 degrees on race day.

"We definitely will not cancel it just because of rain," Arnold said. "If there's severe thunderstorms or something, it might postpone it a little bit until the threat passes, but we shouldn't have to cancel anything."