Activities for the marathon begin today with a health and fitness expo at 11 a.m. and a 5K race at 6:30 p.m. and the Tailwind Trot (a one-kilometer event for children) at Wright State University’s Ervin J. Nutter Center.

“We’re not just a marathon,” said Chris Meister, race director. “We’re much more than that.”

Last year, the marathon with its allied races had about 8,500 participants altogether, about 60% of them civilians. Meister expects similar numbers this year.

“People sign up for races later and later nowadays,” he said.

One tweak race leaders made from past events: Runners will cross the finish line into the waiting after-race festival, there on the base itself, with food, drink and musical entertainment. The festival or after-party will not be held at The Greene in Beavercreek or elsewhere off base.

“We wanted to kind of get away from that a little bit, instead of asking people to go somewhere else after they worked so hard all day to run a race, we just brought the after-party to them,” Meister said.

The marathon, half-marathon and 10-K runs are Saturday morning, starting 6:30 a.m. for the 10K near the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The marathon begins at 7:30 a.m.

Road closures coming

There will be four barriers along Ohio 844 because that road lies on the race course, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base advised on its web site.

From 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, there will be road closures along Kauffman Road between the Wright State University campus and Wright-Patterson. The closures will be at National Road, McClellan Drive, Van Dorn Lane, Shields Avenue and Zink Road.

Eastbound Springfield Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

As usual, the city of Fairborn is a big part of the event.

Emily Gay, a spokeswoman for the city of Fairborn and a member of the race’s Fly Zone Committee, said residents have planned for the race and intend to make Saturday fun.

Mile ten in the marathon will essentially be all downtown Fairborn.

“It’s going to be decked out,” Gay said.

Runners will wind up and down Fairborn streets between Xenia Drive and Main Street.

“It’s not our first rodeo,” Gay said. “And the route is the same as last year.”

If you live on the route in Fairborn, be aware: The city will start towing cars parked on race route streets starting at 3 a.m. Saturday. Gay’s advice: Park in your driveway and settle in until early afternoon.

Residents have been so advised, Gay said.

“You’re basically in until the race is over,” she said.

The Fairborn section of the race always tries to be special. It’s the only place along the route where spectators see runners coming and going.

Fairborn volunteers this year will pass out strips of bacon to runners — bacon on the way into the city and popsicles on the way out.

GATES TO WATCH FOR

Outside Fairborn, a number of Wright-Patterson gates will be affected.

Among those: gate 1A, known as the “commissary gate,” will be closed from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., as it’s on the race route, the base said. The gate will be open following the race.

The 24-hour gate at Air Force Materiel Command headquarters, gate 12A, will be open 24/7 for vehicle traffic.

More gate impacts: gate 18A (the Hebble Creek Road gate) will be open for volunteers only.

Gate 15A (the Ohio 844 gate) will be closed as it is part of the marathon route.

The gate leading to the the 445th Airlift Wing (previously gate 26A, off Ohio 235) will be open from 4 to 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. for marathon volunteers and fire department personnel entry and exit only.

Wright-Patterson gate 19B (the National Road gate) will be open. But the base advises that there will be some restrictions across Area B until the last runner passes Eighth Street. That should be lifted by 1 p.m., but is subject to change, the base advises.

Gate 1B (Springfield Street) will be closed, the base said.

Gate 22B (the Interstate 675 gate) will be open 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. for event parking, the base also said.

The public should be aware that the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force gate off Springfield Street in Riverside will be open to spectators (and museum visitors) during normal hours of operation.

Finally, public access parking gates will be open from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. so the public may access race areas via the Spinning Road Gate, at Spinning and Airway roads. The public may also enter via the Army Reserve armory Gate off Harshman Avenue; and gate 22B, the I-675 gate (left turn only).