Cowtown Marathon issues heat advisory for this weekend in Fort Worth

Cowtown Marathon events kick off with health expo

Cowtown Marathon events begin Friday ahead of the races that start on Saturday. FOX 4's Paige Ellenberger reports live in Fort Worth with a preview of the health and wellness expo happening at the Amon Carter Exhibit Hall.

FORT WORTH, Texas - Warm temperatures in the forecast won’t keep thousands of runners from heading to Fort Worth this weekend for the Cowtown Marathon.

Events begin on Friday ahead of the races that start on Saturday.

Friday’s health and wellness expo at the Amon Carter Exhibit Hall kicks off at 11:30 a.m. and lasts until 7 p.m. It starts back up again at 6 a.m. on Saturday and closes at 5 p.m.

Six races are planned for Saturday including a 10K and 5Ks for adults and kids. Runners can pick up their race packets for those races beginning at 6 a.m.

More than 10,000 people have signed up for the Cowtown half, full and ultra marathons. Those races are all Sunday morning.

All of the races begin and end on Gendy Street and go through areas in Fort Worth like the Stockyards, TCU’s campus, and around the Colonial Country Club.

So, people should plan for road closures in those areas.

The events all support Children’s Activities for Life and Fitness or CALF. The program provides running equipment to thousands of kids in 17 different school districts surrounding the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

"Some of these kids have never had a new pair of shoes before and we’ve been doing that program for 15 years. And we’ve given over 60,000 pairs of shoes away," said Heidi Swartz, the Cowtown executive director. "It’s really inspiring. We see these kids when they’re in second grade running and then I see them after high school coming back and running. And that’s what hits home. We have really affected their lives where they’re continuing to run."

Supporters can line the streets of the routes to cheer on their runners.

But Sunday will be warm. Temperatures are expected to rise to the 80s.

Dallas Weather: Feb. 23 morning forecast

FOX 4 Weather Meteorologist Evan Andrews says it's going to be a pretty nice day today with a nice weekend ahead, although maybe a little warm.

Marathon organizers have issued a heat advisory warning.

People who are participating in the races or supporting runners are reminded to take breaks and stay hydrated before, during, and after the races.

Organizers have also set up hydration stations every mile and a half for runners.