Mayor Bill Haslam and the Knoxville Track Club today urged residents to come out Sunday and support runners in the inaugural event for the City of Knoxville.

Live entertainment will be featured at Market Square, the Old City, Caswell Park, Tyson Park and Western Plaza, and another five sites will feature recorded music by Party Boys DJ Show. Residents are also encouraged to step outside and cheer as the race winds through the neighborhoods of Fort Sanders, Sequoyah Hills, Fourth & Gill, Parkridge, Island Home, and Old Sevier, as well as downtown and through the University of Tennessee campus.

"More than 3,000 runners are expected to participate in Sunday's races," said Mayor Bill Haslam, who is planning to run the 13-mile half-marathon. "Runners are coming from across the world and I know our city will want to give them a warm welcome." The marathon and half-marathon will begin at 7 a.m. Sunday on the Clinch Avenue bridge over World's Fair Park, followed by a kids run at 7:10 a.m. and 5K run at 7:20 a.m. All races will end inside the University of Tennessee's Neyland Stadium. Each runner's finish will be broadcast over the Jumbotron.Road and lane closures will occur throughout the city - most streets will see staggered closures and re-openings - and all streets are expected to be open by 1:30 p.m. Sunday."Motorists need to exercise caution and patience Sunday morning and early afternoon as they drive through the city," Police Chief Sterling Owen IV said. "Officers will be posted throughout the course to direct traffic and they will need the cooperation of drivers to ensure this is a safe event."

The Knoxville Track Club began planning more than a year ago for the marathon, which has been certified as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.The club has enlisted volunteers to staff 18 water stations and five aid stations located throughout the course."The support of our sponsors, the City of Knoxville and volunteers has been incredible in helping us put on this first-time event," said Marshall Myer, executive director of the Knoxville Track Club. "Everyone has pulled together to ensure that we have safe races and a fun weekend for our guests."Maps of the course are available at www.knoxvillemarathon.com, as well as a listing of recommended spectator sites.