RICHMOND, Va. -- It's race weekend in Richmond. This weekend, runners will take to the streets for the 45th Richmond Marathon.
"We're absolutely, really excited for this year's race," Pete Woody, the communications manager for Sports Backers, said. "It's America's friendliest marathon. And what that means is from start to finish, from registration to when you cross the finish line and go into the party, you're going to get a great experience."
Race day is Saturday, along with an 8k and the half marathon. But the festivities start on Thursday and Friday with the expo at the Richmond Raceway. Here, runners pick up their bibs and swag, check out vendors and catch up with other runners.
"Really, it's just an awesome way to kick off race weekend for the Allianz Partners Richmond marathon," Woody said.
Among the runners are those who have helped them make it this far.
"We're making sure everyone makes it to the finish line," Rainey Niklawaski, the president of Richmond Road Runners, said.
Coaches Niklawaski and Donnie Lane said this weekend is the culmination of months of discipline.
"You have a routine you have to follow, you have a running schedule you have to follow," Lane said.
But once the races on Saturday are over, there will be a much shorter fun at Dorey Park on Sunday. However, this run comes with a dress code.
"It's got to be a full-body costume," Lane said.
For the first time since 2019, the Richmond Road Runners will be bringing back their T-Rex Run.
"It's like a reunion run where people can talk about how their day went on Saturday," Lane said.
He also hopes to beat the world record for the largest gathering of people wearing inflatable dinosaur costumes.
"That's 380 people. That's a lot of people," Lane said.
As of Thursday evening, Lane said they have 277 people signed up and he's encouraging anyone who can to come out. Anyone interested in registering for the run can find more information here.
