Spaces Images/Blend Images/Associated Press

Seattle already has a major marathon in November, but thousands of runners will pound the pavement to kick off summer in the Emerald City on Saturday, June 13 for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series.



The marathon includes a host of events to draw out Seattle crowds, including a half marathon, an eight-kilometer (8K) race, concerts, a fitness expo and more. The marathoners will be the main attraction, but expect spectators to come out in droves as they cheer on the athletes and enjoy the festivities.

Here's a rundown of the essential event details.





Course Map

A course map can be found here, and an interactive version can be found at RunRockNRoll.com. The website also links to a list of freeway and road closures for the event.



The marathon route begins at the Seattle Center near the Space Needle, takes runners down and around Seward Park, up along the shores of Lake Washington, across the I-90 bridge to Mercer Island before making a U-turn back across the bridge and toward the Seattle Center, with the race ending on Mercer Street.



Times



According to the event website, the marathon, half-marathon and 8K all begin at 7 a.m. local time on Saturday, June 13.





Event Details



Last year saw Washington native Drew Polley win the men's division with a time of two hours, 24 minutes and 51 seconds. California runner Devon Yanko paced the women's division in 2:51:17, per Competitor.com.

According to Weather.com, Seattle should see excellent race conditions on Saturday. The high is forecasted at a mild 72 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds below 10 miles per hour and just a 10 percent chance of precipitation.



KIROTV.com has a brief description of the kind of atmosphere runners can expect on Saturday:

The annual running block party known as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon & ½ Marathon will start and finish at downtown Seattle Center. Local bands will put their talents on display, playing live on band stages each mile along the 26.2 and 13.1 mile courses. The energetic, entertaining race will also be supported by cheerleading teams, themed water stations and thousands of spectators.



KIRO TV also notes that the finish-line festival and post-race activities are free and open to the public. Prior to the race-day activities, there will be a Health and Fitness Expo at the CenturyLink Field Event Center on Thursday and Friday.

While the vast majority of runners on Saturday will be adults, there will be at least one young face out on the course.

According to The Dallas Morning News' Leslie Barker, 13-year-old Luke Small has been preparing to take part in the half marathon. He's been training with his parents and is no stranger to distance running. His mother, Sonja, told The Dallas Morning News in an e-mail that she was "shocked at his endurance and motivation at three years old."

Marathons can serve as an excellent tool for people looking to get in better shape, as they give a clear, concrete and time-oriented goal to work toward. Runners like Small might encourage people of all ages to improve their fitness levels.