Runners, organizers hoping Cowtown Marathon won't be disrupted by weather

FORT WORTH, Texas - Thousands of runners and walkers are keeping an eye on this weekend's forecast.

Organizers of the annual Cowtown Marathon say they are ready to shut things down if the weather threatens participants’ safety.

They are hopeful they'll be able to get the first race -- the 10k – underway Saturday morning.

There remains the possibility of a lightning delay and a likelihood of some strong winds before the road outside Will Rogers Memorial Center is filled with 14,000 runners.

And before the cacophony of cowbells signal the finish line.

Volunteers at the Cowtown Marathon are putting the final touches on race weekend with one big question on runners’ minds: possible rain.

Race organizers say at least for now, they are not anticipating any delays.

“We will have the race regardless if there's rain,” executive director Heidi Swartz said. “Now if there is lightning, it will delay a start, but it does not look like that's going to happen [Saturday]."

The more likely issue is the wind.

Volunteers cut slits in banners for wind to pass through, but organizers might have to remove the banners before race time.

“Everything else is pretty much weighted down with big huge concrete blocks and water barrels, so we're pretty secure,” Swartz said.

While the infrastructure of the race is tied down, the runners who showed up Friday to pick up race packets will still have to deal with it.

“I'm not real fond of the wind,” runner Dan Hogan said.

“I’m not sure about that wind, but I think the temperature being cold will be awesome,” Kwaku Osafo-Mensah said.

Nancy Nichols is running a 10k on Saturday and an ultramarathon on Sunday.

She's lucky she'll only have to deal with the wind on her short race.

“You know, you deal with it,” she said. “Hopefully, it will be from the back.”

Many of the athletes have been training months for this day, and it's nothing a little wind is going to stop.

“On race day, you just take what you get,” Nichols said.

Organizers are telling runners to arrive as if the race is starting on time Saturday.

The good news is, temperatures are going to be perfect for running weather, and the weather will be great for the longer races on Sunday.