LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Thousands of people are expected to run in this weekend's Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon.

There were over 10,000 race packets and T-shirts ready to be picked up Thursday for Saturday's race.

"This year, I am running with my daughter," Mike Korfhage said. It's her first kind of actual half marathon so I am pretty excited to do that with her. I love it more than you could ever know"

For people like Korfhage, this Kentucky tradition is a family affair.

KDF marathon packet pick up 2023

Runners picked up their packets and T-shirts on April 27, 2023 ahead of the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon this weekend.

"My dad used to run the mini so we'd go down and watch him finish," he said. "Yeah, I love it. I'm glad that I'm able to do it on the 50th anniversary."

For the past 50 years, thousands of people have been picking up their race packets. But for some people, like Eva Dunn, it's their first Derby marathon experience.

"Derby is wild," Dunn said. "And Thunder, like the last city shut down for it. I knew horse racing was big but it was so big. So, it's really cool to be part of like a little bit of the Derby thing with the marathon."

Dunn moved to Louisville from Tennessee for school. She has been training endlessly to get her mind off her studies.

"I'm like, let me get back into running because I haven't really been running much since undergrad," Dunn said.

It's also going to be a special weekend for another runner, who has chose to make Louisville her home away from home.

"I love the Kentucky tradition," Lila Dennis said. "I came from California. We used to run out there. [So, when] we moved here, the first thing we [tried to] find [were], where are the runs? 'Oh, the Kentucky Derby!' So, we went to that."

Just one week away from the Run for the Roses, this Saturday is their big day.

"We will have a blast," Korfhage said. "I used to wear a GoPro when I run. I will will get a lot of good footage from the race, a lot of good photo memories. It'll be a good day."

KDF marathon packet pick up 2023.jpeg

Runners picked up their packets and T-shirts on April 27, 2023 ahead of the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon this weekend.

The starting line for the miniMarathon and Marathon was moved earlier this week to avoid the scene of the Old National Bank mass shooting from earlier in April.

The new starting line will be at Brook Street and Main Street, away from the original starting point, which was close to the Old National Bank in the Preston Pointe building. 

The deadline to register for the race is 5 p.m. Friday. For more information, click here.

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