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ST. GEORGE — The Virgin River Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and Fun Run are happening in southern Utah this weekend.
Runners come from across the state, and even around the world, will come to start the new year with a course in southern Utah's red rocks.
On Friday, the race weekend will kick off with a running expo at the Dixie Convention Center from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., where racers will have the opportunity to load up on all their gear and get discounts on various items, assistant director of parks and community services Michelle Graves told KSL.com. The convention is free to the public.
The races will begin early Saturday at the convention center and run along various trails adjacent to the Virgin River, which is the half-marathon's namesake.
"We have awards, we have a party in the park, we have (a) great time," Graves said, referring to the lawn in front of the convention center, where organizers set up food for the runners and vendors.
"It's a little chillier than we like, but it's warmer than the rest of the state," she joked. Graves also said families can wait inside the convention center for their runners to avoid the colder weather. Typically in January, temperatures throughout the St. George area end up in the high-50s, but this weekend, temperatures are expected to top out around 47 degrees Fahrenheit, according to KSL Weather models.
"This is this is the oldest running race in St. George," Graves said. "It's just a great race to kick off the new year. So come in, get your New Year's resolution started at this really fun event that we put on."
