BATON ROUGE - Thousands of runner from across the globe will line up at the capitol for the Louisiana Marathon. Events kicked off Friday, and runners are already getting pumped up.

Kristin Slay has been running for years and says it's easier than it looks.

"That's the beauty of running," she claims, "anybody and everybody can do it."

At an expo in the Raising Canes River Center, runners could browse through all sorts of interesting gear, all things that could be of good use before or after the events.

Following the marathon, there will be food and drink for runners, in true Louisiana fashion.

The run is a pre-qualifier for the Boston Marathon. The route starts just north of downtown Baton Rouge and weaves for miles through the city.

Baton Rouge Police will have a large presence during the run, making sure that the runners are not interrupted as they pound the pavement.

The races starts and ends at the Louisiana State Capitol. Routes are in the image below.

Several streets downtown will be closed for the marathon. Traffic will be delayed in other areas throughout the day. Here is a look at some of the roads drivers can expect to be shut down. Traffic will reopen once all runners pass through each section of town.