Final preparations underway for 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

CHICAGO (WLS) -- An annual race that brings many people around the world right to Chicago is almost here.

Many of the runners ABC7 spoke to Saturday have been training for months for the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

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The barricades are in place, set up for tens of thousands of runners who will participate in Sunday's Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

The roughly 26-mile race will start and finish in Grant Park, traveling through 29 neighborhoods along its course.

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Some runners were picking up their last-minute packets Saturday here at McCormick Place, with some coming from around the world, like Gabriella Salazar from Peru.

"It's a super exciting feeling because I've been training for this for months," Salazar said.

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"Get a big carb load dinner in, hopefully some Italian food, and pass out early, man," said Guy Favazza, a runner from Boston.

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"Go out there and have your best run, be safe, and let's go, Chicago," said Mark Fortner, a runner from Ohio.

The race kicks off Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m., according to the Chicago Marathon website