People trying to drive through the Fort Harrison area Saturday will find that runners have the right of way.

The Community Health Network Indianapolis Marathon and Half Marathon at Lawrence will be this weekend. Saturday, streets north of 56th Street and west of Lee Road will be closed to motor traffic for most of the day, extending into the park property along Fall Creek.

As many as 6,500 runners are expected to participate in a full marathon, a concurrent half marathon, a 5-kilometer run and walk and a children’s race. The marathon and half marathon begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, the 5K race at 8:55 a.m. and the children’s race at 12:30 p.m.

The course will begin at Otis Avenue near the fort’s old parade grounds, then heads north to Shaffer Road and south on Boy Scout Road to 56th Street. From there, the course heads east to Post Road and then north through roads and streets inside the old fort property.

The half-marathon returns to the Post Road area while the full marathon travels into the Fort Harrison State Park, following a Fall Creek bicycle trail. At one point, the full marathon course heads west of 56th Street and Emerson Avenue and nearly reaches 46th Street and Fall Creek Parkway before it heads back east. The race traffic will head under I-465 and across Shadeland Avenue.

Both courses return to Otis Avenue where the finish line will be located. Street closings will extend from 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday.

The advance weather forecast for the races calls for the sort of cool weather that endurance runners favor. The National Weather Service predicts that after a week of rain, Saturday will be partly sunny with a high of 49 degrees.