If you see a bunch of runners around town Saturday, make sure to drive carefully.

Meridian will host the fifth-annual Magnolia Marathon and Half-Marathon, previously known as the Leo Run to Remember, and registration for the half-marathon portion of the event is already north of 225 participants, race timer Tim Irvin said.

The race began in 2012 as the Leo Run to Remember and featured 56 finishers in the full marathon and 148 in the half-marathon. Last year, after changing its name to the Magnolia Marathon and Half-Marathon, there were 54 finishers in the full and 168 finishers in the half.

“We felt we could narrow the focus (with the name change), and we did a lot of marketing with that,” Irvin explained. “We were able to increase the numbers a little bit last year, and we added an inflatable blimp at the finishing line. We’re adding one this year at the start line along with personalized bibs and unique finisher medals out of Magnolia wood that was cut (locally).”

The event benefits the Alzheimer’s Association, Lion’s Club Charities, other local charities and area high school cross country teams. An eight-person committee of local runners help put on the race, which they try to market to both locals and people from other states, Irvin said.

“Most of the people we get are from somewhere else,” Irvin said. “There are a lot of 50-state marathon and half-marathon people who run. We’ve had four international runners in the history of the race. Last year, our half-marathon female course record was broken again by Meggan Franks out of Starkville, and she was so fast she almost broke the male course record.”

Even if you’re not participating, Irvin encouraged locals to get out and attend the event anyway.

“We try to bring as many local people out as we can,” Irvin said. “We get a lot of support locally, and we get them on the course to cheer runners, make signs and do whatever they can to help support it and show the folks from out of town that Meridian is a running community.”

Runners will start the marathon and half-marathon at Northeast Park Saturday morning. The lone wheelchair racer will start at 6:45 a.m., followed by the marathon and half-marathon runners at 7 a.m. The full course can be viewed on the event’s website at magnoliamarathon.com/course.php, and the route includes stretches of Highway 39, Poplar Springs Drive and downtown Meridian.

“Every year someone on our committee comes up with the idea that they want to change the course, and I’m not against it, I just don’t know how to make it better,” Irvin said. “Looking through the topographical map, it’s not going to get any easier.”

The full marathon course is especially difficult, Irvin added.

“It’s a hard race,” Irvin admitted. “It’s not an easy run, but it’s still fun, especially in the half-marathon. We still have the full, and we want to grow it, so we’re hoping all of the people in the half will come back and do the full next year.”

Since the event is a certified marathon, results count toward Boston Marathon qualifying, Irvin said. Online registration at magnoliamarathon.com is still open until noon Friday, and from noon until 7 p.m. Friday, runners can still register at the Hilton Garden Inn in Meridian.

“We want it to be a successful race and bring some positive vibes to Meridian,” Irvin said. “We hope everyone will come out even if they don’t run to cheer folks on and wish the runners well. Most of these folks have put in a lot of time, and we want to leave them with a good impression.”