If you are planning on driving anywhere in Champaign-Urbana on Saturday morning, you'll need to plan carefully, expect delays and be patient.

Nearly 13,000 runners will be competing in the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon races marathon, half-marathon, marathon relay and 10K on Saturday morning.

Another 4,700 or so will be running the 5K Friday evening.

That means a number of street closures, some new four-way stops, and delays where runners are crossing.

Some of the street closures will begin as early as noon today in the area around Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium. Florida Avenue between Oak and Fourth streets will close as race organizers begin preparing for the 5K race, which will be run at 6:30 p.m. Friday, and for the 27th-Mile post-race event on Saturday.

Runners will also be coming to the Health and Fitness Expo at the University of Illinois Activities and Recreation Center, just north of Memorial Stadium along Peabody Drive, to pick up their race packets or attend the pasta dinner this evening.

If you don't have to be in this area, it's best to avoid it. Traffic on Florida Avenue will be detoured to St. Mary's Road.

The 5K route, which includes First, Green, Sixth and Fourth streets, will be closed to traffic beginning at 6:15 p.m. Friday, said Champaign police Sgt. Scott Friedlein. The streets will reopen in segments, as the runners move along the course. He said all the streets should be open an hour after the race.

A number of streets in Urbana will be closed for the marathon and half marathon Saturday. They include portions of Green Street, Lincoln Avenue, Washington Avenue, Race Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue; and Windsor Road between Race and Vine streets.

Police will try to pulse traffic through on some areas of the course when there's a break in the crowd of runners, said Urbana police Lt. Bob Fitzgerald. But early in the race, that won't be easy.

"Early on, (runners) are all clustered together, so there's not much room for pulsing people through at that time," Fitzgerald said.

Both marathoners and half marathoners will be running through Urbana. But the bulk of the course in Champaign will see only the 2,700 marathon runners. Officers will pulse traffic through intersections along the course in Champaign.

Here's the tip Friedlein is offering residents trying to figure out how to avoid the longest delays if they must cross part of the marathon course. The bulk of runners will be running a 9- to 10-minute per mile pace, he said. Consider where runners might be on the course if they are running a 10-minute per mile pace. (The marathon starts at 7 a.m., the half-marathon at 7:30 a.m.)

"As long as you look at where the bulk of the runners are going to be, and you give yourself 30 minutes on either side of that (in avoiding the area), it will increase your odds of being able to move around a little bit more freely," he said.

Those driving need to remember: "These runners are pretty focused," Friedlein said. "While you may see them, they may not see you. It's really important to get that eye contact."

It will be a busy day, he said, but "this is basically a half-day event. Most of the cities will be able to function normally by noon or 1 p.m."

Tips on getting around the marathon

Here are some tips for getting around during the marathon races and other information you'll need to know:

No parking: If you live along the race route, you'll need to move any vehicles from the street. Some areas will be posted as subject to towing if vehicles are parked on the street on race day.

Getting around town: Use the suggested beltway route to get from one part of town to another, to avoid road closures or delays in crossing a street that is part of the race course. The beltway includes Staley Road to the west; Windsor Road to the south, with a detour to Curtis Road to avoid street closures at Meadowbrook Park; High Cross Road to the east; and to the north, Bradley Avenue west of Lincoln Avenue and University Avenue east of Lincoln Avenue.

New stops: Temporary four-way stop signs will be placed at Logan and Walnut streets downtown, James Street and University Avenue, Springfield Avenue and Elmwood Drive/Chicago Avenue, Green Street and Chicago Avenue, John Street and Chicago Avenue, Sangamon Drive and Duncan Road, Kirby Avenue and Maynard Drive, Stonybrook Drive and Duncan Road, Scottsdale Drive and Branch Road, Sangamon Drive and Mattis Avenue, and Armory Street and Prospect Avenue.

Flashing red lights: Traffic lights at intersections along the race course will be converted to a flashing red light. There will be message board signs along some major streets reminding drivers that traffic patterns may be altered for the race.

Parking outside course: Drivers needing to cross a portion of the race course should consider parking just outside the course and crossing on foot if their destination is close by.

When streets open: Streets in Urbana are scheduled to reopen as the race moves through the city, with Green Street between Lincoln and Race opening at 9 a.m., and Green Street between Lincoln and Wright opening by 12:15 p.m. A schedule for the reopening of streets along the Urbana section of the course can be found at http://www.urbanaillinois.us.

Most of the streets should reopen sooner than scheduled, as they did last year, Urbana police Lt. Bob Fitzgerald said. Extra time was built into the schedule in case the start of the race is delayed because of weather.

In Champaign, police Lt. Scott Friedlein expected the earlier parts of the race course, possibly all the way to Centennial Park, to be clear by noon. The latter sections of the race course should be clear by 1 p.m., he said.

Website: Check http://www.illinoismarathon.com for maps of the race courses, a beltway map and information about parking and the start/finish line areas. There are links to each on the home page.

Phone: A race hotline is available for residents with questions about marathon weekend. The number is (217) 552-8294.