4:30pm | The annual Long Beach Marathon is set to run through the city this weekend when an expected 24,000 people will participate in the full slate of events, which have changed and expanded to create a more fun and interactive experience than ever.

Organizers set forth to make the 2010 edition of the Long Beach International City Bank Marathon an extravaganza of art, music, scenery, community and of course, athletics. The idea is that Long Beach can have something for everyone, whether you’re a marathoner, half-marathoner, 5k-er, a biker or a kid.

The course begins at a new point on Shoreline Drive in downtown Long Beach. Participants in the marathon, half-marathon and bicycle tour start from the same point (at different times) this Sunday. The Run Forrest Run 5k is hosted by Bubba Gump and begins at 8:30am on Sunday.

Soon after, full and half-marathon runners and bikers will head west on Shoreline and loop around the area of the Aquarium of the Pacific and Lions’ Club Lighthouse for about six miles before heading east on Shoreline and continuing down Ocean Boulevard. Half-marathoners will continue all the way down the Peninsula and then head back the way they came, but full marathoners and bikers will turn down 2nd Street and then inland along Ximeno toward Wilson High School and Blair Field. A turn here and a bank there take them through the campus of Cal State Long Beach and back again (full course map provided below).

Plan your driving schedule accordingly.

That’s the action on Sunday, but the fun begins with the Aquarium of the Pacific One-Mile Kids Fun Run tomorrow morning. Children aged 6-12 can participate for free beginning at 9:00am. It’s part of the strategy to make the event appeal to enthusiasts of all ages.

But to set the 2010 Marathon apart, organizers pulled out all the stops. Not only will runners be treated to one of the most scenic courses in the country as they gallop alongside the Pacific Ocean and coast bluffs, they’ll also be treated to live music and entertainment from more than twenty bands and local groups along the course of their 26.2-mile journey.

It’s scenic in more ways than one, as well. As columnist Sander Wolff recently pointed out, every mile-marker was designed and painted with help from local artists and patients at the Miller Children’s Hospital. There will also be random displays of art along the course. “The ultimate goal is to basically turn the course into a 26-mile art exhibit,” said organizer John Parks of RUN Racing. Sand sculpting teams have been hard at work on their exhibits since yesterday.

There’s also a Health & Fitness Expo free to the public today until 7:00pm and Saturday from 9:00am-6:00pm. More than 100 exhibitors are expected to offer the latest in running, health and more.