NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Participants filed the Nashville Convention center all day on Thursday, registering and preparing for the upcoming Country Music Marathon.
Runners from all over the country are preparing for the 12th annual marathon through downtown Nashville. On Thursday, race organizers held the Health and Fitness Expo were race participate could sign up, get race information and share race stories.
One racer, Daryl Farler shared his story. He's running his second half-marathon without legs. Farler was scratched by a dog and contracted a rare case of strep.
"I had restrictions of blood flow to my extremities so I lost fingers, I lost both my legs below the knee. I'm actually blind in my left eye and hard of hearing in my left ear," he explained.
Despite his challenges Farler is one of thousands who will race to support St. Jude this weekend.
Over 30,000 runners are expected.
No one knows the impact of this race like Angel Richardson, who is a cancer survivor herself and had to send both her children to St. Jude because of genetic eye cancer.
"It was so much easier in that sense to go through what we've been going through and St. Jude has been a huge blessing to us," said Richardson.
With the chance for people to be active and help children who desperately need it Farler knows he will run side by side, step by step with others to make a difference, without letting anything get in the way.
"Just because you're disabled doesn't mean that you have to sit down on the couch and you can't do anything," said Farler.
Registration for the marathon continues on Friday.
