Roanoke County is gearing up for the annual Backpack Run, organized by the Roanoke County Public Schools Education Foundation.

Excitement and nerves were pumping through downtown Roanoke as nearly 3,000 runners laced up their shoes and took off for the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon.

United States' Jessie Diggins bursts into tears after completing a women's Tour de Ski, cross-country 10K mass start event, in Val di Fiemme, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. Diggins finished in second placed and clinched the Tour de Ski trophy. All rights reservedVAL DI FIEMME – Jessie Diggins won a first title for the United States in cross-country skiing’s Tour de Ski on Sunday. Four different Norwegians combined to win the past seven editions of the women’s Tour de Ski. Diggins, from Saint Paul, Minnesota, won an Olympic gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games in team sprint with Kikkan Randall.

A Minnesota mom was worried his son wouldnt finish the 5K race, but the 9-year-old boy surprised everyone and instead came in first place in the 10K race. It has never been on our radar, his mom Heather Boedigheimer-Lovell told InsideEdition.com. The 10K race happened simultaneously, and runners for both groups started together. He came in first place, completing the 10K in about 48 minutes, with the next fastest runner coming in a full minute behind. I have never seen him so red after a race, his mom said.