JOPLIN, Mo. — The countdown is on when it comes to this year’s Joplin Memorial Run.

The event, which honors the 161 lives lost in the May 22nd, 2011 tornado, begins at 6:45 AM Saturday. Officials have already posted signs and set up many of the barriers along the routes.

Once again this year, there will be a half-marathon, a 10K, a 5K, and a half-mile kids run. Participants can still pick up their packets until 7 o’clock Friday night at the Harry M. Cornell Arts and Entertainment Complex. Late packet pickup will run from 6 AM to 6:30 Saturday morning at “Cunningham Park.”

For more information on the event – and to see the map of each route – simply click here.