By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

More than 12,000 runners, walkers and fitness enthusiasts will be downtown for today's 26th annual Humana Heart Mini-Marathon races, which begin at 9 a.m. at Fountain Square.

Today's competition concludes a two-day drive to promote fitness and fund raising for the American Heart Association's heart disease and stroke research programs.

The morning starts with a 5K HeartRun at 9 a.m. The 15K Mini-Marathon is at 10 a.m., the 5K and 10K HeartWalk are at noon and the 2K Kids' Mini-MaraFun is at 12:30 p.m.

Races begin at Fountain Square and extend to Columbia Parkway, with designated turnarounds up to Delta Avenue.

United States senator George Voinovich and his wife, Janet, are grand marshals of the HeartWalk and will address walkers at about 11:45 a.m. Survivors of heart disease or stroke will wear red caps.

The Humana Heart Mini-Marathon, which last year brought in $750,000, has recruited more than 210,000 participants and raised more than $11 million since its 1978 inception.