Watch Now: 2015 Miami Marathon Expo

(VIDEO: Hear from runners as they prepare for the 2015 Miami Marathon and Half Marathon)

It’s official. An international red-carpet event in South Beach has kicked off weekend activities for the 2015 Miami Marathon & Half Marathon event. A flag-lined red carpet greeted marathon and half-marathon participants who will arrive through Saturday at the Miami Health & Fitness Expo at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

During the two-day Expo, runners will pick up their “bibs” (race numbers) and an official competitor’s T-shirt. What’s more, the Expo is packed with vendors, art work, fitness gear, health information and lots of give-away items from the various exhibitors.

Medical experts from Baptist Health South Florida were on hand to give free health screenings and to share information about wellness, fitness and prevention.

For instance, a seminar about “Common Running Injuries and How to Prevent Them,” was offered by Noel Gressner, a physical therapist at Doctors Hospital Center for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. “The most common injuries for runners are knee injuries,” Mr. Gressner said. His top piece of advice: “Pay attention to pain. A previous injury is one of the leading factors in future injuries.”

This year’s race will take place on Sunday, January 25 and includes more than 25,000 participants from over 100 countries and every state and territory in the U.S.