Marathon mania is about to take over Ballarat, with thousands of runners and visitors set to descend on the city this weekend. The second annual Ballarat Marathon road running festival will be held on Saturday 26 April and Sunday 27 April, with all eyes of the running world turning to Ballarat. About 80 percent are visitors to Ballarat, showcasing the city to thousands of people and resulting in accommodation being at capacity.  An expected injection of at least $3.1 million into the Ballarat economy is projected due to the event. With the size of this excitement, there are many cafes opening early that can be found here as well as various road closures to be aware of, that can be viewed here.