Runners in the second ING Georgia Marathon and Half-Marathon on Sunday have more chance of getting wet than they have of getting thirsty.

Even with a cool, cloudy, possibly drizzly day forecast, race director Victoria Seahorn has stocked enough water and Gatorade to hydrate 14,000-plus runners in a heat wave.

"We are prepared for weather like last year, knowing that it's not going to be," Seahorn said.

Last year, with the temperature 66 degrees at the start and climbing to 81 by noon, runners complained of a shortage of fluids at the hydration tables.

Seahorn blamed a distribution problem, which she has solved this year by parking a truck loaded with water and electrolytes at each of the 24 hydration stations.

"So we won't have the issue of trying to get it through the crowd and get it replenished," she said. "It will be ready."

Wheelchair racers will take off at 6:55 a.m., followed by Diana DeGarmo of "American Idol" fame singing the national anthem. Runners will depart in waves at 7:04 a.m.

Chirlee drops down to half-marathon

Marathon defending champions Valentina Levushkina of Russia and Joseph Chirlee of Kenya return to race Sunday, although Chirlee will drop down to the half-marathon.

"I think I have to switch to 100 meters," he joked. "If I have 100 meters, Joseph is running."

Jonathan Ndambuki of Kenya and Gurmessa Megerssa of Ethiopia are the top contenders for the $5,000 first prize in the men's marathon, while Chirlee, who lives in Acworth, becomes the favorite in the half-marathon. Local runner Janet Cherobon, who won the women's half last year, will defend her title against Mary Akor of Kenya.

Falcons' Brooking has excuses ready

Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking will run the last 1.1 miles of the 13.1-mile half-marathon with about 700 kids from Atlanta and Decatur middle schools in the "Run for Something Better" program. They'll start at 10:30 a.m. and will wear bright orange shirts.

"I'm not making an excuse," Brooking said, "but I did have knee surgery in January, so if a 12-, 13-, 14-year-old beats me in the 1.1-mile run, you know why, OK? I just wanted to let you guys know that."

Video review helps Lundstrom tune up

Last year's half-marathon runner-up Chris Lundstrom of Minneapolis found the marathon Web site course video helpful in refreshing his memory. It's actual footage of the course filmed from a car.

"The really great thing is it's in super fast-forward mode," he said, "so you can imagine you're running extremely fast."

It takes only 10 minutes to see the entire 26.2-mile course.

Broken prosthesis sidelines Rigsby

Scott Rigsby of Atlanta, who became the first below-the-knee double amputee to complete a marathon on prosthetic limbs when he ran last year's ING Georgia Marathon, has been running so much that one of his prosthetic carbon fiber feet cracked. He won't get a new one until next week, so he'll have to be content with cheering on England's Richard Whitehead, the first above-the-knee double amputee to complete a marathon.

Cheering zones set up for spectators

There will be eight cheering zones in the ING Neighborhood Challenge, three more than last year.

The zones are at Mile 0.5 (Marietta Street at Broad Street); Mile 4 (Randolph Street at Edgewood Avenue); Mile 5 (Euclid Avenue at Hurt Street), Mile 6.5 (Freedom Parkway at North Highland); Mile 8 (Candler Park Drive at McLendon Avenue); Mile 12.5 (Fellini's Pizza on Commerce Drive); Mile 16 (North Decatur Road at Emory Village) and Mile 21.5 (Virginia Avenue at Park Drive).