Dallas Marathon 2012 preview: Sunday marks first leg of Marathons of Texas

The first leg of the Marathons of Texas takes place on Sunday in Dallas with the Metro PCS Dallas Marathon. It's the first race of the three-race series of Texas' biggest marathons, along with the Houston Marathon and Austin Marathon.

Runners can qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon with an official time from the road race, which benefits the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

A Kenyan runner has won the male side of the the Dallas Marathon in nine of the past ten races, including each of the past six years. Kenya's John Itati won the race in 2011 with at ime of 2:17:21. On the female side, Russian runner Natalya Sergeyeva is the defending winner with a time of 2:35:18.

The marathon runs through downtown Dallas and White Rock Lake. Any runners interested in running the marathon can register at the official website. Donations can also be made online.