We've got good news and bad news for the 40 bands scheduled to perform at Sunday's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.

The good news: No one here will spill beer on your shoes or blow smoke in your face.

The bad news: No matter how hard you rock, few potential fans will stop and listen.

"Talk about trying to hit a moving target," says Barry Kuhlmann of Catfish Willie.

About 22,000 runners are expected to compete in the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon's first St. Louis event. The idea is that a good Van Halen or James Brown cover can distract even the most exhausted athlete from aching feet and sore hamstrings. We'll have to see about that. But the array of artists certainly will entertain spectators as they cheer runners.

Sugar Ray will perform at the finish line.

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Less Than Serious • Eighth and Clark streets • Mile 0.5

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon organizers hooked Less Than Serious when they told the band the name of the event.

"Hey, it's in the title so, of course, we wanted to be there," says Bob Becker. "Besides, my daughter is a marathoner, and this is the only way I can get her to hear me play."

To prepare for race day, Less Than Serious has been brushing up on songs with "run" in the title.

"There's ‘Runnin' with the Devil,' ‘Runaround Sue' and, for my daughter, the Tom Petty song ‘Runnin' Down a Dream,'" Becker says. "That should get people off on the right foot."

Kevin Bilchik Trio • Locust between Eighth and Ninth streets • Mile 1.2

A wry storyteller, Kevin Bilchik plays blues, Americana, folk and country.

Furious George • 18th Street and Martin Luther King Drive • Mile 2.4

Great set list, even better name. Furious George plays classic hits from the 1970s and '80s.

The Jenny Kavanaugh Band • Jefferson Avenue and Samuel Shepard Drive • Mile 3.5

Singer Jenny Kavanaugh is not a runner, but she's heard that the perfect running tempo is 180 beats per minute. So Kavanaugh has picked the fastest, most upbeat songs from her band's repertoire.

"We want to grab their attention but keep them moving," says Kavanaugh, who plays a blend of alt-country and folk music. "Personally, I cannot imagine running a marathon, but I hope these songs are motivating."

Aaron Mansfield • Samuel Shepard Drive and Compton Avenue • Mile 4.3

Mansfield's solo acoustic music combines soul, pop and rock.

Dave Simon Rock School and Retro Rockits • Vandeventer and Forest Park avenues • Mile 5.8

Dave Simon is a real-life Dewey Finn, the Jack Black character in "School of Rock." Well, except for the potty mouth and beer gut. Since 2003, Dave Simon Rock School has been training the next generation of rockers the art of songwriting and the craft of playing guitar, piano and drums. Retro Rockits also performs.

Johnny Henry and Rob Boyle • Manchester Avenue between Boyle and Tower Grove avenues • Mile 6.8

Country artist Johnny Henry says his five-song EP "Now" is about "perseverance and dedication, about drive and following one's passion." Add GU Energy Gel and moisture-wicking shorts, and "Now" sounds like the runner's perfect soundtrack. Henry will perform with friend Rob Boyle, whose five albums mix folk, jazz and blues.

Eric Moeller and the Strummalongs and Stories Unfold • Tower Grove and Magnolia avenues • Mile 8.2

Boston Red Sox fans have the Dropkick Murphys. St. Louis Cardinals fans have Eric Moeller and the Strummalongs. Inspired by the Clash, Bouncing Souls and the aforementioned Dropkick Murphys, the raucous pop-punk outfit wrote "St. Louis Summer Night," a tribute to Cardinal Nation. Stories Unfold shares the stage.

Logos and Hobo Jungle • Southwest Avenue and Reber Place • Mile 9.5

Named the Riverfront Times' Best Rock Act of 2010, Logos plays prog-rock that's loud, edgy and daring. Logos will perform with Hobo Jungle, a cover band that plays "obscure hits." Though, of course, a song really can't be both.

Leland's Road and Accident in the Lab • Hampton and Arthur avenues • Mile 10.5

Kristen Leland started to sing with her father, local country favorite Dave Elder, when she was 4. Tyler Leland waited until the wise old age of 9 to pick up the guitar. Together, the brother-sister duo performs country and pop, sharing a stage with '80s new-wave outfit Accident in the Lab.

Paul Konya • Tamm Avenue and Chippewa Street • Mile 11.2

Veteran guitarist Paul Konya has been playing for Illinois audiences for decades.

Fanfare and Hazard To Ya Booty • Tamm Avenue and Itaska Street • Mile 12

Singer Kittie Moller and her husband and bandmate Vince Golomski won't have to go far from their home for this gig. "It's nice that we live only two blocks away," Golomski says. "We've played a USO tour in Africa and the Trump mansion with Delbert McClinton, but this is our first time playing a race."

A local institution for 36 years, Fanfare plays R&B, Motown and soul. It will perform with Hazard To Ya Booty, St. Louis' funky answer to Red Hot Chili Peppers and James Brown.

St. Louis Stompers • Hampton and Jamieson avenues • Mile 13.7

Inspired by New Orleans Dixieland and Chicago jazz, St. Louis Stompers boasts the course's coolest array of instruments, including a cornet, a ukulele and a sousaphone. We admit we didn't know exactly what sousaphone was, so we looked it up: a large, brass wind instrument, similar in range to the tuba, having a flaring bell and a shape adapted to being carried in marching bands. Named after John Philip Sousa. Now we know.

DJ • Holly Hills Boulevard and Kingshighway • Mile 14.9

No live band here, but we love a DJ, too.

The KickDown and the Peanut Gallery • Holly Hills and Christy boulevards • Mile 15.3

We admire the KickDown for admitting on its site that all bands rip off one another. This band promises to keep it honest, offering its own take on Radiohead, Pearl Jam and Sublime. Performing with the Peanut Gallery.

Vinyl Attraction and Voodoo Planet • Leona Street and Loughborough Avenue • Mile 16.1

Honestly, we have yet to check out Vinyl Attraction, but any band that counts both the federally banned game Jarts and pterodactyls among its interests is OK with us. Plus, the band's musical tastes, ranging from Blue Oyster Cult to Elvis Costello to Whiskeytown, are as random as ours.

Catfish Willie and Triceratops • TBD • Mile 17

Like many runners, Catfish Willie vocalist Barry Kuhlmann adhered to a strict training regimen before Sunday's race. His goal: Wake up on time.

"The musician's schedule is different than the runner's," says Kuhlmann, a favorite among Southern-rock and blues fans. "Singing in the morning is totally different for me. Normally my vocal cords don't work that early. So I've been waking up a little bit earlier every morning so I'm ready."

Performing with indie outfit Triceratops.

D'Fynitive Soul Band and James Kirk Enterprise • Christy Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue • Mile 18.7

We tend to be suspicious of bands that insist upon alternative spellings for everyday words. Are they purposely trying to trip us up? But we like D'Fynitive Soul Band for its brand of neo-soul and its outstanding sax player, Kelvin Evans. Performing with cover act James Kirk Enterprise.

Surrender Dorothy and The RetroNerds • Morgan Ford Road and Osceola Street • Mile 19.9

A staple of the St. Louis club scene since 1995, Surrender Dorothy plays pop, rock and country. Performing with the RetroNerds.

Revolution One and Knoisemaker and the Silent Partners • Morgan Ford Road and Arsenal Street • Mile 20.9

Revolution One — formerly known as Autovein, formerly known as the Adored — enjoyed some alt-rock success with the song "Bullet in an Angel." The band is back with a new name and single, "Suicides & Lullabies." Definitely worth slowing down for, as if you needed a reason after running 21 freakin' miles. Playing with Knoisemaker and the Silent Partners.

On Tracy Lane and Cimarron • Sidney Street and Grand Boulevard • Mile 22.3 (9.1 on half-mile course)

Sunny pop act On Tracy Lane has just released its first full-length release, "Are We Rich Yet?" Of course not. But the band has had fun opening for Avril Lavigne and Butch Walker, playing for the troops in Greenland (when did we wage war there?) and building a passionate fan base across the Midwest. With county act Cimarron.

The Trophy Mules and the Roof Rockers • Russell Boulevard and Compton Hill Place • Mile 22.9 (10 on half-mile course)

Backed by veterans of early alt-country acts, former Brain Regimen front man Corey Saathoff writes songs that mix classic twang with cunning lyrics. With the Roof Rockers.

Last Nights Vice and Rocket 88 • Missouri and Park avenues • Mile 24.3 (11.2 on half-mile course)

Don't let the occasional vomit-scream fool you. The Last Nights Vice is more Killers than Korn. And the band has a better sense of humor than both.

The Hulapoppers and Sneaker Bombs • Truman Parkway and Chouteau Avenue • Mile 25.5 (12.5 on half-mile course)

If you think running 26 miles takes stamina, try working Steve George's job. His band the Hulapoppers is set to perform along with pop outfit Sneaker Bombs for six hours - about the time it takes to run three half-marathons.

"Those runners have it easy," George says with a laugh. "I can't even guess how hoarse I will be."

So, Steve, would you rather run a marathon?

"Oh, God, no."

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What Rock 'n' Roll Marathon • When 7:30 a.m. Sunday • Where Starts at Market Street and Tucker Boulevard downtown • How much Free for spectators • More info runrocknroll.competitor.com/st-louis