No matter how smoky the air is this morning, more than 30,000 people are expected to gather at Meredith College for the 12th annual Komen N.C. Triangle Race for the Cure.

Many of these men and women are battling breast cancer, celebrating survival or mourning loved ones, and no smoke from a forest fire across the state is going to stop them from showing their support.

The fundraising event begins at 6 a.m. with registration and wraps up at 10:45 a.m. with a Survivor Recognition Ceremony. Participants have the option of running or walking in a series of 5K races (3.1 miles) either recreationally or competitively. There also is a One-Mile Fun Run-Walk at 9:45.

Pam Blondin, executive director of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, NC Triangle affiliates, predicts the day will be a success. "We are staying on top of the situation, and we are 100 percent not going to cancel the race," she said.

Even though the air in the Triangle seemed clearer Friday than Thursday, race participants should be careful.

"Clear skies don't necessarily mean the pollutants are gone," said Dr. Robert Aris, a lung specialist at UNC Hospitals. "When we can see the particles like [Thursday], that means the levels must be extremely high."

"The elderly are especially at risk," Aris added. "There will be no symptoms like wheezing or coughing on the day of the race, but there could be cardiovascular problems that appear one to three days after the exposure. The problems would not be in the lungs -- they would be downstream, meaning the heart."

Aris noted that anything you can do to decrease the amount of air you are taking into your lungs is good. "This means walking is definitely better than running, and maybe you should do the 1-mile rather than the 5K."

Blondin said she expects participants to use common sense.

"The power of this event is in just being there and surrounding breast cancer survivors with friends and family," she said. "The running is just symbolic; it's the emotion that is important, and nothing is going to be able to diminish that."