1. San Antonio-based technology company Rackspace, which has employees in Austin, laid off 6 percent of its U.S. workforce last week. CEO Taylor Rhodes called the cuts "necessary and manageable," saying the cuts occurred in corporate administration and management. "Our U.S. layoffs are focused mainly in areas where our workforce has grown more rapidly than our revenue," he said. Rackspace was acquired by private company Apollo Global Management three months ago. Rackspace was supposed to open an office at Austin Community College's Highland campus, but sources report the contract was never signed. 2. The Austin Marathon and half marathon is this Sunday, and 15,000 runners are participating. The marathon starts and ends on Congress Avenue. Runners will also travel on parts of Ben White Boulevard, S. First Street, W. Cesar Chavez, Exposition Boulevard, Lake Austin Boulevard, Bull Creek Road, Shoal Creek Road, Great Northern Boulevard, Northcross Drive, Woodrow Road, North Loop, Red River Street, San Jacinto Boulevard and Colorado Street. Drivers can expect delays. A course map can be found here. Several roads will be closed throughout the weekend, and Austin police officers will be stationed at several key intersections. Check out a list of road closures here.  3. Austin Pets Alive! will celebrate the sixth anniversary of Austin achieving No Kill status on Sunday from 6-10 p.m. at the Palm Door. The evening will include music by Phineas Gage, a silent auction, a photo booth and live animal portrait painting. APA! will also present its Lifesaving Award, which recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact on helping to keep Austin a No Kill city. This year’s recipients include Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, Brad Casebier from Radiant Plumbing and David Allman. More information and ticket purchases are available here. 4. Auditions for Zilker Theatre Productions' The Wizard of Oz' are now open to the public. Auditions will be held March 11-12 at 1221 S. Mopac, Austin, with callbacks happening March 18. The show runs July 7-Aug. 12, with performances Thursday-Sunday evenings. Rehearsals will begin in mid-May. For more information on the auditions, click here.  5. Six months after the former city manager announced he was leaving, Austin City Council on Thursday took its first major step toward hiring a permanent replacement. Russell Reynolds, a private sector-focused search firm, was selected by a vote of 6-5 over two other choices. The contract City Council approved lasts for 12 months.