MANKATO — A southern Minnesota man was arrested Saturday after authorities in Mankato said he falsely reported receiving a bomb threat about this weekend’s city marathon.

A 911 caller told the Nicollet County Sheriff’s office Friday night that he had received an anonymous call saying four bombs had been placed on the Sunday race route, city spokeswoman Shelly Schulz said in a news release.

Mankato Department of Public Safety Director Todd Miller said at a news conference that authorities worked with the caller’s phone provider to determine that he had never received any such threat. The department believes the route is safe, Miller said.

The man, Brian Douglas Mechler, 56, was arrested Saturday on probable cause of terroristic threats, a felony, Miller said. He was in custody Saturday night and is expected to be charged today.

As an extra precaution, drug- and explosive-detecting dogs swept the route, and additional security was in place in the area overnight and during the race, according to Schulz.

The CEO of the race-management company said the marathon would continue as scheduled.

The race began Sunday morning and was expected to draw 5,000 runners and 15,000 spectators.