The start line will be crowded for the 27th annual St. Albert 10-Mile Road Race on Sunday.
Online registrations closed at 6 p.m. Wednesday, with 487 entries processed. More registrations will arrive by mail and from drop-off locations prior to the race.
“I expect that number to increase well into the 500s,” said race director Donald Fairweather.
The total includes 458 runners for the 10-miler and 29 participants for the inaugural six-kilometre fun run.
Runners can also register the morning of the race inside Grandin mall, prior to the 9:30 a.m. start time for the 10-miler on Grandin Road.
The fun run starts from the back of Grandin mall five minutes after 10-miler begins.
Last year 515 runners registered for the 10-miler and 232 males and 190 females crossed the finish line.
Going the distance in 2010 were 330 men and 315 women from a field of 725 runners.
The all-time registration high is 976 runners in 1998.
This year the fastest male and female in the 10-miler each win $500. The second-place finishers receive $300 and the third-place runners pocket $100.
An extra $300 will be awarded to runners who break the course records: 50 minutes 46 seconds for the men, set by Matt Norminton, and 54:36 for the women, set by Aster Demissie.
The status of 2011 champions Travis McKay and Sarah Bergeron for Sunday’s race was uncertain at press time. McKay repeated as the fastest racer at 52:59 and Bergeron was the No. 1 female at 61:47 for 21st place overall.
Dennis Colburn, a five-time champion and the first winner in race history, is among the pre-race favourites. Brian Torrance, the 2009 winner, and two-time female champion Tara Struyk have also been confirmed for Sunday.
Marc Meunier, the top St. Albert male last year at 59:00 for 11th place overall, is also entered.
The 10-miler, hosted by the St. Albert Roadrunners and Triathlon Club, is sanctioned by Athletics Alberta and is one of the first races on the TIMEX Canadian Road Race Series.
Visit www.starrt.com for more information.
