The 20th Annuak Applefest 5K Road Race sponsored by the Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce will have surprises, Race Director Dave Jacobs said Wednesday.
Those surprises will be revealed on race day, the second day of Applefest, Saturday, Sept. 21, Jacobs said.
"Every year, I've tried to incorporate something new into the road race to keep it fresh," said Jacobs, who's in his seventh year as race director.
The race starts with registration at 8:30 a.m., with the runners departing at 10 a.m. at the Zeh Elementary School, where they'll also finish. The course route encompasses Howard Street to Church Street, with the runners circling back to Brewer Street and heading back to the school, Jacobs said.
"It's kind of a fun run. It's relatively flat. There's a couple of little hills right near the end, but it's a fun 5K," he said.
The race has averaged 300 to 400 runners, Jacobs said. But, two years ago, more than 500 runners participated, the event's high, he said.
"It's a fun time. It's fun for the families, and also for those people just starting out running," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said he has invited 11 Central Mass. high schools' cross-country teams, and five running clubs, to participate this year.
That stems from the "race within a race" he started in 2007, when he invited many local high school cross-country teams to participate, he said.
Nine age brackets will get prizes, Jacobs said. All pre-registered runners will get a long-sleeved T-shirt, he said.
"The runners love that, especially for the fall and also for springtime," Jacobs said.
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