Even though the numbers in the marathon are down, a record number of participants are expected for the Frederick Running Festival scheduled May 2-3 in the city.Race director Rachel Ridgway said about 5,500 people are expected for this year's event compared with 4,600 last year.
Race officials project that about 900 people will be in the marathon, about 100 less than last year. The half marathon is expected to draw about 2,900 runners, compared with 2,000 last year.
They also project 1,000 people, or 200 more than last year, will take part in the 5K; 600 in the team relay event; and another 100 in a kids fun run.
The 5K will be Saturday night and the rest of the events are on Sunday.
Ridgway said the economy is one reason for the decrease in number of marathon runners.
"A lot of marathon runners travel out of state," she said. "They have to stay a couple of nights in a hotel."
On the other hand, most people who take part in the half marathon come from Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Unlike last year, there will be only minor changes in the course. For instance, the course has been re-routed around Frederick High School because of construction at West Frederick Middle School.
A loop has been added around the Spring Ridge development. The route could no longer circle by the MVA. The ramp off South Street to I-70 will not have to be closed, as it was last year.
The event starts on East Patrick Street instead of inside the Fairgrounds, as it did last year. The finish line will be inside the Fairgrounds.
The starting time is still 6:30 a.m.
The prize money remains the same, with the top prize of $500 going to the male and female marathon winners, which is small compared with the $100,000 the Boston Marathon winner got this year.
"We don't attract a lot of the elite athletes for that reason," Ridgway said. "But there is a special draw to small races. At Boston, there are 26,000 people and you have to fight for pavement a lot of the way. Frederick is a wide-open course with a lot of scenic areas."
She does not expect last year's male (Brian Baillie) or female (Melissa Tanner) winners to return.
NOTES: Among those entered is Gabriela Trana, who represented Costa Rica in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She will run the half marathon. The event record for the half marathon is 1:21.55. She has run a half marathon in 1:19.48.
Overall, runners from 40 states and three countries have registered for the event.
