RECORD NUMBER OF RUNNERS SIGN UP FOR CITY'S ANNUAL MARATHON, RELATED RACES.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

Weekend forecasts call for record-breaking entries in the city marathon on Sunday, racer-friendly weather and pre-race festivities that will include mountains of pasta today.

Racers in the fifth annual Santa Clarita Marathon, five-kilometer run, Kid K Fun Race and half-marathon won't toe the starting lines until Sunday, but pre-race events begin today at 10 a.m. with a Business, Sports & Fitness Expo at the Hyatt Valencia.

After the Fitness Expo ends at 4 p.m., entrants are invited to carbo load for optimal racing energy at a special 4:30 p.m. dinner at the Hyatt. They'll be able to indulge in hundreds of pounds of pasta and other foods rich in carbohydrates.

And for last-minute advice from someone who's been there, done that, Gary Tuttle, who took second place in the Boston Marathon, will address runners during the dinner from 6 to 7 p.m.

More than 1,800 entrants had registered for all four races by Friday, surpassing previous year records by nearly 600 entries, said race spokeswoman Patti Fleetwood, noting that many continue to sign up on the marathon Web site, www.scmarathon.org.

``The numbers keep increasing every day,'' she said. ``I'm sure we'll have more than 2,000 by Sunday.''

Competitors from previous years are expected to return, but race organizers point to the half-marathon - which debuts as a new event this year - as a main cause for increased participation this year, she said.

The oldest entrant this year is a 76-year-old male runner, while the youngest is a 12-month-old baby in the noncompetitive Kid K race, Fleetwood said. She noted, ``We're allowing parents with strollers and what have you in that race.''

Race day on Sunday will begin promptly at 7 a.m. for the marathon, half-marathon and 5K (3.1 mile) race, while the Kid K race is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. outside the Red Robin Restaurant at the Valencia Town Center.

The 26.4-mile marathon course begins at Lang Station and Soledad Canyon roads following a winding route toward Six Flags California, then circling back toward the finish line on Citrus Street at the Town Center.

With the exception of a 200-foot ascent between miles 16 and 17, the overall marathon course gives racers a gradual downhill decline, with its 1,700-foot altitude start eventually dropping 500 feet by mile 26.

The half-marathon for the most part follows a descending route, with several small hills at miles 1, 2.5 and 5.5, dropping from 1,700 feet at the start to 1,200 by its finish at mile 13.

Besides cheering for runners, spectators will have plenty to do and see on the sidelines this year, while runners will receive musical encouragement as they pass by six markers throughout the marathon race route.

The Town Center will host a number of activities throughout the day for families and spectators, including a pancake breakfast that kicks off the Marathon Festival at 7:45 a.m.

Deputy Dan, a cowboy character on a unicycle, and cycling clowns will lead the Kid K race and entertain children afterward.

Also, the popular rock band Skinny Little Twits will perform at the Metrolink Station on Soledad Canyon Road from 7:30 to 9:15 a.m., located around mile 9 on the marathon race route. Disc jockeys will be located along the marathon routes at miles 17, 21, 22, 23 and 24.

``It'll encourage (racers) and keep them going,'' said Fleetwood, noting that music was placed along the marathon course where spectators tend to be low in numbers, such as the Valencia Industrial Center.

Weather reports for Sunday call for low humidity, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures climbing into the upper 60s by late morning.

For more marathon information, call [phone].

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Map: (color) Santa Clarita Marathon