Participation in the Portneuf Valley Fun Run Series has grown about tenfold in ten years, according to Pocatello Parks and Recreation Activities Director Lance Clark.

    "A couple of things that would surprise people is how non-competitive the events are," he said. "They (most participants) may have their own personal record in mind, but they are not racing other people. The vast majority of them race against the clock, against their previous year's time or against a sibling that happens to be there."

    Clark said a select group of participants may don their highly competitive gear and open up the gate, but the majority are "casual" runners and walkers from all ages, from about 5 years old to racking up years greater than 90 years old.

    "You do have the speedsters wearing their former all-star tank top," he said, "but the majority of the participants are pretty causal in their approach. They are there for a good time, to get out the door and enjoy the day."

     As history can recall, the Portneuf Valley Fun Run Series sprouted at least 30 years ago, but has shot up within the past decade with improved efficiency and organization. Where the Fun Run Series drew between 80 and 100 participants per event in 2002, participation has topped 700 in some cases.

     The Fun Run Series includes five races, one each month, in different locations of the Portneuf Valley. The first race is the Law Day Run, coming up May 4. Each event has a 5 kilometer and 10K walk/run categories, and a 2.5K open event for participants who aren't strict on walking or running.

    Clark said the courses differ in difficulty, with the first fun run being a fairly straight stretch.

    "We do start it off easy," Clark said. "Law Day is slightly down hill and it's not a loop. ... We provide a shuttle. We start off the year fairly easy and then we ratchet it up."

    Adults can register for all five events for $75, youths (under the age of 18) for $55. Single events are $17 per adult or $13 per youth. People can register the day of the race, but to ensure an event T-shirt and as a courtesy, participants are encourage to register early.

    The remaining four races in the series include the Heart and Sole Fun Run slated for June 8, the Joint Jaunt slated for July 13, the Katchup to Heinz slated for Aug. 10 and the Simplot Run slated for Sept. 14.

    In addition to direct community participation, Clark said people from around the region and even Utah take part, citing that the low cost and event organization may be a factor in attracting participation.

    "It's participation-based events," he said, "It doesn't take all day. We are done by 9:30 (a.m.) and you can still make it to soccer games."

    Community sponsorship has helped to bring the cost to participants down, provide food and the plethora of prizes given away at the events, he said.

    When cost of other area events is higher, Clark said, for instance, for a family of five traveling from Idaho Falls family of five, the cost of the Fun Run Series "makes good sense for them to make the drive to spend the gas and save significant money to do one or all of our events," with the added bonus that people can track their progress from one year to another.

    Receiving the growth has meant some changes along the way, including staggered or weighted starts to help with congestion, which also allowed three-times as many people to participate, in some cases parking was moved to Holt Arena and some course changes, but Clark's believes event organizers will continue to accommodate as many people as want to participate.

    "(Capping races) seems like a fad to me," he said. "For some races there is a legitimate capacity, but we will create more parking to get more people who want to participate. ... I don't see us cappoing so we don't have to coap the race."

    For more information and to register for the Portneuf Valley Fun Run Series visit www.pocatello.us/pr/pr_funrun.htm or stop by or call the Community Recreation Center, located at 144 Wilson Ave., at 232-3901. Additional questions can be e-mailed to Clark at lclark@pocatello.us.