After helping to organize the Bowling Green 10K Classic for 20 years, Carl Kell believes the future of the citys annual race is in a word bright.

Its secure, said Kell, a 10K board member. Not only in this city, but in the running community for years to come.

Participation projections for Saturdays 20th annual race seem to support Kells assertion.

Race director Rick Kelley is expecting approximately 3,500 runners to compete in the days activities.

In addition to the 10K Classic at 9 a.m., racers can enter a 5K Competitive Run, a 1.5 Mile Fun Walk, a 10K Wheelchair Race, Nats 10K Rollerblade or the 5K Race Walk.

For the 20th anniversary, Kelley contacted past race winners. His efforts paid off, as past champions Nick Rose (1980-83, 1986) and Christine Rose (1980), Ashley Johnson (1984), Ed Eyestone (1990), Sean Dollman (1994, 1996) Dan Browne (1998) and Teresa Wanjiku (1998) are all scheduled to participate.

You get a good package for the money, Nick Rose said. People feel its a well-organized race thats a value for the money. Its a lovely course, a lovely city and people come here not just for the race but for the weekend.

Kelley expects sunny conditions Saturday, in contrast to last years downpour of rain.

Last year was an aberration, Kelley said. Weve typically had sunny weather on race day.

The 10K will host the USA Track and Field 10K National Championship for the second consecutive year, beefing up the field with nationally-ranked runners.

Included in this years field is Todd Williams, the dominating American 10,000-meter runner in the past decade. Williams won the U.S. Championships or Olympic Trials at that distance four times (1992-93, 1995-96). Most recently, he won his first U.S. Half-Marathon title.

Browne, last years winner, has battled injuries all season. He won five races last year. Early this season, Browne took third at the Millrose Games 3,000-meter indoor race and made the U.S. team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Phillimon Hanneck will also be a strong contender Saturday. Born in Zimbabwe, Hanneck was granted U.S. citizenship last summer. His best 10K time is 27:45 and he most recently won the Cow Harbor 10K in Northport, N.Y.

Veteran runners Peter De La Cerda and Michael Mykytok both return for another shot at winning the Bowling Green 10K.

Other elite runners entered Saturday are Andre Williams, Terrence Mahon, Eddy Hellebuyck and Jason Larabee. Eyestone will also compete for the USATF 10K title.

In the womens race, Wanjiku is again the solid favorite to win. A Kenyan, Wanjiku earned Runners World magazines No. 2 road racer ranking in 1998 after winning eight races.

Wanjiku will get competition from former Western Kentucky University All-American runner Breeda Dennehy Willis.

Making her fifth appearance in the Bowling Green 10K, Willis is looking to improve on a pair of third-place finishes (1997-98).

Russias Lidiya Girgoryeva and Kenyas Delillah Asiago are also strong contenders for the womens 10K title.

Kell said the Bowling Green 10Ks solid track record has kept the top runners coming to Bowling Green.

For the elite runners, the Bowling Green 10K has a great name, Kell said. The Bowling Green 10K is like a senior citizen with great respect.