Runners in the Pikes Peak Region know that the traditional start of each season is the Rescue Run, held every year on Jan. 1.

This year's race is slated to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Palmer Park. The race will begin near the playground and baseball field on the northwest corner of Maizeland and Academy Blvd.

The race's motto is "Rain, Snow or 20 Below." You can count out the rain. The weather forecast on Friday called for sunshine and a high of 19 on Saturday.

There will be 5k and 10k courses and runners will not have to choose one or the other until race day. In fact, they don't have to choose until they're actualy running the race. All runners will start at the same time and finish at the same place. Those wishing to do the shorter course will take a left turn, while the 10K group goes right.

Race-day registration begins at 8:30 a.m.

There were 778 finishers in 2009, which was the largest field in race history.

Last year's winners of the 5K race were Levi Medina, 22, Pueblo, 17:22, and Sheila Geer, 46, Colorado Springs, 21:14.

In the 10K, Daniel Castenada, 25, of Colorado Springs won in 36:00. Tracey Thelen, 30, of Colorado Springs won the women's race in 43:36.

The overall men's and women's records for the 5K are: Trent Briney, 22, Colorado Springs, 16:05, 2001; and Kim Bugg, 19, Colorado Springs, 19:41, 1997.

The 10K overall marks are owned by Simon Guiterrez, 38, Alamosa, 33:09, 2005; and Jo Lodge, 35, Colorado Springs, 36:59, 2004.

This info is from the Pikes Peak Road Runners' website:

The courses are challenging and hilly.  The 5K course is entirely on paved roads and is an out-and-back.  It's all uphill on the way out, and all downhill on the way back. 
There is one water stop at the turn-around point.

The 10K course is a combination out-and-back and loop course, and is on paved roads, gravel roads, and dirt trails.  The first mile is all uphill, then it is flat to rolling
for the next couple of miles.  Then there's another uphill
stretch for about a mile.  The last mile and a half or so are
pretty much all downhill.  The views on the 10K course are
spectacular, with panoramic views of Pikes Peak and the Front Range
mountains.

5K/10K Selection: You can actually make your decision on which race to run during the race.  Both races start and finish at the same place.  For the first
0.9 miles, they share the same course.  At that point you can
choose if you want to run the 5K, by taking the left branch, or the
10K, by taking the right branch. Just be sure to finish in the
appropriate chute at the finish line.

Some race history:

This event started in 1979, and is one of the longest running races in the Pikes Peak Region. The courses have always been tough with ample hills, which is exactly how the El Paso
County Search & Rescue likes it. The race was run out of the
Penrose Equestrian Center for several years and followed a hilly
course along Lower Gold Camp Road.

The race motto is "Rain, Snow, or 20 Below."  Usually the weather is ok, but there have been years when winter decided to join the race.  The organizers have
never cancelled the race, but one year the Colorado Springs Police
cancelled the event because of snow, ice and blizzard
conditions.  However, some runners still went out and ran the
course that year in all of winter's glory.

The course moved to Palmer Park in 1995.  It has used the same course in Palmer Park since then except in 2000.  In 2000, or Y2K, organizers were unable to secure police
assistance to close the roads in Palmer Park.  This is because
the police were worried about all the Y2K disasters that were supposed
to happen and assigned all officers to Y2K duties on January
1st.  Thus in 2000, race organizers used a different course in
Palmer Park that did not cross any of the roads, thus no police
assistance was required.

Proceeds of this race go to the El Paso County Search & Rescue (EPCSAR). The EPCSAR is an all-volunteer organization that provides search and
mountain rescue services in El Paso County. If somebody gets
hurt on Pikes Peak, lost on our many trails, drives off the Pikes Peak
Highway, EPCSAR is there to help. Members buy their own equipment and
contribute hundreds of volunteer hours for the community. During snow
storms, EPCSAR volunteers are out in the storm tending to stranded
motorists.