The annual fall Over the River Run will take a detour when racers show up Saturday. Instead of running across the Mississippi River and into Louisiana, runners will get a tour of North Frontage Road.

River Region West will be the start and finish line for the 5K race and 5K walk which starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Racers will trek across a course over the hills to Iowa Blvd., before heading back to the River Region West campus. The change was necessary because of construction on the Old Mississippi River Bridge.

“This is a new course because we can’t run on the old one due to the work being done on the Old River Bridge,” said River Region publicist Mandy Hebert. “The race will start at the River Region West campus and go to Iowa Blvd along the North Frontage Road where they will turn around and come back. This course is shorter than the five mile distance they ran last year. This will be a 5K run.”

Almost 600 runners and walkers participated in last year’s race. Hebert said 300 have already pre-registered and another 300 will be expected to sign-up by Saturday morning.

“We expect to have some more people try it this year because it is a 5K race, but it is going to be a little hillier this year. In the past they’ve basically gone over the bridge into Louisiana and come back but they are not letting nobody on the bridge this year,” Hebert said.

“We think the alternate course will make for a great race. We’ll also have plenty of family activities and we’ll have the 1-mile fun run as well. The race fees help us raise funds for the United Way,” Hebert said.

Runners and walkers who did not sign up before October 1 will have to pay $25. The fee for families will be $60.

A $100 prize will be awarded to the male and female overall champion in both the 5K run and the 5K walk. Trophies will be awarded for first, second, and third place finishers in 14 different age groups for both men and women. Runners who have pre-registered can pick up their packets at River Region West today from 4 to 6 p.m. or Friday from 4-8 p.m.

Mark Thorne was the overall winner last year in a time of 26 minutes, 57 seconds. Heather Butler was the female winner in a time of 31:31. Kirby Hendrix won the 5K walk for the men in 47:40 and Angel Wofford was the women’s winner in 49:34.