OWASCO - Allowing herself only five days to rest, one volunteer underwent surgery Tuesday and was at the Great Race XXX Sunday with walkie talkie in one hand and a microphone near the other.

Geri Read knew she had to help run the office and registration during her 27th year as a Great Race volunteer.

Those who have learned to rely on the YMCA swim instructor were worried her second knee replacement would keep her from missing the race that draws thousands of spectators to Emerson Park. But not her.

"I knew I had to be here," she said while sitting in her wheelchair under a giant tent with the canoe portion of the three-part race in sight.

Read has enlisted other volunteers through the years, such as David Lansford. He had the best seat in the house during the triathlon, the water table near the starting line, he said.

"This is a great spot, I see them at the beginning and at the end when they come to hydrate," the Auburn Enlarged City School District president said.

He's worked that table for years now, listening to people's stories, encouraging athletes as they pass and soaking in the camaraderie the annual event inspires.

"I've got a lot of T-shirts in my drawer," he said, wearing this year's orange shirt and a straw hat to keep the sun off his face.

Members of the 570 teams, from two to four people on each team, cleared the table of cups of water five times by an hour and a half into the race. Lansford estimates he filled about 400 cups by midrace at his station alone.

Other volunteers were also up to their waists in water. A dozen workers stood near the aquatic finish line ready to help kayakers and canoeists as the finished their portion. Other helpers lined up along the finish line for runners and bikers and clapped as they completed their laps and handed their electronic wristbands to teammates.

The teams ranged from athletes who trained for the event to people who aren't competing for first place. One family told Lansford they split into smaller groups and compete against each other. The team with the longest time has to clean up Thanksgiving dinner.

Besides a family event, it celebrates fitness.

"It's healthy competition. It's like a fitness carnival," Lansford said.

Runner Rhonda Hayden belonged to a team with her sister and sister-in-law. They saw the competition as a way to stay motivated and have fun with exercise. The birth of her son, David, in March also provided her with another reason to hit the pavement. She spent three months training for the event.

After finishing her run, Hayden found a patch of shade under a tree as her team finished their ends of the competition.

"It does get people out for exercise ... but also it's for the family," Read said.