People have been coming to Owasco Lake every year for more than three decades to run, bike and paddle in the Great Race.

But while the race is the main event, there are plenty of attractions that will make Emerson Park a day-long destination Sunday for spectators, too.

Geri Read, with the Great Race office, said the event has become a lot more family-oriented over the years.

“We have families coming and using it as a reason to have picnics,” Read said. “We've wanted to make it nice for everyone.”

Entering year 31, the Great Race is a combination of five triathlon relay events that include biking, running and either canoeing or kayaking. More than 500 teams compete each year, Read said.

All the races begin at 9:30 a.m. in the park, with a cannon signaling the start time. Runners and bikers follow county roads, and paddles glide along Owasco Lake.

During and after the race, visitors and participants are able to enjoy live music in the park and food and beverage vendors near the finish line. There will also be inflatable play equipment to give the children a chance for a workout of their own.

This year's live entertainment will come from the East Rochester All Star Band. The band blends professional vocalists with a raucous horn section in a way that has been compared to rock groups like Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears.

Race director Marty Keough said a member of the race committee heard the band last year, and the organization was “lucky” enough to book the group. They are also going to play a benefit for a local hospice group in October, so spectators can get an early sample of the music, Keough said.

“They're very entertaining, and they get the whole crowd into it - young and old,” he said.

The music goes right up until 5 p.m., and there will also be balloon and face painting available for the children, Keough said.

The race is ultimately the main spectacle, and the variety of routes give friends, families and others who wish to cheer plenty of spots to show support. Most of the biking and running routes proceed along Route 38A and some side streets, with a stretch of the longest run proceeding along Route 20 between Wegman Street and Hoopes Avenue.

Watching hundreds of runners take off at the sound of a Civil War-style cannon can be pretty impressive, Keough said. And some of the liveliest action takes place during the exchanges between team members, he said.

“But really, (the race) is just a chance to enjoy the beauty of Emerson Park,” Keough said. “You can look out on the lake and enjoy a picnic and just be around other people.”

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.

If you go

What: The Great Race

When: Starts at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 10

Where: Emerson Park, Owasco

Info: Visit www.great-race.com or call 252-7139