Many spaces remain open for the 2014 Kennebec Mountain Challenge Runs, which will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday on County Road 124.

Around 70 people currently have signed up for the event’s 11th running. It is capped at 150 people.

There is a 15-mile mountain run that goes over Kennebec Pass and an 8.5-mile fun run.

The fun run is in its second year.

“There’s some people signed up, not a lot,” volunteer race director Gail Harriss said Thursday. “We certainly encourage everyone to do the mountain run, because it’s spectacular.”

Pre-race registration has ended, but interested runners still can sign up on race day for $45.

Proceeds will benefit the Shanta Foundation, which is looking to build a school in Myanmar, the La Plata County Search and Rescue and the Durango Running Club.

“I was asking a friend of mine, I knew she had a couple of children, and asked if the children were involved in any activities. Her son decided a year ago to build a school in Myanmar,” Harriss said. “He got involved with it, and the reason I was interested in that was to help get some volunteers in the race and have different people involved in volunteering and to have different benefactors.”

There is an early start at 7:30 a.m. for those who think they may need more time.

The race will begin and end at the La Plata City Campground past the Kennebec Cafe. It will go up County Road 124 and eventually turns to singletrack toward the Columbus Basin. Runners then will traverse a mining road and go through the notch up and over Kennebec Pass.

Michael Oliva is the defending men’s champion, while Jenn Shelton won the women’s race last year.

Harriss isn’t sure if the defending champions are returning.

“The last few years, no one person has dominated the race and come back,” Harriss said.

kgrabowski@durangoherald.com