As of Friday morning there were more than 2300 entries and Dubbo Stampede committee member Rod Campbell said they were hoping to get a late surge of entries on Friday night as people organised their weekend.

The weather is shaping up to be perfect on the day, starting with a chilly 0 degrees as the marathon runners take off but warming up to a nice 17 degrees and with virtually no chance of rain.

“The preparation for the stampede is like a marathon. All the hard work is already done and now we just get ready to have some fun,” Mr Campbell said.

“I think the rain may have put a few people off and there was a nervous committee two weeks ago when the weather wasn’t looking so good but the running gods have smiled on us and it is looking excellent.

“The recent rain has also made everything look lush so we couldn’t have asked for better conditions.”

Mr Cambell said it was amazing to hear stories of people who had started with the five-kilometre event and worked their way up to running marathons and half marathons.

“We are seeing some amazing people do some amazing things. A lot of pieces are coming together to make that happen,” he said.

“Dubbo parkrun is part of that and the Stampede is part of that. It’s leading people to live a healthier lifestyle.”

Nobody should be afraid to get involved and every competitor’s achievement was important, Mr Campbell said.

“You’ll find that all running festivals are very inclusive. It’s always great to see new people getting involved,” he said.

“We value the people who compete in the 5-kilometre event as much as the elite athlete in the marathon.”

Approximately 80 volunteers will ensure that people know where they need to go, have access to water during the event and can get their times afterwards.

“Our volunteers deserve a round of applause. Some are from community groups, some are injured runners who can’t compete and others just want to be a part of it,” Mr Campbell said.

“The Stampede only happens because of the support of sponsors and dedication of volunteers.”

See page 12 for everything you need to know about the 2016 Dubbo Stampede.