(May 31) A 10K race sounds daunting, even to some veteran runners.

That's why the organizers of the Greater Clarksburg 10K Run are offering the "10 Weeks to the 10K" training program, offering helpful training and health tips free of charge to interested runners.

"Running a 10K is not a layup or an easy journey," said Larry Mazza, race chairman. "It's a tremendous challenge.

"What we hope to accomplish with the 10 Weeks to the 10K program is to educate more people on the sport of running, encourage more participation and provide a solid support group to help people achieve the goal of completing the 10K."

The first session of the 10-week program is at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Registration will be in front of the Clarksburg Fire Department's Main Street building.

The program was created by Harrison County YMCA Director Buzz Matthews and exercise physiologist Kitty Consolo.

"We hope to offer a program each week that will provide important information to runners of all ages and skill levels," Mazza said.

"The first week we'll cover running safety and training tips for about a 15- to 20-minute period. Then we'll have a question and answer session, after which we'll divide into groups (based on skill level) and run part of the course."

Organizers will help runners develop training schedules based on the runner's goals, with the ultimate goal of completing the 10K.

The group will meet each Tuesday and runners are welcome to attend all or part of the sessions.

Other topics:

"For each topic, we will have a specialist in the area, offering suggestions and providing valuable information," Mazza said.

MORE LEARNING EXPERIENCES: The run's organizers have also scheduled five clinics to provide more educational information to runners.

For more information contact race headquarters at 622-4735.

Dates, times and locations:

n Cheri Korstvedt of "Shapewalk, Inc." will present a walking program on June 13 and 14 at the Harrison County YMCA. The two-hour sessions begin at 1 p.m. each day.

Korstvedt is an avid racewalker and USA Track and Field coach who will cover general fitness, cardiovascular training, increased energy and walking styles.

n Jeff and Mariann Foster will present "Maximizing Your Training" at 2-4 p.m. on June 28 at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport.

Jeff Foster is the track and field coach at Edinboro State University (Pa.) and is a top Masters runner. Mariann Foster ranks a premier runner nationally.

n Steve and Lori Taylor, track and field coaches at Virginia Tech, will present "Fine Tuning Your Performance" at 2-4 p.m. July 26 at the Holiday Inn.

n The pre-race clinic on Aug. 7 will feature a 20-minute session with Consolo from 6-6:20 p.m. and an hour-long session with legendary runners Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This event will be held at the Washington Irving Middle School gym.