Canobolas Zone Rural Fire Service (RFS), 2nd Orange Scout Group and The O’Brien Centre are the festival’s featured charities for 2015 and will provide manpower and resources to help run the festival.

With a 35 per cent surge in entries this year, Canobolas Zone RFS fire mitigation officer Geoff Selwood said he was positive volunteers had their bases covered.

“I’m not worried [about large numbers]. We will have up to 80 RFS personnel marshalling at points throughout the courses and circulating throughout,” Mr Selwood said.

RFS volunteers will also provide constant radio contact through their communication centre and traffic control on public roads, while 80 members of the Orange Scouts will man water stations and barbecues, and provide marshals for the parking area and finish line. 

Competitors can choose to run in the children’s 2 kilometre race, 5km, 10km, half-marathon or marathon, which all start from Bloomfield Park.

Last year, the festival attracted 1700 competitors and raised $14,000, split between its featured charities.

Scouts group leader Bob Hoye said being involved with the festival not only met the organisation’s community values, but the donation would help purchase much-needed equipment.

The O’Brien Centre secretary Tania Naven, who along with other volunteers from the mental illness day centre will help with signage on the day, said they were grateful to be a featured charity.