Filled with history and national records, the Butler Road Race takes place for the 38th consecutive year Saturday.

The 5-mile run and 2K (1.24 miles) event begins, as always, in front of the Butler County Courthouse on Main Street in downtown Butler.

“This race began as a 10K during our nation’s bicentennial in 1976 and while it’s been tweaked, it has never stopped,” said Mike Franko, now in his 14th year as president of the event.

The Butler Road Race is the oldest event of its kind in Western Pennsylvania in terms of consecutive years.

Some names are naturally associated with the event.

Lou Lodovico, 89, of Ellwood City has set six national age-group records in the Butler Road Race and will run again Saturday.

There have been 10 national road race records set in BRR history.

Tammy Slusser of Monroeville is a 10-time winner of the race — first time in 1984, last time in 2011 — and has run in 30 of the previous 37 BRR’s. She returns this year as well.

The late Donnie Bayne, who provided trophies and awards to the BRR for 35 years, will be honored through the Donnie Bayne Memorial Trophy, presented to the first Butler County male and female finishers of the five-mile race.

Ken DeFurio is president and CEO of Butler Health System, the BRR’s prime sponsor. DeFurio is on the BRR Board of Directors.

“He’s a former running buddy of mine and this event wouldn’t be where it is today if not for Butler Health System,” Franko said.

The four winners of last year’s event were younger runners. Slippery Rock University sophomore Chris Grooms was the male winner of the 5-mile while Butler graduate Danica Snyder, a sophomore at Duquesne University, was the female winner.

Snyder won the BRR’s 2K in 2011 and beat runner-up Slusser to the finish line last year.

“It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with these young pups,” Slusser, in her 40’s. said after the race.

Dalton Hayes, 17, was male winner of the 2K last year and joined the Air Force shortly afterward. Abby Jones, 14, of Cabot was female winner of the 2K.

“We have been getting a lot of younger kids of late,” Franko said. “We’ve got close to 50 kids age 11 or younger this year. We give kids 11-under a special certificate for running.”

Franko anticipates “between 550 to 600 runners combined” for the two events. The race presents 140 competitive awards for age groups ranging from 12-under to 70-over.

“A number of runners who have left the area plan their vacations around this event, come back, run it and catch up with old friends and family,” Franko said.

Runners can register for either the 5-mile or 2K the day of the race. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. at Diamond Park, across the street from the courthouse. The race begins at 9 a.m.

Proceeds from this year’s BRR will fund the 2014 Butler County cross country runners’ academic scholarship winners. Grooms and Snyder are past scholarship winners.

Snyder is running the 5-mile again Saturday. Jones is running the 2K again.

“Last year was the first time past scholarship winners have returned to win the race,” Franko said.

The BRR has raised $337,850 in scholarship money for 635 total student athletes over the past 20 years.

“The scholarship program is the biggest reason why I keep coming back to work this event,” Franko said.

Other members of the BRR Board of Directors include race director Mike Blessel, Shirley Macefe, Karen Nicodemus-Schreffler, Katie Jamison, Dan Vernon, Lisa Moss, Carole Bitter, Rick Davanzati, Rick Davanzati, Jr., Mike Kelly, Dr. Dan McCarty, Rich Rodgers and Ron Sloniger.