UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Boilermaker runners and supporters filled the Mohawk Valley Community College field house for the Health and Fitness Expo Friday. With just over a day until America's Greatest 15 K athletes who have been running the race for years and even first time runners were counting down the hours, ready for the big day.

"Thrilled, excited and a little nervous but thrilled...it'll be a lot of fun," said 1st time runner Anna Maria Castellano of Frankfort.

After preparing for fifteen weeks, Castellano is ready to put the miles of training to work.

"It seems like forever that it was going to take," said Castellano. "I kept watching the clock at one point it was 100 days and now we're down to one!"

With the countdown now just over a day away, runners and supporters are ready for a weekend of fun --- many which have come back to the area after moving away.

"It's just an exciting weekend for us," said Judy Schneeberger who now lives in Fairfax, Virginia. "We come home, the whole family comes home, my sister lives in Syracuse and her families here, our families here from michigan ... so its a huge family weekend but its a great weekend."

Judy will be on the sidelines cheering on her husband, sister, sister in law and friend Craig on Sunday.

"Friends of ours come up and run every year so we decided to join them this year and gave it a shot so we'll see how I do," said first time runner from Craig Moore from Fairfax, Virginia. "I just want to finish in the upright position."

NEWSChannel 2's coverage of the Boilermaker Road Race starts at 7 am on Sunday.