UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The 15k race will be open to a total of 14,000 runners in 2012, an increase of 1,000 runners from the year before. Meanwhile, the 5k race will remain at 4,000 runners.

"We have had a number of meetings with Directors who deal with various aspects of the race to arrive at the number" said Race Director Jim Stasaitis. "We want to give as many people as possible the chance to run the race while maintaining the quality people expect."

Runners can register online beginning Saturday, January 7 at www.boilermaker.com.

In 2011, the 15k race opened registration on January 8 and was sold out by May 14. Online registration fees for the 15k will remain at $35 with the 5k increasing from $20 to $25. The Three Mile Walk application will remain at $15.

Race officials announced that for the 2012 race, there will no longer be a late registration fee traditionally imposed after May 30.

A paper registration event will take place at the New Hartford Planet Fitness on Saturday, January 7 from 8 a.m. until noon. While there will be a two dollar paper processing fee, everyone who registers will receive a prize. Only checks and cash can be accepted for the paper sign up.

"With the increasing speed of online registration, the days of paper applications are probably coming to a close," said Boilermaker Executive Director Tim Reed. "From an inability on the legal side to take credit card data, having to re-type the runners' information while striving to have as 'green' a race as possible, paper has become a bigger burden."

Race officials say they have planned to have at least two more paper sign-ups at Dick's Sporting Goods and Carbone Auto, both sponsors of the Boilermaker, in the late January / early February timeframe.

Another announcement officials made Tuesday night was that the race will be looking at more strictly enforcing the time limit the course is open, which prohibits vehicles from using the roads.

The 2012 Boilermaker logo was also revealed to the general public. The Boilermaker reached out to the Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) Graphics Art students for the design. The winning logo was created by sophomore sutdent Shaun Lockwood, who is majoring in the Graphic Arts. The participation of MVCC also signifies a new era for the race, which will be holding the Boilermaker Expo on the college's campus July 6 and 7 - a change from the Masonic Care Community where it had been for many years.

The 35th running of the Boilermaker Road Race will take place Sunday July 8, 2012.