The running season at NIU kicks off with the 11th Annual Springtree Runs Sunday.

People can register for the 10 kilometer or the three kilometer race, which begin at noon, at the Office of Campus Recreation service window until Saturday, said Deb Owen, the race director. The registration fee is $8 for NIU students and those under 17 years old, $10 for all others.

Registration also is possible on the day of the races for an extra $2, Owen said.

The entrants will be divided into eight age groups, ranging from children 12 and under to people 55 and older, for both men and women, she said.

Owen said 10K race winners will get their names engraved on a plaque kept in the rec center’s lobby. Certificates will be awarded to the top three finishers in each age group and all runners get tank top T-shirts, she said.

Check-in begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the rec center.

The 3K race track goes around Stadium Drive, the Douglas Hall and the Stevenson Towers Complex. The 10K race starts on Stadium Drive also but continues its route along Annie Glidden. The races end inside the Rec Center.

Shower, sauna and locker facilities will be available to all entrants. Runners must bring their own locks and towels.

Last year’s 10K winners were Susan Schmalz, DeKalb, in the women’s division and Kemp Schanlaber, Appleton, Wis. in the men’s division. One hundred sixty-eight runners competed in the 10K race last year along with 98 3K runners.