For one particular group of people, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts isn't about the artists' exhibitions, the Italian street paintings, the dance performances or the folk music.

"Sure, these crafts are nice and all," these people might say to themselves as they distractedly wander through throngs of festivalgoers.

Because what's really on their minds - ingrained, almost - is the 29th Nittany Valley Arts Festival 10K Road Race, which kicks off Sunday morning at 8:30.

These people, of course, are runners.

The biggest attraction of this year's race is its brand-spanking-new course, said Marty Mazur, secretary of the Nittany Valley Running Club.

Omnipresent construction on campus has forced the course to be rerouted frequently in recent years, but Mazur and NVRC president Jim Taylor have mapped out a course that they would like to continue using for years to come.

The course starts in front of the Uni-versity Creamery and heads west, ex-ploring the west side of campus and following bike paths along the new Inner Loop.

But the part Mazur is most excited about is the run through (and back through) the new Information, Science and Technology building.

"This course is a lot less boring," Mazur said. "It has a real variety of scenery and surface."

After testing out the new course himself, Taylor said it seemed to be a "fast and pretty even race," with some uphill and gradual downhill.

Runners and spectators should be prepared for typical mid-July temperatures.

"There's this thing called 'Arts Fest weather,'" Mazur said. "It's hot, humid. But we still get a good turnout despite that."

Three water stations and shade through the IST building and golf course should offset some of the sun and heat, Taylor said.

John Daley, who helped coordinate the race, said the 10K is a big event not only for Arts Fest, but also for the local running community.

"For some people, this is their big race," Daley said. "Especially for people in the area, because there aren't a lot of 10K races."

The usual turnout for the Arts Fest 10K is about 500 runners, but Mazur recalls a time in the 1980s when distance running was in its prime and the race attracted over 1,000 runners.

"We'd like to see it grow back up toward those numbers," Taylor said.

Among the 448 who crossed the finish line last year was an 83-year-old State College man, and running in the 10K in 2000 were several people who had run in all 25 Arts Fest races.

While it's a rewarding experience, training for a 10K - or a 6.2-miler, if you're not a fan of the metric system - can be a lengthy process.

Mazur recommends slowly working up to the full distance, and advises those who run the race to listen to their bodies.

Daley, who is giving his running shoes a break this year and volunteering instead, said the Arts Fest 10K is the only race that is held when the town is really decked out.

"It has this carnival and festive atmosphere that other races don't have," he said.

Mazur encourages people to come out and cheer on all the runners. For a good view, spectators can station themselves at either end of the IST bridge to see the runners go by twice.

"But not on the bridge," he stressed, "or you'll get trampled."

Daley compares the Arts Fest 10K
to the Tour de France: a big and classic race for which the entire community turns out.

"A lot of people show up just to support their friends and neighbors," Daley said, "and when you're running, you really feed off that.

"When some little kid says, 'You can go, you can do it!' or some grandma says, 'Smile! Keep your head up'...It changes your entire demeanor."

And non-runners, don't feel left out of this rush of exhilaration.

Taylor points out that the race starts and ends at the Creamery -- so you can be eating ice cream the entire time.