For many it will be their first run, for some it will be a family affair. More than 1,500 pairs of feet will lace up and run along the Hooghly, going past the high court and the Eden Gardens at the crack of dawn on Sunday.

The CSC Run for Fitness Mini Marathon, in association with The Telegraph, had started with just 50 runners a decade ago. But the past few years have seen a steady rise in participation.

A thousand runners had signed up in 2016 and reached 1,400 last year.

“Running has become a popular sport with so many races in the city. So, we were surprised to learn that many of the 750-odd people who have registered with us for the 5K would be making their road race debut,” said Bharat Bagla, the “marathon captain” at The Calcutta Swimming Club (CSC).

Family participation is another trend that the organisers have noticed. “A family of 10 has signed up for the race. All members of the family, right from the grandfather to the grandson and granddaughter, will run together,” Bagla said.

The race will have three distance categories — 5K, 10K and 15K. The 15K race will do two loops of 7.5K.

Members of the club and their guests can participate in the run. There will be five age categories for members of the club and four age categories for guests.

The event has gone green this year and route maps and instructions are being sent on email or WhatsApp. The kits will not include any printed instructions.

The top two finishers among men and women will be awarded in each run. All those who complete the race will get a finisher’s medal.

Registrations for the race was closed on Thursday night but the organisers said they were flooded with calls from others keen on participating in the run.