LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Fifty years ago, 301 runners assembled to take part in the Kentucky Derby Festival's first miniMarathon.

If you or someone you know was a part of that event, the festival wants to hear from you.

According to a news release, a lunchtime reunion and celebration will be held at Freedom Hall on Friday, April 28, one day before this year's race. The public is being asked to help locate those original runners.

"We want to bring them together and say 'thank you' for what they started 50 years ago," said Jordan Harris, client relationship executive for Deloitte, in a statement.

Deloitte, a business management consulting firm with an office in Louisville and about 500 Kentucky employees, is the official IT sponsor of the GE Appliances Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon. 

"Today, Louisville is a hotbed of distance running events, with people coming from throughout North America to participate in the GE Appliances Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon," Harris said. "And Louisville now hosts a variety of distance runs throughout the year. That race 50 years ago was the catalyst."

This year, the combined races are expected to bring about 10,000 participants.

"The GE Appliances miniMarathon and Marathon are a highlight of every Kentucky Derby Festival," said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival president and CEO, in a statement. "The race has evolved from a home-grown event in which a few hundred runners competed to a 10,000-plus racer event and one of the top in the country. We are excited to reunite with those who got it started."

Anyone who took part in the first race is encouraged to click here for more information about the reunion, or call (502) 741-0969.

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