Ten years of foot shuffling and shell shucking will be celebrated in Quilcene with the 10th Anniversary Oyster Races on Sunday, Sept. 18.

Every year the event draws in a few hundred runners to raise money for the Quilcene/Brinnon Dollars for Scholars program which helps to bring in funds for graduating students, recent graduates, as well as teachers associated with Quilcene High School, which Brinnon sends its students to.

“We provide some funding to them to help them ensure that pretty much every student graduating from Quilcene High School gets some support,” said race registrar Elizabeth Bindschadler.

What grew out of the 7K Ranger Run has grown into a combination of events including a half marathon (13.1 miles), 10K, 5K, and even a Kids’ Sprint event.

“Half of our runners come from the local area, another almost half of them come from Western Washington, and a few come from very far afield,” said race director Tom Brotherton.

What makes this event truly special is that runners don’t have to compete with a crowded field.

“Given that half-marathons are all the same distance, and 10K’s and 5K’s, what we have with our small attendance and small town is the quality race. Everyone gets a lot of attention and we take good care of them,” Brotherton said.

“It’s not like the big crush of some of the big city races. It’s homey, it’s friendly,” Bindschadler said.

And the best part of all? After racers finish, freshly shucked oysters await them from local oyster hatchery Pacific Seafood.

To learn more and register for the event, go to QuilRaces.com.