Molly Cogswell-Kelley assures one of the many annoying reporters who have been phoning her that her voice “normally does not sound like this.”

Oh? How does it usually sound?

“Not raspy!” she said. “I’m getting laryngitis … sorry if I was a little curt.”

Such are the pressures of being race director of the Pole Pedal Paddle, a multisport relay race and multitudes-drawing spectacle. Bend has many sporting events, and probably a few that would have legitimate claims of being Bend’s signature sports event, but the PPP is quite possibly the John Hancock of signature events.

It’s that BIG. The PPP starts at 9:15 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Bachelor (see “If you go”), with staggered start times depending on the category racers fall into, such as elite, individual, pairs or teams.

The race begins with an uphill sprint to the racers’ skis and boards, then an alpine leg down the Leeway run. Next up is the 8K cross-country skiing leg at Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center.

We’re still just getting started. The race then heads downhill for 22 miles by bike (this would be the pedal part of the event’s name). Then there’s a 5-mile run. Next up is the paddle part of the title. Canoeists and kayakers paddle upstream for a half a mile on the Deschutes River to Healy Bridge, then back downstream for three-fourths of a mile, then back upstream for a fourth of a mile to the sprint exchange.

Finally, there’s the sprint to the finish, but don’t let the word fool you. That would be a half-mile sprint. That’s a half-mile farther than most Americans jog in a year, probably.

According to MBSEF, the course take anywhere from an hour and 45 minutes to 4 hours to complete. At Les Schwab Amphitheater, food vendors will be open for business beginning at 10:30 a.m., and there will be a beer garden for replenishing lost carbs. The awards ceremony is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

Nearly 3,000 entrants had registered as of last week, and Cogswell-Kelley says 2013 might be another record year if another hundred or so sign up.

For spectators, or just people hoping to get from Point A to Point B around Bend, it’s a banner year as well.

“Something new this year that’s really, really exciting and cool, is there will be no detours in town. We took the roundabouts out of the cycling leg, so the bike-to-run transition is now at The Athletic Club (of Bend),” she said.

However, only two-person pairs who are competing together will be able to drive down Cascade Lakes Highway. Other traffic will be routed through Sunriver.

Another change this year is to the running course.

“The run is completely different. The run course is now on the Deschutes River Trail, and it features both sides of the river, so it’s mainly just a trail run,” Cogswell-Kelley said. For residents in some of the neighborhoods, such as Sunrise Village and Mountain Gate, the reconfigured course might be a disappointment, she concedes.

“It might be kind of sad for them. Because a lot of the neighbors would just go crazy. They’d have their own little aid stations. They’d have their hose out and spray runners if it was really hot,” she said. “We thought it would be (a) great idea to feature the awesome trail system we have here. It’s just a lot more scenic, and again, it won’t affect traffic.”

“We thought (it) would have more of an impact on some of the out-of-towners. Now they can access this great river trail and go ‘Wow. I want to move here,’” she said, chuckling.

But she’s not exactly kidding. Out-of-towners make up 55 percent of the competitors, Cogswell-Kelley said. Still, the folks who reliably win year after year? They tend to be locals.

“Of course, right? Because this town is crazy,” she said. “But more people from outside Bend actually come and do the race.”

They come from all over Oregon, as well as Washington and Idaho, but as much as 90 percent are from around Oregon.

It’s a lot of work to put on, but it’s all for a good cause.

“It’s our biggest fundraiser for MBSEF,” she said, referring to the nonprofit Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation. “All the money that is raised at the PPP helps subsidize race-training fees for the 550 youth athletes in our program.

“We provide the best training in the Northwest for kids in alpine, free ride, Nordic skiing and snowboarding. We really have probably the best coaching staff. We’re known for our coaching staff. What we do to subsidize race-training fees is we fund raise in a nontraditional way.”

That means holding big annual events like the PPP and Cascade Cycling Classic.

“It allows us to keep our program fees affordable for these kids,” she said. Speaking of kids, the Mini Pole Pedal Paddle gets under way at 9 a.m. Sunday.

Cogswell-Kelley might be something of a weather psychic. She’s been with the PPP for eight years and said, “Seriously. I have predicted the weather for the last eight years, and I have always been right. It just randomly comes to me in February.”

This year, she predicted the temperature would be between 63 and 67.

“I’ve been looking at the weather, and it looks like it’s going to cool down. But I don’t know. I certainly could be wrong,” she said.

Either way, “It’s shaping up to be an awesome year.”

If you go

What: The 2013 Pole Pedal Paddle

When: First racers take off at 9:15; awards ceremony will be held at approximately 3 p.m.

Where: Begins at Mt. Bachelor and concludes at Les Schwab Amphitheater

Cost: Free for spectators

Contact: www.pppbend.com or 541-388-0002