Young racers run through Mountain View during the annual Faster Than a Falcon 5k May 12, 2017.

The annual Faster Than a Falcon 5k drew hundreds of runners, police and volunteers to Mountain View May 12, 2017.

An Alaska Military Youth Academy volunteer watches runners pass through Mountain View during the annual Faster Than a Falcon 5k May 12, 2017.

The race started at Mountain View Lions Park at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. By 9:45 a.m., runners filled the neighborhood.

A fundraiser for the Mountain View Boys and Girls Club, the annual Faster Than a Falcon 5k leads runners on a winding route through the neighborhood — past the elementary school and the community center and back to the park. 

Every year, the race draws hundreds of people and raises thousands of dollars. It takes many residents by surprise: kids gather to watch from front yards, and drivers search for detours around the sudden crowd. This year, the event surprised some of the volunteers, too. One Alaska Military Youth Academy student said he didn’t know about the race until his group boarded the bus to Mountain View Saturday morning.

Organizing the event takes group effort. The AMYA volunteers stood posted at street corners along the route. Anchorage Police Department officers parked at other corners, blocking traffic while the race took place. 

At the corner of North Bragaw Street and Thompson Avenue, a woman in a waiting Subaru called out to an officer stationed in the intersection.

“Can I go?” she asked, cars lining up behind her while runners moved past.

“No,” the officer replied. “I got 500 people and I’m trying to make sure they don’t get hit.”

You can find race results here.