Wheeling Hospital once again will provide aid and medical attention to those racers who may need it as they participate in the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic on Saturday, May 27.

According to Wheeling Hospital Director of Rehabilitation John DeBlasis, the hospital performs several different services for runners and walkers on race day, including both emergency medical services and simple stretching and massages to alleviate any discomfort from the run.

‘‘We will be providing emergency services through a group of people who will triage participants as they cross the finish line,’’ DeBlasis said. ‘‘We will have physicians on hand from our emergency room and corporate health to assess those participants and offer whatever services are appropriate from monitoring to transport.’’

DeBlasis said there could be a number of people who need medical attention for things like heat exhaustion or another serious condition, but he added that last year, there were no major problems. Some of the need for medical attention also is dependent on the weather, because very high temperatures could lead to more runners being overheated, while heavy rains could cause more falls and related injuries. He said the other thing worth noting is that race participants are smart and generally in good shape, meaning they are less likely to suffer some type of catastrophic problem following the 12-mile event.

‘‘Most of these are pretty dedicated runners who have devoted a lot of time to running and training for long races,’’ DeBlasis said, adding that this type of continuous training minimizes the risk of them needing medical attention.

However, less dangerous conditions are common among the racers from things like muscle strains to blisters and heat-related illnesses of several different varieties. He also said it is important to have the medical staff available in case of a more life-threatening problem.

DeBlasis indicated that the largest problem for participants is what is called “venous pooling,” which can occur after running or walking a long distance, especially one with such a wide variety of terrain as the Ogden 20K course. What happens is blood and other fluids settle in the legs and feet, causing the athlete some discomfort following the end of the activity.

‘‘This is a source of discomfort post-activity,’’ DeBlasis said, explaining that massage and stretching exercises can alleviate a lot of the discomfort.

‘‘The idea of massage would be to help move that blood and all the waste products of the muscles metabolizing out of the body sooner and then feel better,’’ DeBlasis added.

About 20 people from Wheeling Hospital’s physical therapy department, emergency room and corporate health services, as well as some people from Wheeling Jesuit University, will be on hand to help participants.