Thousands of high-tech running and walking shoes will begin pounding the streets of Wheeling Friday night for the start of the 30th annual Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic weekend.

While hundreds of similar races have sprung up and just as quickly faded away in the three decades that have passed since the legendary Bill Rodgers won the first Wheeling distance race, the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic remains locked in as a staple of the national and international road racing world.

According to race director Howard Corcoran, it’s the wholehearted support of the community that has allowed this event to prevail in an era when most others can’t even survive.

‘‘The city has been great to us,’’ said Corcoran. ‘‘A lot of races across the country had to be canceled because they didn’t receive the support from their city governments that we do here.

‘‘Right from the start, the City of Wheeling has always understood the huge impact the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic has on our economy and that support has been a huge factor in our success.’’

What began as a 20K road race on a Saturday morning in 1977 has now grown into a ‘‘Destination Weekend’’ for the City of Wheeling with no less than seven events on tap.

It all starts Friday night with the Tiny Tot Trot, the Ogden Fun Run and the Ogden Mile.

The Tiny Tot Trot, which starts at 6:45 p.m., is staged over the final 100 yards of the Ogden 20K course. Youngsters ages 5-and-under compete free of charge and everyone receives a finish award ribbon.

The Ogden Fun Run, set for a 7 p.m. start, is a non-competitive downhill mile run for ages 12-and-under from the top of Wheeling Hill. Entry fee is just $5 and all runners receive a T-shirt. Parents can jog along with their child for free or pay $5 and receive a T-shirt of their own.

The exciting Ogden Mile goes off at 7:15 p.m. over the same course. It’s restricted to runners ages 13-and-over and ranks among the fastest mile course in America.

Saturday’s schedule begins bright and early with the 20K Walk, set for a 7:30 a.m. start.

The gun goes off for the featured 20K Run at 8 a.m. with the 5K Run and Walk starting at 8:15.

The Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic run remains the signature event of the weekend and this year’s field is shaping up as one of the most competitive in recent years.

New champions are assured in both the male and female divisions this weekend as last year’s winners — Julius Kibet for the men and Jemma Sumgong for the women — were unable to return to defend their titles.

But with $11,000 of cash prizes to be split among the top eight finishers in the two divisions — including $2,000 each for the male and female winners — there’s no shortage of challengers.

As of presstime for this edition, entries had been received from a total of 20 states, Canada, Kenya and Morocco.

Wheeling’s own Ricky Moore made a little history last year when he finished second behind Kibet.

Now racing professionally across the country for Team Saucony, Moore returns to Wheeling in search of his first professional victory.

Also returning are Kenya’s Isaac Arusei and Mohammed Ar-Ar of Morocco, who followed Moore across the finish line here last May.

New faces include two promising young Kenyans in Kenneth Korir and Patrick Langat along with Ibrahim Limo, now running out of Albuquerque, N.M. Limo is coming off a win in Indiana’s Valpo Mini-Marathon and also has wins this year in San Diego’s Carlsbad Half-Marathon and the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, Ala.

With the return of the Masters and Grand Masters Divisions, the race committee has boosted this year’s total prize fund over $29,000.

Don’t be surprised if a sizable chunk of that goes to Sam Ngatia.

Now making a comeback as a Masters runner, Ngatia is a former world class runner who finished third here in 1984 and later won the 1989 Columbus Marathon.

He’s coming off recent top five Masters showings at the Lilac Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, Wash. and the Fifth Third 25K in Grand Rapids, Mich.

On the women’s side, 2004 Ogden Newspapers 20K champion Naomi Wangui of Kenya returns after missing last year’s event but she may not be the favorite.

Lyubov Denisova, a 34-year-old Russian, set a course record in winning last year’s Los Angeles Marathon — her second L.A. Marathon triumph. She also has three top 5 finishes in the New York City Marathon on her resume as well as a runnerup spot in the 2003 Boston Marathon.

Heather Bury, the former West Virginia University star who was the top American woman in last year’s Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic, will be back as will Susan Graham Gray.

Gray, who hails from Greencastle, Pa., is legally blind but finished fifth among the women at last year’s race and wound up winning the Ogden Grand Prix prize with a strong showing in the Parkersburg Half-Marathon last summer.

Corcoran reported that the 20K Walk field also picked up an elite competitor late last week.

Matt Boyles, who represented the United States in the IAAF World 20K Race Walking Cup in Corona, Spain earlier this month, will be making his first appearance in the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic.

Boyles shattered the course record in the Parkersburg Half-Marathon last summer with a 1:42:43, finishing nearly 25 minutes ahead of his closest pursuer.

He’s a former national youth record holder in the 5K walk and qualified for the national 20K race walking team with a 1:31:01 clocking in February’s U.S. Team Trials.

Entries remain open for all seven events in this weekend’s Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic.

Runners and walkers can sign up for any of Saturday’s events during Friday’s festitivities from 5-8 p.m.

Entries will also be accepted Saturday morning prior to the start of each race.