Winning Coupeville’s first-ever Great Pumpkin Race may come down to ingenuity.

“The key is those straight axels,” said Vickie Chambers, executive director of the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association.

Chambers, along with her husband and other association members, have been testing different strategies on building the perfect pumpkin racer.

But there’s still time to beat them.

The races will be held 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19 near Alexander and Front streets.

First runs will start at 2 p.m. Bring your pumpkin ready to race. Squash will also be allowed.

Elimination rounds start at 3 p.m., with finals starting at 4 p.m.

There aren’t many rules to building your pumpkin racer.

“Really the only rule is the axels have to go through the pumpkin,” Chambers said. “The pumpkin can’t sit on it.”

Chambers said she and her husband have tried all different types of materials, from steel rods to PVC pipe.

“Smaller pumpkins seem to be more effective,” she said. “We’ve tried different sized wheels and the smaller ones also seem better.”

The streets will be lined with hay to ensure pumpkins make it to finals; however, if caught cheating, a pumpkin might meet an unfortunate end, Chambers said.

“Build your pumpkin and practice at home,” she said. “And decorate them.”

“It should be interesting to see how creative people get.”

Winners will receive special trophies and bragging rights.