The festivities of the 2016 Whidbey Island Marathon won’t end when the final participant crosses the finish line Saturday.

For the first time in the events’ 15-year history, an after party will be held to thank all those who helped with and took part in the race, according to director Theresa Reed.

Volunteers, racers, sponsors and vendors and their family members and friends are invited to the party, which begins 5 p.m. Saturday at the Oak Harbor Elks Club. Attendees must be at least 21 years old.

Live music will be provided by Deception Connection and hors d’ oeuvres will be served.

Admission and food are free; there will be a charge for drinks.

“We’ll have a good ol’ time,” Reed said. “There are so many people in the community that help with the marathon, it’s the Elks’ way of saying thank you.”

Reed noted that volunteers are still being accepted, and the final training is 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, at the Elks Lodge.

“Just show up if you want to help.”

The Oak Harbor Elks, in which Reed is the Exalted Ruler, is in its second year as the marathon’s organizer.

The Elks took on the project to help raise money for the club’s charitable activities, Reed said.

Registration numbers for the marathon are similar to last year when about 1,600 took part, according to Reed.

Preparation is going “pretty nice,” she said. “We are hoping and praying it will go off without a hitch.”

Reed said City Administrator Doug Merriman likened the marathon to a wedding with all its details and planning.

“Ready or not, she will be coming down the aisle Saturday,” Reed said.

The after party isn’t the only change this year.

All of the races (in addition to the marathon, there is a half marathon, 10K, 5K and family fun 1K) will follow new courses and be run on Saturday instead of Sunday.

The hub for all race-day activities and the finish line for all races will be near Flintstone Park on Bayshore Drive. The traditional finishing area at Windjammer Park is not available because of the construction of the new sewage treatment plant.

Originally, organizers hoped to begin the half-marathon, like the marathon, near Deception Pass Bridge but the staging area was too small to accommodate the expected 1,000 half-marathoners.

Switching the running date from Sunday to Saturday will allow racers to enjoy more of the weekend in Oak Harbor.

“It better fits our theme, ‘Run for a Day, Play for the Weekend,’ ” Reed said.

Running on Saturday, she added, will also allow more runners to take part because the races won’t interfere with church activities.

The Expo is now at the Elks Lodge on Friday and will be open 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Also for the first time, Elroy the Elk — the Lodge’s costumed mascot — will visit the Kids’ Corral on Bayshore.

In another new twist, “cheerleaders” will be placed along the routes to encourage runners, Reed said. The cheerleaders will be equipped with $1,000 worth of posters donated by The Guild, an Oak Harbor High School art club advised by Kit Christopherson.

The Elks will offer a $10 carbo-load spaghetti dinner from 4-8 p.m. Friday at the Lodge. The public is welcome.

Race times:

The half marathon will begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Cornet Bay, and the Whidbey Marathon starts at 6:30 a.m. on Highway 20 near Rosario Road.

The 10 and 5K’s begin at 9 a.m. and the 1K at 10 a.m. on Bayshore.

The only street closure will be 6:30-7:15 a.m. when Highway 20 is shut down at Deception Pass State Park to allow marathoners to cross the bridge.