The Daily Inter Lake

More than 230 athletes from across the state will be in Kalispell this week for the 24th annual Montana Senior Olympics Summer Games.

The three-day competition begins Thursday with tennis, 1 p.m. and a 5K run, 5 p.m., both at The Summit.

A 10K run at 8:45 a.m. Friday, also at The Summit, officially kicks off the first full day of activity around the Flathead Valley. Everything winds up Saturday.

"It's about what it was last year," Kay Newman, director of the Montana Senior Olympics, said of the total number of entrants.

"Next year we will probably have more participants because it's a qualifying year (for Summer National Senior Games in Houston in 2011). We have a lot from out-of-state (who will compete in Montana's state event). It's easier for them to qualify here, than in California and Texas where they have such big games."

Kalispell is the host city for the state Summer Games in 2010.

Senior Olympics is for men and women 50 and older. They will compete in 12 different sports this week with gold, silver and bronze medals going to the top finishers in all of the five-year based age brackets.

The sports, locations and start times, are:

Archery - Lone Pine State Park - 9 a.m. Friday

Basketball - The Summit (free throw and hot shot) - 9 a.m. Saturday

Bowling - Pick's Bowling Center in Bigfork (individual, doubles and team) - 10 a.m. Friday

Cycling - Farm to Market Road - 20K 9 a.m. Friday; 10K 8:30 a.m. Saturday; and 5K 9 a.m. Saturday

Golf - Village Greens Golf Course (18 holes, putting and driving) - 8 a.m. putting; 9 a.m. driving and 18 hole play to follow Friday

Horseshoes - Woodland Park 'singles and doubles' - 10 a.m. Friday

Swimming - The Summit - 1 p.m. Friday

Table tennis - The Summit 'singles, doubles and mixed doubles' - 9 a.m. Saturday

Tennis - The Summit 'singles, doubles and mixed doubles' - 1 p.m. Thursday

Race walk - Legends Stadium - noon Friday

Track - Legends Stadium - 11 a.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday

Racquetball - The Summit - 10 a.m. Saturday

"The most popular events are bowling, track and swimming," Newman said.

More entrants have registered in horseshoes and table tennis this year than in previous years.

Ron Tjaden of Rollins, the local games director, points out that the competition in table tennis will be spirited.

"Seems like Whitefish will take on Kalispell a little bit," he said.

"It will be fun. It's always nice to build a little rivalry."

He said organizers picked the scenic Farm To Market Road for cycling so participants and fans "can enjoy our area. See what we have to offer."

Tjaden said the Flathead Valley last hosted this event in 1998.

"It's nice to a healthy body," he said.

"With the competition, it does get you out of the recliner.

"You have to give a lot of credit to the hospital (Kalispell Regional Medical Center) and The Summit for hosting," he added. "That's what made it possible.

"You have to give credit to the Hampton Inn and Aero Inn. They stepped up and made some commitments to the seniors."

Butte hosted these games the last two years. Great Falls will be the site for 2011 and 2012.