PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Philadelphia Marathon is almost eight months away but city officials are expecting a huge response when registration opens today.

The race has been growing steadily and it’s been selling out earlier each year.

This year, the city’s expanding participation from 23,000 runners to 25,000 but it still expects the race to fill up months in advance.

“We already have people chomping at the bit to sign up,” City representative and race executive director Melanie Johnson says the flat, scenic course has acquired a reputation among runners.

“People love the course, and they love interacting with our volunteers. We have over 2,000 volunteers. It’s really a great race and people are recognizing that.”

It’s not just the marathon that’s grown in popularity. The Broad Street run sold out all 30,000 numbers in five days this year.

“It has been recession proof. Every marathon, the Broad Street Run, they have all grown.”

Reported by Pat Loeb, KYW Newsradio