Let the Games Begin -- at Binghamton!

The Empire State Games head to Binghamton for the first time July 26-30 and masters, scholastic and open athletes all have their own competitive divisions.

Scholastic and open division hopefuls, who want to compete in track and field, must attend the Central New York regional track and field trials. Those who qualify get their way paid to the Games.

For information on the race walks, call Larry Feller at (315) 493-0468. In the open and masters class, there are three race walk distances: 5K, 10K and 20K, which will be contested July 27-29 in Binghamton's Otsiningo Park.

Masters track and field athletes have age-group performance standards (fairly soft) which must be achieved via a do-it-yourself process. Local all-comers track and field meets, or certified 5K and 10K road races (for the 5,000- and 10,000 on-track events) can be used to match qualifying marks. Masters athletes do not have one specific qualifying meet like the high school and college kids do.

Three regional running clubs are hosting track and field qualifying opportunities for masters, and sites for everyone to practice skills. Take your pick:

The Triple Cities RC conducts Wednesday workouts each week at 6 p.m. at the Maine-Endwell track. Timed events: open mile, 800 meters 400 meters and the 3,000. Call Ron Slocum at 625-5873.

July 13 and 20: Thursday Nite Races, 6 p.m., McQuaid High School, Rochester. Events vary each week. Contact Pete Glavin, Genesee Valley Harriers, 160 Laney Rd., Rochester, N.Y. 14620; call (716) 242-9031.

July 10 and 24: Syracuse Chargers All-Comers Summer Track and Field Meets, 6 p.m., Jamesville-DeWitt High School, Edinger Rd., DeWitt. Events vary each week; no charge! Contact Lennie Tucker at (315) 638-8238.

If you can't get to an area track and field meet, I strongly urge masters athletes to contact a local certified coach, and request that he/she times or measures a performance for you. Qualifying performances verified in this way will be accepted as valid.

Masters is defined by a minimum age standard and this varies from sport to sport. Masters participants in track and field must have reached their 30th birthday by July 30, and age-group competition is divided into five-year age categories all the way up to age 75-over.

In addition to track and field, and race walking, masters athletes can compete in bowling, cycling, archery, diving, fencing, golf, gymnastics, marathon canoeing, volleyball, swimming and new this year -- road running.

The half marathon road event has been eliminated, and in its place a 10K road race and 10K wheelchair race have been created. The 10K event will be a double-loop race (Chris Thater 5K course times two), held at 9 a.m., July 30, in Binghamton's Recreation Park. There are no qualifying standards for these events.

For open class entrants only, there is no charge for the 10K (or race walks), but masters do have to fork over some bucks. Masters can run for free as open competitors, but will vie for top three overall awards only; not in five-year age groups.

Good news, too, because by the time you read this the entry deadline probably will be past (July 3). But if you want to compete in the 10K as an open runner, then it's free. You'll have to vie for top three overall, instead of five-year age groups, but it's FREE. What do you have to lose?

Open class athletes (or masters who desire to compete as open) in the 10K road race should contact Dick Bessel, 2039 Long Rd., Grand Island, N.Y. 14072. Entry deadline is July 19.

Masters athletes in track and field, race walking or 10K entrants who want to vie for 10K road race age-group medals, must fill out an application booklet. Contact the Empire State Games Masters Division, Joan Kay, 22 Harts Hill Circle, Whitesboro, N.Y. 13492; or call (315) 736-2919. Entry deadline for masters registrants is July 3.

For general information, call the ESG main office at (518) 474-8889, or check out their website at www.empirestategames.org.