The 36th annual Tour de Moore, expected to attract about 400 cyclists from all over the world, kicks off Saturday in Southern Pines.

Six races are on tap for the event, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., and $8,000 in prizes and primes is up for grabs.

The featured race is the eight-lap, 102-mile race, which will depart at 9 and finish up approximately at 1 p.m. The course starts and finishes on Ridge Street. Registration and parking will be at the Campbell House at 482 E. Connecticut Ave.

Race promoter Todd Stout said Tuesday that the event, which started in 1976, has hosted many prominent names in the cycling world.

“The Tour de Moore has a rich history and is considered by racers to be one of the most prestigious wins in the South,” Stout said. “In the first 20 years of the race, we had five international winners and only two from North Carolina.”

The course for 2011 will be the original Woodlake loop run in reverse. Riders will depart on Ridge Street a few blocks from the Campbell House and head east out Young’s Road toward Woodlake.

After completing the required number of laps around the lake, the riders will then head back to Southern Pines, finishing three blocks past the start on Ridge Street.

Early registration lasts until Thursday and is $25. On-site registration ($30) opens at 7 a.m. on race day and closes 30 minutes prior to the event. Riders can register online at www.pre-reg.com.

All cyclists will receive free race entry in the Pro 1, 2 race. All former winners of the pro race will receive free entry into any category. Juniors race free in any category.