Four years ago Jill Saunders had hopes that the ShamRock and Roll would one day become a big-time event.

It didn’t take long. This year’s fourth edition of the race, which features certified 1-mile, 5-K and 10-K courses, will be held Saturday, March 17, in Whispering Pines.

“This is a labor of love for me,” Saunders said.

The race is the opening event for the Sandhills Race Series. About 1,000 people, including some 300 children, participated in last year’s event. Saunders said she is hopeful that ­participation will increase this year.

“Right now we are on target to exceed that (total from last year),” she said.

The Sandhills Race Series seeks to encourage and recognize participation and performance in local racing, and provide support to organizations coordinating running events for the promotion of fun, fitness and community causes. The ShamRock and Roll Race is the first of four races in the SRS Spring session.

The goal of the race is to further healthy lifestyles at Sandhills Farm Life Elementary School. To that end, children and staff from the school can register for any of the races at no cost.

“I didn’t want financial considerations to keep kids from participating,” Saunders said.

Saunders is hopeful that the race will continue to grow in the future.

“A half-marathon is on my radar and possibly adding a bike component to it,” she said.

On The Mark Sports from Greensboro will be providing professional timing services with B-Tag devices.

Saunders praised all the dedicated sponsors and volunteers who help make the event a success.

“There are a lot of things that come together to make this race a success,” she said. “There are so many people who help make this happen.”

Sponsors include: The Village of Whispering Pines; The Sandhills Race Series; Food Lion of Whispering Pines; Tony's Good Eggs; Golden Corral; Saunders Orthodontics; Fore Properties; Laura Lang, CPA; First Health of the Carolinas;

Dr. Christine Gatti of Dogwood Dental; Trophy World of Laurinburg; Gaddy Waste Services; Rita's Italian Ice & Custard; Shoe Carnival; Nutrishop; Sandhills Pediatrics; Carolina Snapshots; Sandhills Paint Center; Rockin' Rollin' Video Games; Wendy's and Longworth Industries; Manufacturer of Polarmax; and AYG.

Registrations will be accepted through race morning with early registration ending Thursday, March 8. Visit sandhillsraceseries.com to link to the Active.com online registration or go to www.shamrocknrollrace.com to print and mail forms. Websites also include race details and start times.

For more information, contact Saunders by email at rjsaunders5@yahoo.com.