MUSCATINE , Iowa — Tonight Muscatine’s Matthew Joseph, 8, will compete in the Quad-City Times Jr. Bix 7 in Davenport for the fifth time. He is among more than  230 people from Muscatine who were signed up for Bix events by Wednesday and will compete in the various Bix road races this weekend.

“I’m fast,” Joseph said. “I run the mile in eight minutes and 27 seconds.”

He gets a lot of training for running during practices and games and for his soccer team, the U9 Muscatine Mad Dogs.

The Bix 7 is a seven-mile race that begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 25. The Jr. Bix begins at 6 p.m. today, and distance depends on the age of the youngster participating. The QuickBix is a two-mile race that begins at the same time as the Bix 7.

The Bix is celebrating its 35th anniversary as a community event that brings families together and a race that allows runners to achieve and beat goals.

The annual event is one of the most prestigious and challenging in the United States. It is held during the weekend of Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, named after the late musician, Davenport -born Leon Bix Beiderbecke.

Each year, the event draws an average of 15,000-20,000 participants.

Muscatine families who participate say they enjoy meeting up with friends, keeping in shape and testing out their skills

Ryan McFarland, 35, and his stepson, Dakota Whitlow, 15, have been bonding while looking forward to the race.

“This is my first time and I decided to do it because my stepdad makes it sound like fun and I just want to get out there and compete,” said Whitlow, who will run the QuickBix.

He has been practicing and figures he can finish the two miles in 15-16 minutes.

McFarland, on the other hand, doesn’t practice for the race at all.

“I just go run,” said McFarland, who has run the Bix 7 six times. “It’s just a challenge. It’s pretty fun running the whole thing, especially when there is no training involved.”

McFarland finished 114th in 2007, the last time he competed, with a time of 40 minutes and 58 seconds.

“I think I was the fastest man in Muscatine that year,” he said, because when the results were published, he was at the top of the list of those from Muscatine.

Joyce, 75, and James Lettenberger, 74, have been married for 54 years and they plan to walk the QuickBix.

Joyce ran the Bix 7 for the first time about 20 years ago. Since then she has continued walking and she and James have made a tradition of going to the race with their family.

“Over the years, I didn’t go to them all, but all five of our children, their spouses and even some of our grandchildren have participated,” Joyce Lettenberger said.

The Lettenbergers look forward to the race all year and walk year-round to keep in shape. They also enjoy the camaraderie the Bix 7 creates.

“It’s so much fun because we get to see people from Muscatine, and at the party after everyone has a great time,” Joyce Lettenberger said.