Once a year for the past eight years, Maine track fans descend upon quaint Whittier Field at Bowdoin College and turn the pastoral meadow into a venue that runners love to visit.

Fans cheer and clap rhythmically. Thousands of cowbells chime. And world-class runners give the home-state crowd a show to remember.

On Saturday, the ninth edition of the New Balance Maine Distance Festival will be held at Whittier Field in Brunswick, beginning at 5:15 p.m.

And while the world-class races are what draws most of the fans, even the state’s high school elite get to join in on the fun.

Hampden Academy standout Oriana Farley, who has run in the past two Distance Festivals, will be one of the favorites in the high school girls 800.

She said the experience is special each year she competes.

“It’s incredible. It’s the perfect arena to run fast, because with all the professional athletes there, that draws in the real junkies,” Farley said.

“They all have their cowbells and when you come into the final stretch, they just go crazy,” she said. “No matter if it’s a high school race or the men’s 1,500, it doesn’t matter. They cheer on everyone.”

One of the meet directors, Steve Podgajny, said many of the fastest runners to compete in past Distance Festivals will return, and he expects a meet record to fall in the men’s 800.

The field in that event includes three-time NCAA 800 champ Otukille Lekote of the University of South Carolina, as well as meet record holder Jesse Strutzel (1:45.81) and 2000 Olympian Bryan Woodward.

Past Olympian Mark Croghan highlights the competitive 3,000-meter steeplechase field and will be challenged by Ray Hughes and David Mukynyi.

The men’s feature event each year is the mile, and meet record holder Jason Pyrah, an Olympian, leads a deep group of runners. Maine’s Erik Nedeau also will compete.

In the women’s 1,500, defending champ Colette Liss and UCLA’s Lena Nilsson will chase Marla Runyan’s meet record of 4:06.42.

Foreign runners highlight the women’s 5,000, but the meet record is a stellar 14:52.49 – also the American record – set by Regina Jacobs in 1998.

The high school boys mile run is expected to be an interesting battle as New England champ Jeff Alden of Caribou will face off against Steve DeWitt of Ellsworth and Illinois state champ Patrick Quinn.

Podagny said all four high school meet records are in danger this year.

Freshman sensation Chantelle Dron, last year’s 800 champ, has run a 4:53 mile and will chase the meet record of 4:50.53 set by current University of North Carolina star Shalane Flanagan.