LEWISTON — A month before the first mile is logged in the Dempsey Challenge, the charity event created by actor Patrick Dempsey is surpassing expectations.

“We hoped to get 3,000 entries,” said Wendy Tardif, the event manager for the running, walking and cycling fundraiser. As of Thursday morning, 2,635 had signed up. The 3,000 mark will likely be surpassed in a matter of days, she said. “It’s definitely building momentum, still.”

The numbers are climbing so fast, organizers plan to cap the entries at 3,500, a milestone they expect to hit by the end of next week.

“There has never been an event like this around here,” Tardif said. Issues from the safety of the riders to having enough T-shirts contributed to the decision to cap the entries. “We can always increase the number next year.”

A California-based biotechnology company, Amgen, has signed on as a sponsor for this year and next, helping to ensure that the Dempsey Challenge continues as an annual event.

“It gives us the backing we need to continue,” said Mark Turcotte, a spokesman for the challenge. “It’s huge.”

Dempsey, who grew up in Turner and Buckfield, announced the event last December as a fundraiser for his namesake charity, the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing. The center opened in 2008 at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. Its purpose: to help people diagnosed with cancer and their families

The Oct. 4 challenge includes a bike ride around Lewiston-Auburn and nearby towns with 10-, 25-, 50- and 100-mile routes. There is also a 5K walk/run. It is a noncompetitive fundraiser.

Professional cyclists George Hincapie, a five-time Olympian, and David Zabriskie, a Tour
de France time-trial record holder, have signed on to ride alongside Dempsey, who plans to participate in the 50-mile route.

The start and finish for each of the challenge’s events will be Simard/Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston, where related activities are planned. A health and wellness expo, children’s games, vendors, a lobster bake, live
entertainment, health screenings and an art workshop are planned for the riverside park.

But the focus will be on the the people who are running, walking and cycling, each hoping to raise money for the Dempsey Center.

Of the 2,500 entries, about half will be cycling. People have formed 225 fundraising teams. Many are still adding members, Tardif said.

[email protected]