The November 4 HiTOPS half-marathon promises to be a win-win event for all involved.

As the first Princeton race in some 20 years, it will draw both local and out-of-state spectators who will be reminded, or, perhaps introduced for the first time, to the sights, sounds, history, and pleasures of Princeton. Local merchants’ associations are delighted about the event, and special weekend accommodation packages will be made available to out-of-town runners and their families.

The course of the race is a winner as well. Runners will proceed along a 13.1 mile route that highlights some of Princeton’s most renowned landmarks, including Albert Einstein’s house, the Princeton Battlefield, the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University, Lake Carnegie, and the Herrontown Woods.

It is anticipated that the race will attract 1,000 runners (134 have already signed on), and 3,000 spectators. “Early bird” registration is currently $65. A variety of sponsorship packages are available for both small businesses and large companies, who may call (609) 945-2345, ext. 5051 for details.

The most important winner to come out of the event will be, it is hoped, HiTOPS, which will benefit from both the proceedings and the spotlight it promises to focus on the agency’s work.

At Tuesday’s conference marking the official launch of the half-marathon, more than one speaker referred to the “unsung” accomplishments of the Princeton-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. HiTOPS’s “ultimate goal,” they say, is to nurture “healthy, empowered youth who make health-enhancing choices and avoid long-term negative health outcomes.” The organization’s 25th anniversary in 2013 made this an apt time to kick off a series of events to celebrate the occasion, said executive director Elizabeth Casparian. On November 4, that means all-day music and refreshments at Palmer Square, and a celebratory dinner in the Nassau Inn ballroom for runners and volunteers that evening.

Volunteers are key to the success of the event, noted Jennifer Chung, a long-time volunteer herself. At least 30 people are needed, and those who are interested are encouraged to visit the website http://princetonhalfmarathon.com.

Both Lieutenant Robert Currier of the Borough Police and Township Sergeant Thomas Murray helped to plan the race’s route and will continue to be involved.

“If any of you have kids, you know how valuable HiTOPS is,” said Borough Mayor Yina Moore in her comments at the press conference. In addition to lauding HiTOPS’s services, she noted that the upcoming half-marathon is an additional opportunity — besides traditional University sporting events — to bring outsiders to Princeton. Ms. Moore’s enthusiasm was not dampened by her admission that she “promised not to run,” citing an arthritic shoulder that hampered a symbolic Little League pitch as a telling precedent.

Speakers on Tuesday morning expressed the hope that the half-marathon will become an annual event in Princeton, and Ms. Casparian noted that HiTOPS looks forward to assigning a different theme to each future race. This year’s theme, she reported, is mental health, and HiTOPS has devised a “sophisticated” screening tool, based on confidential consultations, for assessing the likelihood that youngsters may have mental health issues that are associated with making bad decisions in the future.

Asked how much the screening tool costs, Ms. Casparian said that a separate price tag could not be put on it, because it is part of HiTOPS’s tradition of doing an assessment that looks at the whole adolescent.

For more information, visit http://princetonhalfmarathon.com, or write to info@princetonhalfmarathon.com, or call (866) 854-2RUN (2786).