Ayla, Kalan and Ryder Griffith will be taking part in this weekend's Lake Macquarie Running Festival.

The children of organisers Chad and Kate, the triplets are the inspiration for the festival's chosen charity, John Hunter Children's Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The triplets were born nine weeks premature and spent the first six weeks of their lives in the neonatal unit.

"We got to know the people there really well while the kids were being cared for and it's good to be able to give back to the hospital," Mrs Griffith said.

This year's festival will be a family affair for the Griffith clan, with Mum and Dad managing the event for the 15th year in a row and the triplets running the four-kilometre kids' scamper for the first time.

This year also marks the 30th running of the festival, which will be held this Sunday, August 31.

The festival drew a record number of participants last year, with about 2800 people running in the event, and the Griffiths are expecting to come close to that mark again this year.

Runners can enter the 10.5 kilometre fun run or the 21.1 kilometre half-marathon. Children eight to 10 years have their own race, a 4km kids' scamper.

All three events will start from the Warners Bay Esplanade.

■ Go to lakehalf.com for more information.