Cries of "Go, Alvin, go" and "He did it" were in the air Saturday at the semi-annual hamster races at Animal Ark in American Fork.

Nearly 40 racers, along with their owners and their parents crowded into the store and spilled onto the sidewalk during the races. The hamsters raced on a sloped track, to give them a little edge. The track had dividers, separating it into lanes. Each hamster was put into a "car," complete with a wheel to power it. As the hamster ran on the wheel, the car went forward on the track.

The races were divided into heats. The hamsters had a practice run, then participated in their heat. At the end of the race, the winners of each heat raced against each other for the finals.

American Fork resident Aylen Salomone's hamster, Stacy, captured first place in the race. Second went to Robo, the hamster of Ashton Goodwin of Lehi. Honeybear, owned by Zane Elkins of Orem took third place. They won hamster accessories by Critter Trail.

Jessica Winn, one of the shift supervisors at Animal Ark, said the store has the races twice a year and usually gets a good turnout.

"It usually gets pretty crazy," she said. All the employees turn out for the event so there are some on hand to conduct regular business while others supervise the racing.

"We get a lot of kids with their pet hamsters," she said. One new feature they have added is the chance for siblings of hamster owners to "rent" hamsters for the races.

"We even offer a rental hamster for brothers and sisters who don't have one," she said. "Some people don't want to buy another one, but their kids want to race."

Four-year-old Ashton Goodwin and his brother Tanner, who is 5, each got hamsters in November and participated in the race.

Ashton said he enjoyed watching Robo race.

"She likes to run," he said.

Emiko Hironaka has had her hamster, Winnie, for one month.

"I have wanted a hamster for a long time," she said.

Her mother, Robin Hironaka, said 10-year-old Emiko worked for the privilege.

"She earned the money to pay for her own hamster," Robin Hironaka said. "She did extra chores."

Emiko Hironaka said she enjoyed having her Russian winter white hamster.

"She likes to play in her ball," she said. "I like to watch that."