Lisa Smith-Batchen returned to her hometown Tuesday and went for a stroll down memory lane.

A really, really long stroll.

Smith-Batchen, a 49-year-old Vicksburg native who now lives in Idaho, is attempting to run 50 miles in each of the 50 states over a span of two months. On Tuesday, the 23rd day of her quest, she followed a daylong course that took her from Levee Street to the Vicksburg National Military Park, and through some of the neighborhoods where she used to live.

“I’m very excited about being here. I have come home,” said Smith-Batchen, who started her day just after 5 a.m. and covered the first 28 miles by lunchtime. “It’s going to be like running down memory lane.”

Running with Smith-Batchen is a Roman Catholic nun, Sister Mary Beth Lloyd, who also is Smith-Batchen’s godmother.

Smith-Batchen is one of the country’s best female ultramarathoners. The demanding sport features races of anywhere from 50 to 300 miles. She has won the prestigious Badwater Ultramarathon — a 100-mile jaunt through Death Valley — twice, and the Marathon des Sables through the Sahara desert once.

Smith-Batchen plans to retire from competitive running after this summer’s Badwater and wanted to face the ultimate challenge for a sendoff. After toying with several ideas, she settled on the 50-state run. She started in Morristown, N.J., on April 19 and will end near her home in Idaho on June 19. By the time she’s done, Smith-Batchen will have covered 2,500 miles.

“I always wanted to run across America. How cool would that be? Then I wanted to run across America and set the women’s record,” she said. “I’m going to be 50 in September, and then you have 50 states. There’s 50 states and 50 miles. And then 100 kilometers is 62 miles so that ties into the 62 days. The numbers have a lot of meaning to them.”

Running 50 miles a day for two months straight is a challenge that’s as much about pushing her own limits as it is helping others.

Smith-Batchen is attempting to raise money to benefit three charities for orphans — The Orphan Foundation of America, AIDS Orphans Rising and the Caring House Project. She has been involved with the charities for nearly 25 years and has two adopted children.

Her ultimate goal for this venture, called “Running Hope Through America,” is to raise $1 million. She expects the bulk of any donations to come in when she’s finished, but some money has already started to trickle to the charities. Several stories on national networks such as CNN and NBC’s “Today Show” have also raised awareness.

“A lot of people are following along. It may take a few years to raise a million. I don’t expect to do it by the time I’m done. But you never know. If one million people each donate one dollar, we can make a dent,” Smith-Batchen said.

Sister Mary Beth has been with AIDS Orphans Rising since its inception. The 61-year-old is a part of the Religious Teachers Fillipini, which doesn’t allow its members to dress in anything other than a habit, so she is running 20 miles a day in her wool nun’s habit.

“It’s not hard at all. It’s very light,” Lloyd said of the habit.

While some stops have drawn as many as 100 supporters who ran part of the way alongside Smith-Batchen, this stretch of her journey drew a far smaller crowd and was all about family.

About a dozen relatives met her around noon Tuesday during a break in the parking lot of Battlefield Inn, where, oddly, Smith-Batchen worked before moving from Vicksburg in the mid-1980s. They caught up on old times as Smith-Batchen soaked her feet and sipped on a water bottle.

Smith-Batchen plans to run another 50 miles in Ruston, La., today and will spend a rest day with her father in nearby Calhoun. Her brother, Stephen, also flew in from New York to travel with the support crew for a few days.

“The fact that she can do 50 miles in Vicksburg and be able to stop for a few minutes means a lot,” said David Ivey, Smith-Batchen’s cousin.

Although throngs of supportive fans are always nice to see, Smith-Batchen said the more intimate turnouts were a welcome break.

“After a certain time of day, I just have to have my space. I just have to get into my own head, my own space and remind myself why I’m doing this,” she said.