When the masses assemble for the Run Thru History on Saturday morning, more than a few will tackle the hills of the Vicksburg Military Park in groups.

One group, wearing red T-shirts instead of the standard race shirts, will be among participants walking with no aspirations of winning. For them, crossing the starting line is as much of an accomplishment as coming across the finish line.

They represent survival.

The group of about 20 men and women is made up of heart attack survivors. Participating in the 5-kilometer racewalk portion of the Run Thru History is part of their recovery.

“I’m going to stroll it. I’m not going for time,” laughed Frank Holifield, president of River City Mended Hearts, the Vicksburg chapter of a national support group for heart attack survivors and their families. Holifield had triple bypass surgery in January 2008. “It’ll be fun.”