If knife-throwing, arrow shooting and spear throwing is your idea of a good time, then Tara Wildlife’s Tomahawk Tromp is an event you won’t want to miss.

The event is returning this year to the nature preserve in the Eagle Lake community.

The Tomahawk Tromp is a 5k race designed to test competitors’ archery, knife-throwing, spear throwing and target shooting skills, while trudging through muddy trails and water.

“We were rookies in it last year, I suppose we’re still rookies in it,” the organization’s marketing director Mark Bowen said. “We had about 120 people participate last year, and we thought this would be a great place to have a trail run of some type because of the area out here.”

“We’ve made some changes to expedite the scoring and it’s between a 5k and 6k,” he said. “The high levels of the Mississippi River has affected us some this year, and we’ve altered the course some.”

During the race competitors will have the option of testing their skills at 10 stations including 22-caliber rifle shooting, sling shot, archery, spear chunking, knife & tomahawk throwing before a short swim to finish the course.

“Competitors will have six scoring stations where each successful hit or stick will get them a 1 minute deduction from their overall time,” Bowen said. “This year we’ve got little numbered cards and a Boy Scout Troop from Vicksburg will help expedite the scoring.”

“There will be other man-made and natural obstacles to navigate as well,” he said. “Going through a ditch, through a barrel, across a log and through some water, which will be about 40-inches deep.”

The course will finish with a short swim across a small pond, but lifeguards and swimming pool cord and buoys will be strung along the water obstacles. However, competitors may choose to skip any station.

“Someone may choose to bypass any of these stations, if they choose to bypass a scoring station there will be a three-minute addition to their time,” he said. “We at least want them to attempt to walk across a log and try the stations. We don’t anyone to be intimidated. This is a family-friendly fun event.”

Competitors range in age from 3 years old to the mid-60s.

“We do have one National Guard father and his 3-year-old daughter that are going to run it, although I’m sure she’ll be on his shoulders a good bit,” Bowen said. “We do have competitors up to 64 years old so far.”

The event will benefit children of Mississippi National Guardsmen.

“The registration fee is $30 for an individual and $40 for a family up to 10,” he said “For a family we’ll just average the score of all the competitors. We’ll give them T-shirts and cook some hot dogs after.”

For more information visit http://www.tarawildlife.com/annual-events/tomahawk-tromp or call 601-279-4261.