As it approaches middle age, the Run Thru History is about to undergo some major changes.

Vicksburg’s biggest running event will have a new course, headquarters, starting time and several other alterations for its 37th edition on March 5. Most of the changes stem from the organizing committee’s decision to end a long-running affiliation with Battlefield Inn, and to move the race headquarters to the Hampton Inn and Suites directly across from the entrance to the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Battlefield Inn has served as the Run Thru History’s headquarters since the race was founded in 1980. Race director Phillip Doiron said the move to the Hampton Inn and Suites was a better long-term decision for the event.

“The Hampton came to us. We saw it as a good opportunity. Battlefield Inn has been a great asset for many years, but the amount of rooms and parking that the Hampton can offer us was a better fit,” said Doiron, who is also the executive director of the Vicksburg YMCA, which organizes the Run Thru History. “It is going to be different. After 36 years, any change is going to be tough. We felt this is best for the long-term success of the Run Thru History.”

Moving the race headquarters — the site where raceday registration and the event’s awards ceremony and after party take place — had a ripple effect on the rest of the Run Thru History’s long-standing event plans.

Because the Hampton Inn sits across busy Clay Street, Doiron said the RTH’s course will be changed to one that is situated entirely within the confines of the Vicksburg National Military Park. Formerly, the final half-mile of the race went down the I-20 Frontage Road that leads to the Battlefield Inn parking lot.

“We thought it would be a safer option to finish in the park instead of having people running across Clay Street,” Doiron said.

The final course has not yet been set. Doiron said the RTH committee is awaiting final approval from the National Park Service on two proposed routes.

The first is be a slight extension of the traditional route. The second is a whole new layout that incorporates a deeper loop into the park that would go as far as Graveyard Road.

Doiron said the RTH organizing committee will meet with park officials within the next couple of weeks to find out which, if either, proposed route is approved.

“About three-tenths of a mile was outside the park. Now we have to find a way to incorporate that into the park,” he said. “It is our intent to meet whatever needs the park has to make that happen. We appreciate everything they do. It’s a great complement to us, and showcases a great asset for Vicksburg.”

Because the entire course will potentially sit within the Military Park, Doiron said the start time of the race is being moved up 30 minutes to 8 a.m. That will get everyone out of the park faster, he said, which will allow it to reopen to regular visitors sooner.

“They had three concerns. One was safety. One is the integrity of the park itself. The third is for visitors and availability. The longer it’s closed for the race, the more people they have to turn away,” Doiron said. “If we start it 30 minutes earlier we can help them open a little bit sooner.”

Registration for the 37th annual Run Thru History opened this week. The entry fee is $25 for the 10-kilometer run and 5-kilometer race walk, and runners and walkers can sign up in person at the Purks YMCA off of East Clay Street or online at RunThruHistory.org, or vicksburgymca.com.

One thing people won’t have to pay for is the Blue/Gray One-Miler. That race, which is geared toward children and serves as the grand finale to the day, will be free this year. In the past and at most of Mississippi’s road races there is typically an entry fee ranging from $10 to $20.

Doiron said that decision was made with an eye toward generating interest in the race among Vicksburg’s youngest runners. There will be a contest among Warren County’s schools to see which one can bring the most children to the event. The winner will receive a gift certificate to purchase physical education equipment.

“What we want to do is make the Run Thru History more than a one-day event. We’re going to approach the schools in the area and get teachers to encourage their students to participate and train,” Doiron said. “What we don’t want is some kid to say, ‘I might go run but can’t afford it.’”

Although the changes are a major break with tradition, Doiron added that early feedback has been largely positive.

“The nice thing is, the community has such an ownership of the race that people say, ‘Oh my God, there’s a change to the course!?’” Doiron said. “But it���s nothing bad. They just want to know what it’s going to be.”

RUN THRU HISTORY

The 37th annual Run Thru History is scheduled for Saturday, March 5 at 8 a.m. in the Vicksburg National Military Park. Registration is now open, either in person at the Purks YMCA or online at RunThruHistory.org. The entry fee is $25 for the 10K run and 5K walk. The Blue/Gray One-Miler, a children’s fun run, is free to enter.