Below freezing temperatures weren’t enough to keep runners off the course Saturday morning as more than 200 competitors took part in the 10^th annual Chill in the Hills race.

The event features a 10K run, a 5K walk and a mile fun run for kids and serves as the main annual fundraiser for the Grace Christian Counseling Center, which has hosted the race for the last seven years.

The event originally started as a fundraiser for the YMCA, but switched to Grace in year four.

“It raises about $10,000 net that helps us pay for the expenses of operating. One of the things we do is provide services for persons regardless of resources and this helps supplement those costs,” said Walter Frazier, executive director of Grace Christian Counseling Center and race organizer. “I was really surprised. It is impressive and that is why I said it at the start line. Thank y’all for coming out in this because it is 26 degrees.”

Frazier said this was the coldest the race has been in the seven years Grace has hosted it, but he believes temperatures dipped below freezing during one of the three races hosted by the YMCA.

“It was very cold,” said Tyler Barnett, who ran the 10K along with his wife. “With no preparation it seemed very long to me, but for people who prepare for these kind of things it was regular. I feel like your joints get tighter the colder it is and with no face protection and if you aren’t properly covered, it’s cold.”

The race started and ended at Martin’s at Midtown and the restaurant also served as the registration area Friday night.

This time was the first registration was also held at Martin’s.

“We really firmly believe in the mission of the Grace Christian Counseling Center, which is what this race supports,” Lisa Martin, the owner of Martin’s, said. “We started the mark the route program three races ago. People that are on the route rent signs for $10 and that benefits Grace. This year we also did a bowl fundraiser.

During this week if somebody has bought a bowl of soup or chili, they’ve gotten one of the hand crafted chili bowls from previous year and 100 percent of the proceeds went to Grace.”

Martin said she wasn’t sure how many signs they rented or bowls of soup they sold, but she believes they raised around $500 for Grace.

The race serves as the season opener in the Mississippi Track Club’s Grand Prix and typically attracts between 200 and 250 runners.

“We have great sponsor in Cannon Toyota that really underwrites a lot of the expense of the race. Despite the cold, I think we’ve got some fairly good numbers,” Frazier said. “Maybe not as good as our best, but we usually run between 200 and 250 and I think we got that. The warmer weather this time of year tends to bring thunderstorm activity and that can run folks off too. I’d really rather it be cooler, but January is that unpredictable.”