The 39th annual Vicksburg Run Thru History 10K road race takes place on Saturday, but this is anything but a normal 10K run. Held in the Vicksburg National Military Park, it will also feature a 5K walk, the first Cannonball Run 1-miler & School Challenge for kids, and an exciting array of other events inspired by the Siege of Vicksburg that took place in the Civil War in 1863.

The expansion of this year’s event is designed not only to maximize the race’s appeal, but also to focus on the natural beauty and stories that Vicksburg’s national park has to offer. The Vicksburg YMCA and Vicksburg National Military Park teamed up again to make the program a family-fun event for the whole community.

“What we’re going to be offering is a living history encampment, where we’re going to be bringing in living history historians, who will portray Union and Confederate soldiers, to give not just the people participating in the race, but the spectators as well, something to do and open them up to that history,” said Scott Babinowich, the Chief of Interpretation at Vicksburg National Military Park.

“We’ll have Civil War medicine here, and we’ll be doing some drills for the kids that are here, running them through what we call the school of the soldier, giving them the toy muskets and running through some basic infantry drills,” Babinowich continued.

There will also be a demonstration of spinning, an old technique used to make fabrics, and some Civil War era games for kids that will be led by child volunteers. Babinowich emphasized that the events are completely open to the public.

“What really excites the National Park Service about this is really expanding our existing partnership to really focus in on improving access to active recreation, supporting this event, and also increasing access to the historical significance of Vicksburg, and this is such a great venue to do it,” Babinowich said. “We’re bringing in like 1,000 people every single year. It’s just a great opportunity for the Parks Service to really do what we can to make sure people start to get a little bit of a better feel for how significant and unique of a history we have here in this community.”

Phillip Doiron, executive director of the Vicksburg YMCA, saw the opportunity for the race to keep improving.

“What I’m really most excited about, and that’s why I wanted Scott, was instead of us running a race in the park, we’re down the line looking to partner with the park and make this more of an experience for the entire family that comes over here,” Doiron said. “That’s how we’re going to grow.”

These days, there’s plenty of 10Ks and other races around, so Doiron said the race needed a way to set itself apart from the rest.

“It’s a way to promote fitness, fun, and then the history too,” Doiron said.

The postrace party will feature Vicksburg band The Chill and what Doiron called “the Famous Run Thru History hot dogs,” free with drinks for the racers. The after-party will be at the Hampton Inn and Suites, located across from the VNMP entrance on Clay Street.

As for the races, each bend, hill and slope of the path has a story to tell, so Babinowich will give a short presentation on what the runners will be seeing along the path Friday at the Hampton Inn, which is serving as the race headquarters. There, from 5-8 p.m., athletes can register and pick up their packets, and the first 200 will receive a free spaghetti dinner. Participants can also register Saturday morning from 7 to 7:50 a.m. The race begins at 8.

The fun won’t end for the runners after the race, as licensed battlefield guides will offer two free bus tours for the racers and their families.

“They’re going to be having a narrated, real in-depth experience as to what makes this place so important and unique,” Babinowich said. “So that’s an exciting thing.”

Meanwhile, the Cannonball Run 1-miler and School Challenge, which is free to the first 200 children to register through Feb. 27 and $10 after, will pit the Warren County schools against each other in a fun competition. Whichever school has the most participants will receive a $200 gift certificate to buy physical education equipment.

The Cannonball Run 1-miler is a new twist on the Blue-Gray 1-mile fun run that has been part of the Run Thru History for years. The Cannonball Run 1-miler will start after the 10K and 5K events have concluded, at approximately 9:30 a.m.

“It’s just a way to generate a little fun, a little competition,” Doiron said. “The free race is kind of a new thing for us, but we wanted to branch out and bring more kids into it.”

Doiron added that while Saturday’s festivities are centered around the running and walking events, there are plenty of things for even non-athletes to come out and enjoy.

“There’s a lot of stuff designed for the runners, but it’s really open to anyone in the community,” Doiron said. “If they just want to come cheer people on, or if they want to bring their child and run and they watch, it’s there for anyone to enjoy.”

The living history aspects will continue until the afternoon.

“It’s such a fun event,” Babinowich said. “Last year was my first Run Thru History, and it was just so exciting to see the energy, how excited people were, the community out here. It was just such a neat thing to see and the energy and the excitement that was around was really impressive.”

The Run Thru History will support teenagers attending the YMCA Christian Values Conference in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Additional event and registration information can be found at runthruhistory.org or by calling the Vicksburg YMCA at 601-638-1071.

39TH ANNUAL RUN THRU HISTORY
• Saturday, 8 a.m.
• At The Vicksburg National Military Park
• Registration will be held from 5-8 p.m. Friday, and from 7 to 7:50 a.m. Saturday at the Hampton Inn and Suites at 3330 Clay Street. The entry fee is $30 for the 10K run and 5K racewalk. There is no fee for the children’s Cannonball Run 1-miler.
• In addition to the running and walking events, the VNMP will offer a number of historical displays and tours on Saturday. These will include living history displays, re-enactments, and a free postrace bus tour. All of these events are free and open to the public.
• For information, visit runthruhistory.org or call the Vicksburg YMCA at 601-638-1071.