Chill in the Hills organizers will wait if there’s lightning. They’ll endure the rain. They’re certainly hoping for shine. Whatever the weather, however, they say Vicksburg’s first road race of the year will go on as scheduled Saturday morning.

The Chill in the Hills 10K is scheduled to begin Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in front of Martin’s at Midtown, 1101 Belmont St. That’s roughly the same time some potentially severe weather is forecast to move through the area.

Race director Walter Frazier said the race through downtown Vicksburg will begin as scheduled unless lightning is in the area, in which case it will merely be delayed until it passes.

Frazier added that the Vicksburg Police Department and members of the Vicksburg Amateur Radio Club will be stationed along the route. They normally provide safety and spotting information to the race participants and officials, but will also give guidance on the weather on Saturday morning.

“The forecast is that the type of weather will be what we typically get this time of year, which is a squall line that will come and go,” Frazier said. “Once we look at the radar at midnight (Friday) we’ll be able to get a sense of the timing. We will not start the race if threatening weather is directly across the river. But the race will be over in an hour and a half.”

The Chill in the Hills is the first of a half-dozen Mississippi Track Club running events in Vicksburg over the course of the year. It is a fundraiser for Grace Christian Counseling Center, a non-profit organization that provides low-cost mental health and well-being services in Vicksburg and Port Gibson.

The race includes a 10-kilometer run, a 5-kilometer race walk, and a children’s fun run. The registration fee for the 10K and 5K is $40 per person. The fun run is free for children 12 and under.

Registration is open Friday until 5 p.m. at Grace Christian Counseling Center, 1414 Cherry St. Race day registration will begin Saturday at 7 a.m. at Martin’s at Midtown and continue until approximately 8 a.m. The race begins at 8:30.