Vicksburg has accumulated quite a few nicknames over the years like the River City and Red Carpet City.

There’s another one that starts with an R that’s always seemed appropriate, especially as we head into the spring of 2025 — the Running City.

Vicksburg is home to seven annual running events sprinkled throughout the year, plus a few more that pop up here and there with less fanfare. It doesn’t quite make Vicksburg the running capital of Mississippi — Ridgeland and Jackson had about a dozen events each in 2024 — but it does show a healthy appetite for it.

Each event in Vicksburg has found its own niche and theme, which gives them all a little different vibe.

The Run Thru History and Over the River Run offer serious competitive challenges and rich histories built over decades. The Reindeer Run 5K and Vicksburg Catholic Schools’ Spooky Sprint 5K are fun and laid back, as people run with their pets and in costumes.

The Laces For Love run, Star Spangled Night Run and the Key City Classic (formerly the Chillin’ in the Hills) are a mix of the others.

You might want to spend a few weeks getting in shape before you try to tackle a 5- or 10-kilometer run — 3.1 and 6.2 miles, respectively, for the mathematically and metrically challenged — but there’s something for everyone if you want to go at your own pace and have fun.

Another good thing about running in Vicksburg is that the schedule provides a steady pace to set goals. There’s roughly one race a month through June, and then another season when the weather cools off in the fall.

The spring season starts on Feb. 15 with the Laces For Love run. It offers a 5K and 10K option for runners and a 5K race walk. It’s got a combination Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day theme, with jambalaya and king cake replacing bananas and energy bars as postrace refreshments.

On March 1, runners can up their game for the Run Thru History. The 10K race through the hills of the Vicksburg National Military Park is notoriously difficult, but completing it has also been a rite of passage in Vicksburg for 46 years.

On April 26, the Key City Classic is a new old race that is being rebranded for 2025. It started as the Chill in the Hills in January, was moved to May and renamed the Chillin’ in the Hills, and now is getting a brand new identity and date.

Hopefully all of that comes with better weather. In its previous incarnations the Key City Classic was plagued by rain, to the point that its organizers might have been better off scheduling it in drought-stricken areas and selling their services.

The Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation’s Star Spangled Night Run in June wraps up the first half of the 2025 schedule. That’s another fun, but tough one because of the weather. Early summer and running in Mississippi are not exactly chocolate and peanut butter in terms of how they mix together. Eat enough of the latter before doing the former, though, and you’re likely to see it again.

So if you’re inclined, trying to set an exercise goal, or just looking for something fun to do on a Saturday morning this spring, start walking and running. Get in shape for one of these events. ‘Tis the season for it.

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Ernest Bowker is the sports editor of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com