Thirty-one years have passed since a visitor to the city lit up the Run Thru History in a blistering 30 minutes, 35 seconds.

Hector Ortiz’s mark has never been seriously challenged in the annual showcase road race in Mississippi. Other races are larger and some offer money, but few can rival the aesthetic beauty of a 6.2-mile jaunt through the Vicksburg National Military Park.

On Saturday, the 33rd installment of the race will begin at 8 a.m. at the arch leading into the park. The route will follow Confederate Avenue, then down Union, under Clay Street and around the South Loop. Even the most seasoned runners and walkers find the challenges of the hills — in much the same way U.S. Grant did 151 years ago — grueling.

The final journey up Railroad Hill has collected myriad runners and walkers, most of whom either did not prepare or are new to the course. This is not a walk in the park, unless you want it to be.

The beauty of this race is that there are competitors trying to climb up the Mississippi Track Club standings, but also leisurely walkers and runners who just want to experience the park. Early weather forecasts are calling for sunny skies and cool temperatures. But be prepared for anything. My friend Fred Messina, the longtime reporter and outdoors columnist who died in 2007, took pride in his (wrong) weather predictions. But I am confident Saturday’s weather will be perfect for an athlete to make a run at history.

Talk to longtime RTH organizers and they’ll tell you the record is safe. After winning the race in 1981, race organizers told Vicksburg Evening Post reporters that the record will be something runners shoot for for many years to come — the average run time among the winners is about 35 minutes. And they were correct.

Ortiz, who lived in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1981, was a world-class runner who was accustomed to running full marathons and came close to making the 1980 U.S. Olympic marathon team. In dominating the 1981 race, he said he never really warmed up — and still beat the closest competition by more than 2 minutes.

Records are made to be broken, but this one might stand the test of time with Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941 and Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962.

But each year when the RTH comes around, there will be confident runners ready to make a run at Ortiz’s record.

Good luck.