Part of the appeal of the Run Thru History is the race’s party atmosphere. Apparently, an anniversary party is even more appealing.

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A total of 858 people have registered for Saturday’s 10-kilometer run and 5-kilometer racewalk through the Vicksburg National Military Park, well ahead of last year’s pace RTH registration, chairman Hays Latham said.

Latham believes a combination of factors, including the race’s 30th anniversary and an optimum weather forecast are behind the spike.

“It might have something to do with it, and it might be because it’s later in the year. We have it the first weekend in March, and this is the latest that can be,” Latham said. “We’ve also been advertising a lot more in the Vicksburg paper. We started earlier than we usually do.”

A total of 912 people registered for the run, racewalk and 1-mile fun run in 2008 — a number that includes raceday registrations — and 760 actually participated. The average was around 700 participants in 2005, 2006 and 2007, but the five-year anniversaries tend to create upticks in attendance.

In 2004, the 25th anniversary of the race, 805 people participated. One of the biggest turnouts came in 1999, when 1,215 people swarmed the park for the 20th anniversary.

Latham said nearly 200 people registered on raceday last year, and a similar turnout would easily push the total number of runners and walkers over 1,000.

“I guess people think they’re going to get a little extra prize on the anniversaries. We’ve tended to give something extra out every five years. Or maybe we just try harder,” Latham said, referring to the race’s famous “goodie bags” that over the years have included things like socks, T-shirts and other trinkets. This year’s prize is a special RTH water bottle.

Runners and walkers can still register on Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Battlefield Inn. Race-day registration will be open from 7 to 8 a.m. on Saturday at Battlefield Inn, and the race begins at 8:30 at the arch in the Military Park. Race-day registration is $27.

The Blue-Gray 1-miler fun run begins on the Frontage Road in front of Battlefield Inn after the other two races have concluded. The entry fee for the 1-miler is $14.

Since it was begun, the race that has been the biggest event of its type in Mississippi has been held in all types of weather. This year the forecast is for clear skies and temperature about 65 degrees when the race starts.

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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com.