A 55-foot mural depicting the Run Thru History is being commissioned along the Grove Street floodwall between Levee and Washington streets, across the street from the 32 floodwall murals along Levee Street.

“We thought it would be a great way to promote Vicksburg as a city of history, health and fitness,” said Mack Varner, director of the event for its first 23 years.

The mural got the OK by the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen Tuesday, clearing the way for prep work to begin today, said artist Benny Graeff, who will paint the mural along with Herb Roe. Both Lafayette, La.-based artists worked on most of the existing floodwall murals under the direction of Robert Dafford.

“The prep work will take about four to five days, and then we’ll come back in about a month to begin painting,” Graeff said. “Painting the mural should take about three weeks to complete.”

The mural essentially will be triangular in shape due to the incline of Grove Street. At its highest point it will reach about 10 feet, said Graeff, and run about 55-feet along the floodwall. A sketch shows runners passing beneath the iconic arch in the Vicksburg National Military Park and passing several prominent monuments in the park.

“It’s going to be so neat. I can’t wait to see the runners running up the hill in front of the (Levee Street) Depot toward Monsour’s (At The Biscuit Company),” said Nellie Caldwell, who helped secure authorization for the existing floodwall mural series and formerly chaired the Riverfront Mural Committee, which disbanded after its final mural was completed in 2009.

The Run Thru History, envisioned as a promotion to start the spring tourism season, annually draws about 1,000 participants for a 10-kilometer run, 5-kilometer racewalk and 1-mile fun run through the military park. It is held on the first weekend in March and has been the largest event each year for the Mississippi Track Club, which sanctions the event.

The mural is being commissioned by the Run Thru History committee that organized the event from 1987 to 2009, with funds from past event registrations and sponsorships, Varner said. A new committee was handed the reins beginning with this year’s run. Varner said the cost will be similar to the existing murals, which required $15,000 to $16,500 each.

“We just thought we should try to leave a legacy in Vicksburg highlighting what a tremendous community event this has been and continues to be,” Varner said.