A trip up the California coast, then on to wine country sounds like a dream vacation for a lot of people. For one group of Vicksburg residents, it’s especially so when the first leg of the trip will be taken on foot.

Five couples — John and Patti Duett; Ashley and Eric Mason; Kimberley and Wayne Mansfield; Bill and Geni Fulcher; and Brannan and Brooke Sutherland — will take a group vacation out west this weekend to run in the Big Sur Marathon. The race flows along California’s famous Pacific Coast Highway and is as much about enjoying time with friends as competing in a grueling endurance race.

“This one’s not about a PR (personal record) to me,” said Kimberley Mansfield, who has run nine marathons including the New York City Marathon last fall. “I’m a competitive, spirited gal, but I want to make it an enjoyable experience.”

The trip was the brainchild of John Duett. He’s only run one marathon — the Mississippi Marathon in Jackson 10 years ago — but has done numerous 10K and 5K races all over the country. Big Sur, which begins in the town of the same name and follows a scenic route up the coastline, was a race he’d always had his eye on.

At lunch last summer, he pitched the idea to some members of the group and they all jumped on the idea.

“It was on the bucket list when I first started running 20 years ago,” Duett said. “I thought it’d be a lot more fun with friends.”

Wanting to run the marathon and being able to run it were two different things, though. Big Sur limits its field to about 4,000 spots, which are divided up into 10 categories. About half the spots are reserved for first-timers and groups like the Vicksburg 10, and are then awarded through an online registration process.

Getting everyone a spot in such a limited field might have been more difficult than actually running the 26.2-mile marathon.

When registration opened, the Masons said Ashley went to church with their children while Eric stayed home working on two computers to try to get both of them a spot.

“It sells out in about 15 minutes. It’s like trying to get tickets to a concert,” Eric Mason said with a laugh.

Somehow, five of the 10 — the Masons, John Duett, Kimberley Mansfield and Brannan Sutherland — were able to land a spot in the marathon field. Four others will compete in shorter distance race runs as part of the marathon’s undercard.

Patti Duett, Wayne Mansfield and Geni Fulcher will run in the 5K race. Bill Fulcher will try the 10.6-mile event. Brooke Sutherland will go along on the trip, but not run.

“There’s something for everybody to run. Almost everybody in our group is running some distance,” Kimberley Mansfield said. “I’m looking forward to running it with friends and witnessing the greatness of God’s beauty.”

When the gun sounds to start the race on Sunday morning, the group said they planned to run together as much as possible. It’s a familiar routine. During training runs in the Vicksburg National Military Park, Duett often tells stories to pass the time.

“Hopefully it’s going to be a conversation pace the whole marathon,” Eric Mason said.

Afterward, Mason added, the second part of the vacation will be a different sort of challenge. After completing the marathon on Sunday, the group will head to the Napa Valley for a few days of rest and relaxation.

“That’s a four- or five-hour drive. We’re going to have to take turns on who’s driving to Napa after running a marathon,” he said.