The 10K runners come off the starting line at last year’s 300 Oaks Road Race.
{{tncms-inline content="<p><strong>Thursday</strong></p> <p>Midnight: Online registration will close; team registration ends</p> <p><strong>Friday</strong></p> <p>4-7 p.m.: Packet picket, pre-race party at the Hampton Inn, 1815 U.S. 82 W.</p> <p><strong>Saturday</strong></p> <p>Until 7:45 a.m.: Race day registration, packet picket on the corner of Grand Boulevard and West President Avenue</p> <p>8 a.m.: 10K run starts</p> <p>8:05 a.m.: 5K run starts</p> <p>8:15 a.m.: 5K walk starts</p> <p>9:30 a.m.: 1-mile fun run starts</p> <ul><li>All races will begin on East President Avenue except for the fun run, which will start on the Keesler Bridge.</li><li>Post-race party on Front Street follows the event. For more information or to register, visit www.300oaks.com.</li></ul>" id="a10b6445-047f-4d9b-b6c7-0db6153f8c28" style-type="fact" title="SCHEDULE OF EVENTS" type="relcontent"}}
An annual Greenwood tradition for the past 37 years is right around the corner.
The Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce’s 300 Oaks Road Race will be held Saturday morning and will feature 10K and 5K runs, a 5K walk and a 1-mile color fun run down Grand Boulevard.
“We’re pretty amazed,” said Beth Stevens, executive director of the chamber, about the event’s continued success over the past three decades. “It’s not as big as years past, but it’s still profitable and a strong event. We still have people come from all over the state, and I think it’s because of that longevity and the history.”
The road race is one of the oldest in the state and the chamber’s second-oldest event, behind the Roy Martin Delta Band Festival and Christmas Parade.
300 Oaks Logo
Each year, an average of about 600 to 800 participants lace up their running shoes and travel the scenic race route, which covers much of the oak-shaded streets of North Greenwood.
About 300 participants were registered for the event as of Friday afternoon, and many more are expected to sign up this week.
A participant favorite of the race is the awards, which are different every year. This year, the race will feature shiny new large medals featuring the race logo.
“Everybody is all about the bling,” said Stevens. “We’re known for our really good awards and want to make sure we’re doing things that are fun, unique and creative, because people work hard for those awards.”
The medals will be given to the overall male and female winners of the 10K run, 5K run, 5K walk and fun run.
Each winner of the 300 Oaks Road Race will receive one of these medals as an award.
First-, second- and third-place awards will also be given to winners in five-year age increments of each race. The largest teams and the fastest teams in each race category and the masters and grand-masters winners will also receive awards.
After a successful debut last year, the color fun run — Color Me Greenwood — will return.
“The kids especially thought it was cool,” said Stevens.
The 1-mile race will kick off with an explosion of color as participants will have individual packets of color powder to toss in the air.
Youngsters pass a gauntlet of orange powder Saturday during the final stretch of Color Me Greenwood.
Color powder will also rain down on participants at each intersection down Grand Boulevard. In charge of those color stations will be Greenwood High School students, who have gone through training and will be assisted by adults at the intersections.
Participants will each receive a white T-shirt.
“The idea is when you get done you have a tie-dye T-shirt,” said Stevens.
The color powder is safe, but Stevens suggests that participants bring some type of eye protection.
“It’s not required. We just want to make sure everyone’s safe,” she said.
300 Oaks Color Run Logo
Stevens also said that fun run participants or parents of participants should carefully read over the Color Me Greenwood race instructions, which will be handed out during packet pickup.
Another fun feature of the race is the teams of runners and walkers. Five or more race participants can form a team for the 10K run, the 5K run or the 5K walk.
Some of the teams signed up this year are Life Help with 34 members, John-Richard with 23 and Bank of Commerce with 15.
Last year, the GLH Pacesetters team had the most members with 57 and the faster team was Westminster Presbyterian Church.
John-Richard fielded a large walking team for 300 Oaks. From the left are Tarita Hunt, Bobbie Woods and Frances Galbraith.
A few teams, such as MS Coffee Runners and Rod’s Racers, consist of out-of-town members from all over the state.
A new team this year is Straight Offa Couch, which is a group of runners and walkers of all experience levels who began training about three months ago.
The group, headed by Terry Grantham, was started by the chamber as a 5K training class.
The group met at Rail Spike Park Pavilion on Tuesdays and Saturdays for their training.
“It went really well,” said Grantham. “We had a lot of fun and a good group.”
The team will consist of 10 members. Most in the group are new to running, but several experienced runners would come to the training to give advice and help encourage the members.
“We actually run 3½ miles on our route. We gradually increased our distance throughout the course of the training time,” said Grantham. “We started slow —walk a block and run a block. Now, most can run a solid mile or more.”
The group plans to continue meeting after 300 Oaks for runs each week on Saturday.
“I’ve really enjoyed it, and I’ve enjoyed our group,” said Grantham. “It’s been a great experience.”
The 300 Oaks Road Race will be capped with a party and awards ceremony on Front Street near the Yazoo River. The post-race event will feature live entertainment, food and cold beverages.
John Hollis Tackett of Greenwood was the first to cross the finish line in the 5K run in last year's 300 Oaks Road Race. He had a time of 22:49.96.
“We just hope everybody will come and support this great event,” said Stevens. “The weather is looking great for next weekend. ... I know it’s a home football week for some of our colleges, but the race is early and you will still have time to come participate and make it to the game.”
Online registration will close at midnight on Thursday, and mail-in registrations must be postmarked by Monday.
A packet pickup and pre-race party will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday at the Hampton Inn.
Race day registrations will be accepted until 7:45 a.m., and packet pickup and registration will be at the corner of Grand Boulevard and West President Avenue.
The last day to register as a team or family will be Thursday.
Maps of the race routes are available at www.300oaks.com.
For more information, call the chamber at 453-4152.
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
Thursday
Midnight: Online registration will close; team registration ends
Friday
4-7 p.m.: Packet picket, pre-race party at the Hampton Inn, 1815 U.S. 82 W.
Saturday
Until 7:45 a.m.: Race day registration, packet picket on the corner of Grand Boulevard and West President Avenue
8 a.m.: 10K run starts
8:05 a.m.: 5K run starts
8:15 a.m.: 5K walk starts
9:30 a.m.: 1-mile fun run starts
- All races will begin on East President Avenue except for the fun run, which will start on the Keesler Bridge.
- Post-race party on Front Street follows the event. For more information or to register, visit www.300oaks.com.
