JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – It was a cold morning for the annual Mississippi Blues Marathon, but that did not stop the excitement.

“I want to thank my team today for helping me complete this 10k—the Mississippi Army National Guard. I wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” one runner said.

There were five different races for runners: the marathon, a half marathon, a 10k, a 5k, and the kid’s fun run.

“I’m so glad that I was invited by my friends to do this today, and I am elated that I finished the race,” Linda Green said after completing the 5k race.

Runners from across the country came out for Saturday’s race. Some of them are always looking forward to their next race, so the preparation never stops.

“We start at 4:30 in the morning training. We just got back from Atlanta doing the hot chocolate race, and we just enjoy being out here doing this,” Pamela Dean said.

This is the 18th year for the marathon, and this year was special as they celebrated the 100th birthdays of B.B. King and Medgar Evers. Blues artist Castro Coleman tributed King during his national anthem performance.

“I was honored and then to play one of BB’s guitar, just oh my God, just mind-blowing,” Coleman said.

Coleman is a Mississippi native, and he would like to see the state continue to find ways to spotlight blues music.

“Mississippi has a lot of great artists that come from here, and then they’re birthing a lot of great artists, so just more blues festivals, more events that showcase the talent that comes from Mississippi,” he said.

Along with a chance to see exhibits from the B.B. King Museum, those who came out got to check out different fun, food, and health vendors while enjoying live music from the Sole Shakers.

“It’s a good chance for people to come together in our great city and have a chance to see the city if they have never been here. It doesn’t cost anything to come out and be a part of this amazing event, so we’re just excited to be here,” Cara Coleman, with Stretch Zone in Madison, said.

“We do this every year,” Barbara Green said before running the 5k. “We just love coming out here. It’s good for the soul in the city with soul.”

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