Hap Hudson Road Race Set for October 24 on the Clinton Campus

Kinesiology Department chair Chris Washam is pictured with Hap Hudson and President Blake Thompson.

Supporters of the Hap Hudson Road Race will get their wish. Health protocols will be in place at Mississippi College as the annual event is set for October 24, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MC Department of Kinesiology-sponsored activity will be a big part of the university’s 2020 Homecoming. Events will be limited to the road race and an alumni golf tournament because of the worldwide health emergency.

The 13^th annual road race on the Clinton campus is a tribute to Clintonian Hap Hudson, a beloved MC coach and educator for decades.

A number of health measures will be in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

“Masks will be mandatory except while actually running,” says Kinesiology Department Chair Chris Washam. “Runners will be instructed to spread out and not run together.”

Professor Suzanne McDonough, the race director, is already gearing up. She started a pre-race exercise program for people who want to train before putting on their running shoes for the event.

Over the years, the race attracts plenty of MC graduates, folks from Central Mississippi as well as students, faculty and staff.

Many people show up to greet Hudson, a 1959 MC alumnus and his wife, Johnnie Ruth Hudson. Hap is a member of the MC Sports Hall of Fame.

“Hap is one of my dearest friends and he has encouraged me and helped me so much over the years,” McDonough said.

The race begins at Cockroft Hall with runners winding their way through the Brick Streets of Olde Towne Clinton and they finish on the track at Robinson-Hale Stadium. The Kinesiology Department’s 2012 Alumnus of the Year, Woody Barnett will time the race and advise on health protocols.

Kinesiology professors, staff and students pitch in each year to make the event a success.

Runners will receive race T-shirts. Money raised from the event help kinesiology students pay to attend regional conferences and compete in college bowls. Other funds are used to purchase lab equipment and facilitate research.

The 5K run/walk event begins 8 a.m. that Saturday. The pre-registration cost is $25. The price rises to $30 on the day of the race.

For more details, contact Suzanne McDonough at 601-925-7720 or 601-940-8186.