McCurdy wins the Heart O’ Dixie again
Jay McCurdy of Starkville took home first place in Saturday’s Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon with a time of 1:52:53
Triathlons include running, biking and swimming, and McCurdy says that the course for the Heart O’ Dixie is one of the more unique that he has done in his 20-plus years of participating in events like this.
“It’s a point-to-point race, which is something unique and something you don’t see very often in triathlons because of the logistics,” said McCurdy of Starkville. “It has a shorter swim, but a longer bike and run than most triathlons do, which makes it a challenge that is more unique than other races.”
This is the second year McCurdy has raced in the Heart O’ Dixie and he said that he had never been to the Neshoba County Fair before last year when he won the race.
“It's really a spectacle and a really cool atmosphere,” McCurdy said. “It is something that the community should really be proud of.”
He says that he had several friends racing and was glad to catch up with them and now is recovering with his family in Starkville.
Courtney Ballard of Tupelo was the first female to cross the finish line with a time of 2:18:32.
Derek Crenshaw and Julie Joiner were the recipients of the Dickey Nowell Memorial Award.
Dickey Nowell, a Philadelphia native, competed in several of the first Triathlons and was a supporter of the event. He was friends with many of the members of the Philadelphia Sertoma Club which sponsors the Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon. Following his death after a long battle with cancer, his family established the award in his memory. The Sertoma Club has continued to give the award.
Crenshaw finished with a time of 2:11:12 and Jouner finished with a time of 2:59:34.
The Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon is a fundraising project for the Philadelphia Sertoma Club. They use the monies earned from the race to fund charitable causes.
The first Heart O’ Dixie was held in 1980. It was the longest-running triathlon in the United States until it was paused in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The Triathlon begins with the .5 mile swim at Lake Tiak-O'Khata. That’s followed by the 27.5 mile bike race down Highway 15 to Philadelphia. The race concludes with a 7-mile run to the Neshoba County Fairgrounds.