Preparations underway for Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon

Preparations underway for Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon

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The Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon is set for July 24 during the Neshoba County Fair.

Sponsored by the Philadelphia Sertoma Club, as of last week, the Triathlon had approximately 175 people signed up to compete this year.

“The Heart O’ Dixie is something people expect and you can see that with the number of people who have signed up,” said Race Director Caleb May. “Even with last year’s race that didn’t happen (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), we have these same people coming in, excited about it. They are saying, ‘We are glad you are having it this year.’ It is a big deal, and people still want to do it.”

The first Heart O' Dixie Triathlon was held in 1980, a few years after the first modern swim/bike/run triathlon event was held at Mission Bay in San Diego, Calif. in 1974.

The Sertoma Club uses the money raised from the event to support local projects. The event is a Saturday morning favorite for those attending the Neshoba County Fair. A big crowd always gathers at the finish line at the horse racing track to cheer the competitors and watch the awards ceremony.

“It’s a labor of love,” said May, who is in his first year as race director. “I have been a member since 2010 and have been helping out with the race. I usually go to the swim. I help with the start and then help with the transition trailer.

“We put in the competitors’ shoes and transition materials and take them to the bike-run transition area. That can be a work of art. All of the racers start coming in there, and we have to point them to the specific row we have to get their gear.”

Preparation for the race is almost a year-long process. The Sertoma Club members get their assignments at meetings throughout the year. Now, May is getting in touch with the volunteers who run the aid stations along the race route to make sure they have what they need.

“We have an outline of what to do at the race,” May said. “Everyone has been right in line with us.”

Before last year, the Heart O’ Dixie was the longest-running triathlon in the United States. The triathlon begins with the .5 mile swim at Lake Tiak-O'Khata. That is followed by a 27.5-mile bike race that progresses through the rolling red clay hills down Mississippi Highway 15 to Philadelphia. It concludes with a 7-mile run to the Neshoba County Fairgrounds. The awards ceremony usually starts around 11 a.m. at the Grandstands.

The Dickey Nowell Memorial Award goes to the top finisher from Neshoba County. It is given in memory of Nowell, a former resident  of  Neshoba  County  who  passed away in 1989 after a lengthy battle with cancer.    

Nowell  was  not  a  member  of  the Sertoma Club but was a friends to many of its members at the time. He competed each year in the Heart O’ Dixie until his health prevented him from doing so.

Register to participate in this year’s Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon. 

Registration is $85 for an individual or $140 for Team Captains who create teams. Prices increase to $95 and $160 respectively after July 10.

For more information, email the race director at 






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