Mississippi native finishes string of country-wide marathons at home

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Runners only have a few more days to gear up ahead of this weekend’s Gulf Coast Marathon. For one Mississippi man, the road ends here after his decades-long journey, competing in races across America.

For Natchez native Forrest Johnson, running is part of his DNA.

“It’s just been a remarkable journey and I’ve been really fortunate to travel the country, see a lot of really neat places,” Johnson said.

Competing from coast to coast, from the crowded streets of New York to the mountains of Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, Johnson says it all culminates here, on the Gulf Coast finish line.

“I’ve been saving Mississippi for last,” Johnson said. “So my 50th state will be Sunday at the Gulf Coast Marathon in Biloxi. So I’m really excited about that.”

Johnson will join hundreds of runners competing in the marathon over the weekend. He started his journey in 2012, and 10 years later, after grueling hours of preparation, it all comes down to this race.

“I’m really excited,” Johnson said. “Kinda nice to not have a lot of travel for the last one, so it’ll make the logistics a little easier for this one.”

On Sunday, runners will start at Henderson Point and go more than 25 miles to MGM Park in Biloxi. Those doing the half marathon begin at Jones Park and head east to Biloxi. There are more events scheduled on Saturday.

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