TUPELO – A Tupelo runner winning the Gum Tree 10K? It’s never happened in the race’s previous 32 years.

That could all change Saturday, when former Tupelo High and Mississippi State distance standout Robert Scribner returns home to challenge the 6.2-mile course in Tupelo.

“Robert’s run a 29:07 recently and that puts him right in there,” race director Andy Hughes said. “To my knowledge, I don’t know if we’ve ever had a man finish in the (open division) top eight.

“He’s got as good a chance of winning as anybody I can remember.”

Scribner, an NCAA cross country nationals qualifier in 2008 for MSU, won Greenville’s Cotton Row 10K last Saturday in 32:07.

“I’m in good shape,” said the Starkville resident. “I’d really like to put myself in contention at the Gum Tree. I want to run a race strategy that gives me the best opportunity to win.”

Scribner ran what he called “a relaxed race” in Greenville. “The second-place runner was a couple of minutes back, so I was relaxing.”

Competing against Scribner for the Gum Tree prize are former University of Alabama 5K specialist David Tyson, who won the Corinth Coca-Cola Classic 10K last week, and Micah Tirop, a native of Kenya.

Tyson, who was pushed by Phillip Koech in the Corinth race, recorded a winning time of 31:20.

“David’s very good,” Scribner said. “He was one of the best in the country last year.”

Last year’s Gum Tree champion, Kenyan Eric Chirchir, covered the 10,000-meter course in 29 minutes, 31 seconds. There’s no word on whether he’ll return.

Scribner believes his knowledge of the Gum Tree course is an advantage, especially the Mile 6 homestretch down Front Street.

“It’s deceptively long,” he said. “You have to be mentally prepared.”

Olga Markova, the winner of the 1993 and ’94 Boston Marathon, is one of three Russian females entered. She is joined by Firaya Sultanova and Ramilia Burangulova, who have both run sub-36 this year in the 10K.

They’ll be joined by former Mississippi State NCAA 1,500 meters champion Tiffany McWilliams Dudley, who won last week in Corinth in 38:41.

Hughes expects more elite male and female runners to join the field this week.

“We’ll have six to 10 women and 10 to 15 men,” he said. “They’ll start looking at who’s coming here to run.”

The first-place winner’s purse for the male and female open competition is $1,200. The race’s total purse is $8,700.

Hughes reports that registration is ahead of last year’s pace. He expects a field of 700-plus by race day.

The registration fee is $18, but climbs to $20 on race day. The entry fee for the 2K fun run/walk is $10.

Hughes encourages pre-registration to avoid the rush on race day.

Applications may be picked up at BancorpSouth, Trails & Tread, Smoothie King, J. Andrew Hughes, P.A. at 109B South Spring Street. For more information, contact Hughes’ office at 844-8920.