Mississippi State University Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is partnering with the University of Mississippi’s ROTC and Cadre members to host the fourth annual Egg Bowl Run, bringing the two rival universities together before the football game on Nov. 26.
The run begins on Nov. 21 at around 4:30 a.m. at MSU’s Palmeiro Center. ROTC cadets will run a football signed by both universities’ head football coaches, presidents and the ROTC professors of military science.
 The MSU ROTC will run the football roughly 60 miles to Calhoun City where Ole Miss will meet them and run it to Oxford. The whole run from Starkville to Oxford is around 100 miles.
Alisha Irvine, public affairs officer for the MSU ROTC, said the Egg Bowl Run brings unity to the two universities who are typically competitors. 
“The Egg Bowl Run brings both of our ROTC Programs together even though we have our rivalries because of the different schools,” Irvine said, “but it reminds us that we are all going into one Army to protect our country.”
Kalyn Smith, cadet special events officer and senior biological sciences major with a pre vet concentration, said MSU ROTC is expecting 60 to 80 runners participating in the run. Those runners consist of cadets, cadre and alumni. 
Irvine, senior animal and dairy science major, said this the Egg Bowl Run means a lot to the ROTC programs. 
“To us, it means coming together and working with each other, motivating each other to get through it,” Irvine said. “It’s a very long run so we have to continue to motivate each other. Team work, motivation, physical fitness, and perseverance are just a few values that we all get from this run.”
Irvine said the event started to begin a new tradition for cadets to participate in and to bring the rival universities together in a shared event.
Irvine said the run also brings local communities together as cadets run through small towns on their way to Calhoun City. She said people gather to cheer the runners on.
“It (the Egg Bowl Run) not only helps to bring attention to our programs, but it also helps to bring attention to small towns that we run through to get to Calhoun City,” Irvine said.
Smith said the football should reach Calhoun City at around 12:30 p.m. in the arms of MSU’s ROTC and Ole Miss’ ROTC is estimated to have the football in Oxford by around 7:30 p.m.
The MSU ROTC is collecting canned goods for The Calhoun County Baptist Association and the Catholic/Methodist Association in Bruce, Mississippi. The Calhoun City Chamber of Commerce will distribute the food to less fortunate families.
“Last year, we had so many cans to donate that we had filled those two food pantries and we’re able to help other food pantries as well,” Irvine said.
To donate any nonperishable food items, people may bring them to Middleton Hall.