JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 40th running of the Gate River Run 15K on March 11 will not only continue being Jacksonville’s largest participatory sporting event, it is shaping up to be another year of near-record participation
With days left of registration, more than 16,000 entries have been received, according to race director Doug Alred. Online registration ends Wednesday, with registration available at the Runner's Expo on Thursday Friday if space remains under the 20,000 race capacity. There is no day of race registration.
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More than 1,400 children have registered for the Junior River Run Training Program, a new race record.
“So far 2017 is on pace to meet or surpass last year’s 23,000+ entries in all five events,” Alred said. "Our elite field is star-studded with the top up and coming American distance runners.”
The elite field in the USA 15K Championship includes:
- 6 Olympians
- 2 Cross Country National Champions
- A return of last year’s inaugural new Time Incentive Awards Competition with up to $20,000 prize money for men and women meeting designated overall time goals
Alred also announced the return of The Equalizer Bonus, which awards $5,000 to either the first male or female finisher to cross the finish line. The Downhill Mile Challenge will award $1,000 to the fastest male and female in the last mile of the course.
Alred also announced the return of the Adaptive Sports Division in the 15K, with prize money for wheelchair athletes.
The Gate River Run is the site of both the men’s and women’s 15K American records and is a Runner’s World ‘Top 100 Event.’ The top 5,000 runners will be seeded again this year to start in the front.
This Jacksonville tradition starts and finishes at the Jacksonville Sports Complex. The race will return to the 2016 finish line on the north side of Stadium. A large post-race party will be held at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds.
A new Gate River Run Hall of Fame was also announced, with a ribbon cutting ceremony to be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mar. 7 at the new Hall of Fame location in the lobby of Veteran’s Memorial Arena.
A new Gate River Run app is now available through iTunes and Google Play. The app features live tracking and results during the race so family and friends can track, with instant results for the runner as they cross the finish line. The latest race news and features are also available on the app.
Race day enhancements include live coverage on WJXT, Channel 4, and streaming results at News4Jax.com and Jacksonville.com.
The day offers something for everyone: The Florida Times-Union 5K (3.1 miles) Run & Walk for Charity at 8:30 a.m.; 15K (9.3 miles) National Championship at 8:30 a.m.; Brooks Rehab Challenge Mile for challenged athletes at 10 a.m.; Adidas Junior River Run (1 mile) for children 13 and under at 11 a.m.; Diaper Dashes for up to age 4 at 11 a.m.
The Runner's Expo at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds is open 11 a.m. -6 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. Runners may also bring their used shoes and T-shirts to the Expo, where they will be collected and donated to local charities.
Additional information is available at GateRiverRun15K.com or at 904-731-1900.