Gate River Run
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The Gate River Run (GRR), formerly known as the Jacksonville River Run, is an annual
road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ac ...
event in
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
, United States, that attracts both competitive and recreational runners. It has functioned as the US National Championship 15K since 1994, and in 2007 became the largest 15K race in the country. It "was voted sone of the top US Road Races for last 20 years by Runner's World Magazine." Local news media describe it as "one of Jacksonville's premiere annual events."


History

The race was established by the Jacksonville Track Club (no
JTC Running
in 1978 when it was known as the Jacksonville River Run. The initial sponsor of the race was the ''Florida Publishing Company'', which published the
Florida Times-Union ''The Florida Times-Union'' is a daily newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Widely known as the oldest newspaper in the state, it began publication as the ''Florida Union'' in 1864. Its current incarnation started in 1883, when th ...
and Jacksonville Journal. An inspiration for the race was the
Peachtree Road Race The Peachtree Road Race (branded AJC Peachtree Road Race for sponsorship reasons) is an American 10-kilometer run held annually in Atlanta. After being held on Independence Day from 1970 to 2019, the race was cancelled because of the COVID pand ...
, a 10,000 meter road race sponsored for several years by the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
. An initial planning meeting was held at the Jacksonville YMCA, with representatives of the Y, the newspaper and members of the Jacksonville Track Club. The 15,000-meter distance was proposed, to distinguish the race from the Atlanta race and the plethora of 10K road races then spreading across the country as a result of the running boom. The course crosses two major bridges spanning the St. Johns River, giving the race its name. Running legend Bill Rodgers, who is a four-time winner of both the
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and
Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...
s, won the first River Run. He was invited by the organizers, pending an appearance fee of $1,000, which was an under-the-table payment because of the amateur status of so many world-class athletes at that time. There was no other appearance or prize money offered. Rodgers' powerful victory helped catapult the event into the national running consciousness. On the women's side,
Kim Merritt Kim Merritt (born May 22, 1955 in Racine, Wisconsin) is a former American long-distance runner who competed in the marathon. Her career coincided with the development of women's running in the United States and she was at the forefront of distanc ...
, a national-class runner in a period when women were first beginning to be taken seriously at longer distances, took home the distaff honors.
Gate Petroleum A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...
became the underwriting sponsor in 1994.
Todd Williams Todd Michael Williams (born February 13, 1971) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He attended East Syracuse-Minoa High School graduating in 1989. He then attended Onondaga Community College before signing a professional ...
holds the American 15K record with a time of 42:22 at the 1995 GRR, which he won five times.
Shalane Flanagan Shalane Grace Flanagan (born July 8, 1981) is an American long-distance runner, Olympic medalist and New York City Marathon champion. She was the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977. She holds the NACAC area reco ...
, won in 2014 and set the new women's record with 47:00. Before that,
Deena Drossin Deena Michelle Kastor (née Drossin; born February 14, 1973) is an American long-distance runner. She was a holder of American records in the marathon (2006-2022) and numerous road distances. She won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at t ...
, who has won the GRR six times, held the women's record with 47:15 at the GRR in 2003. An equalizer was added in 2004. The difference in time between the women's and men's 15K national records was 4:53, so the elite women runners got a five-minute head start on the elite men. The first finisher, man or woman, receives a $5,000 bonus. Even so, the women had only won the prize once (in 2007). In 2012, the equalizer was increased to 6:35, and Janet Cherobon won the $5,000 bonus that year and in 2013.


Race details

In 2013, total prize money exceeded $85,000, including bonus money for record-breaking performances. The event has more prize money than any major non-marathon event in the United States. There are separate but equal awards for men and women individuals, teams and masters (over 40). Live bands perform at locations along the race course and the finish line is beside
TIAA Bank Field TIAA Bank Field is an American football stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida, that primarily serves as the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) and the headquarters of the professional wrestling prom ...
. Special running caps are given to the top 10 percent of racers and medals are given to all 15K finishers. There is a 3-day runner's expo, with dozens of vendor representatives promoting running and health-related products. Seminars with running themes are presented; typical topics are: Hydration and Nutrition, Foot and Ankle Injuries, Shin Splits and Shoe Fitting, Basic Injury Care. Bill Rodgers was a special guest at the expo in 2013, talking about running and signing autographs. Following the race,
Publix Publix Super Markets, Inc., commonly known as Publix, is an employee-owned American supermarket chain headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, Publix is a private corporation that is wholly owned by present and ...
supermarkets hosts a celebration at the fairgrounds. In 2013, 17,454 people registered for the race, with 15,569 runners actually completing it. The winner was Ben True from
Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of Eng ...
with a time of 43:38. The fastest woman in 2013 was Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, from
Rome, Georgia Rome is the largest city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, it is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia metropolitan area, Rome, Georgia, metropolitan statisti ...
at 49:44."15K Take To Streets In 15K River Run"
WJXT-TV, March 15, 2009
The related races, the ''
Florida Times-Union ''The Florida Times-Union'' is a daily newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Widely known as the oldest newspaper in the state, it began publication as the ''Florida Union'' in 1864. Its current incarnation started in 1883, when th ...
5K Run & Walk for Charity'', and the one-mile ''Junior River Run'' had 2,041 and 1,873 participants, respectively. Doug Alred, who has served as race director for 31 of the 36 years of the race, said that 2013 was the 11th consecutive year of record entries.


Streakers

Upon completion of the 2021 race, there were 26 ''Streakers'', defined as an individual who has completed every River Run.Johnson, David
"Three join Gate River Run Hall of Fame"
Florida Times-Union, March 10, 2010
During the 2013 race, one of the Streakers collapsed with a heart attack, but was given CPR by firefighters who were also running the race, and was revived with a defibrillator from a quickly responding emergency unit.


Hall of Fame

The Gate River Run Hall of Fame was established in 2002 and is permanently located in the
Riverplace Tower The Riverplace Tower is a 28-floor office building on the south bank of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the state of Florida and was the defining landmark in Jacksonvi ...
, on the southbank in downtown Jacksonville. Memorabilia dating from the race's inception in 1978 up to the present is on display and a five-minute video gives visitors an overview of the race. Plaques for each of the 14 persons inducted into the HOF are on display.


Past winners

Key:


References


External links


Official Race websiteOfficial Race Producer websiteOfficial Team Gate website


at ''arrs.run'' {{Jacksonville events Sports competitions in Jacksonville, Florida 15K runs Tourist attractions in Jacksonville, Florida Road running competitions in the United States Gate Petroleum 1978 establishments in Florida Recurring sporting events established in 1978