Gate River Run (GRR) is a fun filled, "Bucket List" type event. The event draws thousands upon…read morethousands of people from all over the US and even from other countries. While I've ran many 5K's ... GRR was three times of a 5K distance. I participated for the first time along with a group of first timers in 2018. And together, we conquered the event to the very end. It's definitely no cake walk (is "cake run" a word???). If you are planning on signing up for GRR, my only suggestions would be: ** Try to not do it alone. Sign up with other people that will motivate you along the way. Have at least one buddy that will help you get to the very end. It definitely has helped me. ** Stay hydrated through the course of the week leading to the event. ** AND...stretch, stretch, stretch, stretch....this helps ALOT. Other than that, get ready to run/walk/hop/crawl/ChaChaSlide or whatever it takes to make it to that Finish Line. The first 6.2 Miles (equivalent to 10K) is not so bad. And throughout the course of your run, you will encounter live bands playing, street cheerers, as well as multiple Water Break stations. Each Mile is well marked along with a timer so you will know your current progress. On the 8th Mile, you'll encounter "The Green Monster" aka The Hart Bridge. This is about the same time your legs are about to give in, calves screaming, lungs burning. And you still have to run up The Green Monster. It's not fun, but once you are on the bridge, it definitely feels like you're on top of Mount Kilimanjaro. From there, going down from that bridge gets easier, just let the downhill momentum of that bridge take your body all the way to the Finish Line. I'm still contemplating about signing up for Gate River Run 2020. For me personally, the problem I have is commitment... because The GRR, The Dirty Pecan (A Road & Gravel bike event held in Monticello, FL ) and The Fat Tire Festival (a famous MTB event held annually in Ocala, FL) are all held..ON..THE..SAME..DAY..OF..EVERY..YEAR. Grrrrrrr!!! #DecisionsDecisions

Jacksonville has so much more to offer than meets the eye. Each year we are hosts to a premiere…read moregolf event - The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, the Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party at the Florida-Georgia Game, and the National Championship 15k Race known as the Gate River Run! This is an absolutely spectacular event with world class runners competing each year. Our beautiful city is showcased as the course snakes it's way through the Cathedral District downtown, across the St Johns River via the Main Street Bridge, into San Marco with its beautiful river views, through the canopied streets of St Nicholas, over the Big Green Monster (better known as the Hart Bridge) and culminating in the Stadium District at The Bank! What a gorgeous course. But what makes this course even better is the citizens of Jacksonville that lined the streets - cheering us along, offering drinks & treats! Approximately every 3/4 of a mile, there were bands playing. This did so much to lift my spirits & help me push to finish! I'm glad there are 364 days to rest & prepare - but I'm very much looking forward to be a part of this great event again & again!

The Arc Jacksonville held its 5th annual Running of the Bulls 5K at Intuition Ale Works. This…read moreevent borrows its theme from the famous 'The Running of the Bulls' held each July in Pamplona, Spain. We were chased through the downtown Jacksonville 5K course by the Jacksonville Roller Derby acting as 'Bulls.' Dodge them or get tagged with red paint! It's like getting gored by a bull and bloodied up. Man, dodging them bulls makes the run more exhausting! Beginning and ending at Intuition Ale Works, we were treated to an after party featuring race awards, live music, complimentary food and beer. Hot breakfast with scrambled eggs, BACON!, and biscuits n' gravy. I can't get enough of Maple Street Biscuit Company's yummy cinnamon biscuits. I had to stop at three. My beer of choice - Underdark with coffee. The race was fun especially with my YES! team. Thanks John R. for organizing and creating a team to save us $5 in registration fees. Let's do it again next year!

This is my second year to join Running of the Bulls and the experience was always phenomenal! Great…read moreturnout of people. Volunteers were very helpful and the route was not difficult, although I got tired of dodging the "bulls" Lol! Kudos to them for keeping this event fun and lively! As always we ended up with a beer or mimosa on hand plus a variety of food and a breakfast plate. So much food! Thanks to all of the sponsors! See you again in 2021!

First of all, I walked lol but it was great…read more Almost 2000 people were signed up for the event and it felt like most of them had shown up at 6 to get a good spot near the starting line. Pulling in that early in the morning AND while it's still dark is spooky to me. 1st Place Sports were signing people up and handing out water and bananas the whole time. There was also a flavored ice truck for the kiddies. The porta-potty lines were extremely long but it seemed like the line furthest from the starting line was shorter and moved faster. Walkers were in the back and there was a lot of us. The rest of my party were going to be running so I was by myself and that was fine. I was out of shape for steady walking and haven't done it since the car accident so if I can do this then there's still hope for me. The cemetery is very old and well kept. Pumpkins were lining the running path for the 5K and 10 mile folks and there's plenty of signage telling you where to go so you don't get lost. Some of the walkers started jogging some to get ahead of the casual walkers. I just played some music with a good walking/striding pace the whole time and was able to finish under an hour. I was so tired afterwards. Now that I know I can do it I might do some more if they seem fun.

Great run! I'm so happy to have gotten into running! These…read moreevents are a great way to get some exercise but also it's a big party! This Run is set in a beautiful cemetery downtown, old trees line the nice pathways, for the run they marked the course with pumpkins all along the 5k or 10 mile run! This was by far the biggest/ most popular run I have done with around 2 thousand people! Surprisingly it wasn't too crowded, after the first 1/2 mile you had space to run freely. Afterward they had bagels and bananas to eat, vendors were there to talk or try their services, everyone who finished got a metal and pint glass, all around a great run and fun morning! Will def look for this run again next year!

Escape the weather in your wintry place and head to the North Florida beaches for some running,…read morefun, and inspiration at Run Donna. Cruise through neighborhoods where residents lobby to have you run down their street, and little kids love to hi-five or hand you a Dixie cup of water. Pass the natural snack station which is an orange tree dropping its fruit along the path. Enjoy the occasional "redneck hot tub" pickup bed w/ water-filled tarp. Hear your name yelled since first names are prominently on your bib. Smile at numerous bosom-themed signs to support the cause "I stare because I care", "You're the breast around". Plenty of first-timer options to tackle a race, relay, or the big one (Marathon). Celebrate the survivors finishing cancer and the course. Hear the stories of hope and determination. New course moves to Neptune and Atlantic Beach, with Ponte Vedra for the marathoners, is a festive feel. You'll come back again to Finish Cancer.

26.2 with Donna is an amazing course that emotions just "run" high...and for a great reason!…read moreThis race first started back in February of 2008 in support of raising funds to find a cure for Breast Cancer. It has grown to become one of the top races in NEFL and have expanded to add many more activities for the desired person. From 5k, 10k, relay, 1/2 marathon, to a full....and you can even run a series called the "Booby Trap". This run USED to start and finish at the Mayo, but now it starts at the TPC and ends at Mayo...either way...you have a bridge at the end. The whole weekend is exciting, from the moment you pick up your race packet until you cross that finish line. There are more than enough volunteers that are friendly, always willing to help. If you are new to this expo thing...ask anyone! They will help guide you in the right direction. There are normally plenty of stands/kiosks to buy everything under the sun related to running or walking. This year is seemed a little scaled back...and more focused on Mayo things. One of my favorite things about this race is the spectators. Jacksonville has the best support out and along the route....they keep you pepped up and ready to finish. They have a perfect amount of support along the road so if you find yourself in a bind...see someone on the side. There are tables of water, Gatorade, gu's, cold sponges, fruit, candy, First Aid tents all along the course. Not to mention all the houses that have; beer, donuts, oranges, popsicles, bacon, bananas, and shots....yes...this really happens! I am considered a "streaker"; which means I have run the Donna every year since it started, and this race grows and grows each year. I love what this race means, but I love seeing the faces of the cheering people as we run right by them ready to find a cure.....

Happy Birthday America! This was my 3rd time (2015, 2016, 2019)running this race and what a best…read moreway to celebrate our country's birthday early than to run with other runners/walkers! This race is always scheduled on July 4th and this year, around 1,750 runners participated which was organized by 1st Place Sports. This run featured moisture wicking shirts to all participants, large custom designed medals to all 5K finishers and 1st Place Sports fun run medals to all mile finishers. Several runners showed support for our country and military by carrying either a large or small flag (supplied) during the race. After the race, 1st Place Sports had loads of watermelon to eat, a seed spitting contest and drawings for prizes. Post-race food also included donut holes, coffee, smoothies, beer, crackers and chips. We took some chips home to munch on later. A little warm, but it was a fun run!

Coop was amazing. Above and beyond customer service. Highly recommend for your shoe needs.read more

This year's Labor Day 5k got postponed due to Hurricane Dorian. Vanessa, John L and I ran the…read morecourse on Labor Day any way - Cuz the weather was rather nice and it's a really good course. Due to the storm, they combined the race with the Springfield 5k. It started at Sesquicentennial Park and wound thru the canopied roads of the neighborhood. Lots of residents were out to cheer us along. Another benefit of the combination was the vendors in the park. Following the race we got to sample goods & goodies from local businesses. Springs Brewery & Hyperion Brewing were there to provide samples - always a Plus! My only issue was the course seemed a bit longer than 5k. I use the Nike Run Club app & it showed the finish line at approx 3.5 miles. Not a big deal - but I was really proud of my 5k result - not so proud of the race result :(

Running in the afternoon sucks especially here in Jacksonville. It's too hot and the race did not…read morestart until 6 PM. It was a fun run nonetheless. Each registered participant received an official race shirt, one drink ticket (can be redeemed for beer, soda or water after the race), a custom finisher medal and the opportunity to cross a finish line on TIAA Bank Field! For non-season ticket holders, registration also includes a ticket to a Jaguars home game of your choice, but in the nose bleed sections. Yup! You will be right there with the birds! Ha! We selected the Thursday night game against the Titans in which the Jags won 20-7. Home game choices for 2019: 09/19 - Titans (Thursday night) at 8:20pm 10/27 - Jets at 1pm 12/01 - Bucs at 1pm 12/08 - Chargers at 4:05pm 12/29 - Colts at 1pm Getting the tickets was a hassle. Tickets were loaded in my Jags app two days before the game and they weren't loaded correctly (no barcodes). It took several phone calls and emails before the issue was corrected.

While not my favorite Jax Run so far, it did have some unique and interesting features!…read moreI loved the fact that the race went thru the new indoor practice field that's connected to Daily's Place and the stadium! I hadn't been in there yet & it was great because the surface was cushiony and it was 100 yards in an air conditioned space. Downside - there was still about a mile to go in the heat & the course layout was rather confusing (and seemed to never end). We also got to run across the TIAA Bank Field sidelines. It's a great surface and is in game-ready condition. Downside - I thought we'd already crossed the 5k mark as we entered the stadium (we'd gone the distance according to GPS), so I stopped running about a hundred yards too soon. The stadium has the worlds largest Jumbotron that displayed the name of the race. Downside - the runners were supposed to be shown on the Jumbotron as we entered the stadium - didn't happen. The race ended and we were allowed to go to the Bud Light Party Zone for after-race refreshments. Downside - if you didn't have an ID on you, you could only enjoy family-friendly beverages. Overall it was a great experience and I look forward to doing it again in the future - but I'll bring my ID next time!

Formerly known as The Best Damn Race, the Times-Union Half Marathon and 5K had their inaugural run…read moreevent. The Best Damn Race had set the bar so high, the Times-Union couldn't match it. We run the 10K annually which is no longer available. Instead, we ran the 5K since there is NO WAY my chicken legs can handle a Half. It was still a fun run. And my registration only cost $19 since I signed up super early. We may do it again next year and hoping for the 10K to be back in the mix. The Times-Union Run - (Present) - only Half marathon and 5K runs available - pizza and unlimited beer - smaller medals - packet pickup at Hemming Plaza The Best Damn Race - (Past) - 5K, 10K, and Half marathon runs to choose from - pizza and unlimited beer and cocktails - medals get bigger based on run distance - packet pickup at Dicks Sporting Goods Town Center which was more convenient for me.

This used to be The Best Damn Race Run but they changed it to Times Union Half Marathon and 5K Run…read more Unfortunately, they removed the 10k. The one time we run a 10K in a year lol! Aside from that, they also use another location from landing to downtown. Both were great courses but this time, there were more uphill, thus quite challenging! Water was also given by the time we reached 1.5 miles although I would've preferred they give them every mile. I was really out of breath by the time I crossed the finish line! So glad I made it! The race was very organized from pick up of the packet to the race itself. We also had no difficulty finding a parking since we made sure to arrive early. As always, food and drinks were overflowing including beers! Yehey! Thanks to all the sponsors! Overall, my husband, John R. and I had fun. Just wish they will include 10k again next year.