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!

I've attended, participated the Thanksgiving Distance Classic for many years now and it is by far,…read moremy favorite 5K event. Rain or shine, I am here.. I just love the feeling of burning as much calories as I can in the early morning knowing I have a hot food date with a Lady Bird named Turkey later that morning. Calories out, then Calories In...lots of calories. The runs are divided into 2 groups; a 5K group and a 10K (Half Marathon) group. The course runs you through some nice, shaded residential areas. And once you pass that Starting Line, you will find yourself running around the residential areas. Water Stations are available within certain miles. And once you passed that Finish Line, you are greeted and given a race medal that just reminds you over and over what you have accomplished. It truly is a well-organized event, which is put together by 1st Place Sports. Along with this, you also get a nice technical shirt to wear for the event, as well as food and drinks post-race. It really has become a tradition for me.

What a beautiful weather to run! So glad it was not too cold! As always, everything went smoothly…read morefrom start to finish! This is my third year to join and intend to do it annually! Great way to start the holiday, run then eat the holiday feast later lol! I noticed that the community seems to be getting bigger and bigger! I saw more participants this year which is great! Water, bananas and bagels were available for everyone! Saw also a lot of familiar faces :) It was an early run but you get to finished early too, just in time to cook and prepare for the Thanksgiving! We all had a fun morning! Thank you to the organizers! Good job!

December 20, 2020 I…read morestarted my day early, woke up at 4:30am and got changed for the race at my hotel at the Ramada Inn. Met my buddy in the hotel lobby next door at the Embassy Suites at 5:45am and follow him in my car to the start of the race at Bowels High School. We got there 10 minutes later, found good parking spots, and had plenty of time warm up. Two mile warm up followed by drills with 10 minutes before the bell. The race, which consisted of both the half marathon and 5k, had 700+ participants, 7 waves. Everyone was wearing masks at the start and in the 1st wave block they had set up soccer cones that were socially distanced to stand near. The waves didn't all begin at once's. Race participants standing by their cones nearest the starting line stared first, and 5 seconds later the next group would go off. The race began at 7am. And there was no mad rush to get around anyone. It was quite orderly, and during the race I slowly picked off some of the people who had started in front of me. The course was mostly flat and fast. In the final two miles I noticed a little bit of drizzle but thankfully it did not rain harder. As I passed the 5k finishing area, I still had toothed a 10 miles to run. Alas, it was worth it. I managed to hang on to a near 6 minute mile pace for my first half marathon under 80 minutes (1:19:24) which was a new personal record. I enjoyed finishing on the Bowles High School track. At the finish, all staff were wearing masks and I was able to get a free mask as well. I didn't hang around, quickly got changed into dry clothes, picking up my award from the awards table, there was no awards ceremony which was fine. I went back to my hotel, showered and made the 5 hour drive back home.

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.....

It was early. It was cold. It was raining. We had a great time running in this 5k today. The…read morerunning paths/walkways through the cemetery were packed with runners pretty much throughout the race and everyone was having a great time. The route for this 5k was perfect. Great medals to all finishers. Very organized, especially considering there was a 10k going on at the same time. Can't wait for this one next year!!