Gate River Run
Encyclopedia
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
that attracts both competitive and recreational runners. It has been the US National Championship 15K since 1994 and in 2007 became the largest 15K race in the country. It "was voted [as] one 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."
Race details
In 2009, 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. Live bands perform at locations along the race course and the finish line is at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, where runners can watch themselves on the JumboTronJumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
s. Special caps are given to the top 10% of racers and medals are given to all 15K finishers.
There is a 3-day runner's expo sponsored by MPS Group
MPS Group
MPS Group, Inc. , based in Jacksonville, Florida, provides professional recruiting, staffing, consulting and business services to various industries in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Asia. For 2009, it ranked 839th on the Fortune 1000...
, 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.
Following the race, Publix
Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation. Publix is currently ranked No. 86 on Fortune magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 and was ranked No...
supermarkets host a celebration at the fairgrounds:
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History
The race is sponsored by Gate PetroleumGate Petroleum
Gate Petroleum is a privately held diversified corporation headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, the 11th largest in Florida in 2010. In FY 2008, the company ranked #338 on the Forbes list of America's Largest Private Companies...
and was first held in 1978. Prior to 1994, the race was known as the Jacksonville River Run. Todd Williams
Todd Williams (athlete)
Todd Williams is a retired long-distance runner from the United States, who represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992. He was a two-time United States cross country champion, with victories in 1991 and 1993...
holds the American 15K record with a time of 42:22 at the 1995 GRR, which he won five times. Deena Drossin, who has won the GRR six times, holds 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 is 4:53, so the elite women runners get a five minute head start
Head start (positioning)
In positioning, a head start is a start in advance of the starting position of others in competition, or simply toward the finish line or desired outcome...
on the elite men. The first finisher, man or woman, receives a $5,000 bonus.
In 2009, almost 15,000 people registered for the race, with 12,935 runners actually completing it.
The winner was Anthony Famiglietti
Anthony Famiglietti
Anthony Famiglietti is an American track and field athlete who competes professionally for Reckless Running. He was formerly sponsored by Adidas. He has competed for the U.S...
, with a time of 43:36. The fastest woman in 2009 was Amy Yoder Begley, at 49:51. The related races, the Florida Times-Union 5K Run & Walk for Charity, and the one mile Junior River Run had 2,041 and 1,873 participants, respectively.
Doug Alred, who has been race director for 27 of the 32 GRR contests, stated that 2009 was the seventh consecutive year that the record for entries has been broken. He also proclaimed that the close finish of the men was "easily the best ever".
Streakers
As of 2010, there were 46 streakers, defined as an individual who has completed every River run.The following year, the number dropped to 45, as age and injuries took its inevitable toll.
Hall of Fame
The Gate River Run Hall of Fame was established in 2002 and is permanently located in the Riverplace TowerRiverplace 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, as well as Jacksonville, and the defining landmark in the skyline.-History:The Auchter Company,...
, 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
| Year | Men's winner | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Women's winner | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Bill Rodgers Bill Rodgers (athlete) William "Bill" Henry Rodgers is an American runner and former American record holder in the marathon who is best known for his victories in the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon in the late 1970s... |
44:46 | Kim Merritt Kim Merritt Kim Merritt 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 distance running in the mid-1970s.She won the 1975 New York City Marathon and in 1976 she took the... |
55:46 |
| 1979 | Jerry Odlin | 42:22* | Joan Benoit Joan Benoit Joan Benoit Samuelson is an American marathon runner, who won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the year that the women's marathon was introduced. As a result she was the first ever women's Olympic marathon champion. Benoit Samuelson still holds the fastest times for an American... |
51:47 |
| 1980 | Bob Hodge | 44:54 | Jennifer White | 53:11 |
| 1981 | Dan Dillon | 43:34 | Patti Catalano Patti Catalano Patti Catalano Dillon is a former long-distance runner from the United States who is recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations as having set world bests in the half marathon, 30 kilometers, and 20 kilometers... |
49:33 |
| 1982 | Mike Musyoki | 43:33 | Wendy Sly Wendy Sly Wendy Smith-Sly is a former British athlete who competed mainly in the 3,000 metres. She developed a strong rivalry against South-African born Zola Budd, and there were many arguments between them. Sly represented Great Britain at the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, U.S... |
49:52 |
| 1983 | Nick Rose Nick Rose Nicholas Henry Rose is a former British international track and field athlete. He competed in a variety of middle distance and long distance track events. He is the current European record holder in the 10 kilometre road race, and British record holder in the 4×1 mile relay event. He... |
43:42 | Charlotte Teske Charlotte Teske Charlotte Teske is a former female long-distance runner from Germany, who represented West Germany at the 1984 Summer Olympics. She won the 1982 edition of the Boston Marathon, and the 1986 edition of the Berlin Marathon.-Achievements:-References:*... |
50:17 |
| 1984 | Gidamis Shahanga Gidamis Shahanga Gidamis Shahanga is a retired Tanzanian long-distance runner who specialized in the 10,000 metres and the marathon race.-Achievements:-External links:*... |
44:54 | Midde Hamrin | 50:12 |
| 1985 | Simeon Kigen | 43:26 | Betty Springs | 49:25 |
| 1986 | Arturo Barrios Arturo Barrios Arturo Barrios Flores is a Mexican long-distance runner. He was born in Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal. Barrios finished in fifth place in the 10000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He is a former world record holder at 10000 m... |
43:18 | Grete Waitz Grete Waitz Grete Waitz was a Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder. Waitz won nine New York City Marathons between 1978 and 1988, more than any other runner in history... |
48:53 |
| 1987 | Arturo Barrios | 43:00 | Grete Waitz | 49:05 |
| 1988 | Steve Spence Steve Spence Steve Spence is a United States long-distance runner and coach. Among his accomplishments, he took a bronze medal at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics. He graduated from Lower Dauphin High School in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania where he ran track... |
43:20 | Lynn Jennings Lynn Jennings Lynn Jennings is a retired American athlete who competed mainly in the long distances. She is one of the best female American runners of all time, with a range from 1500 meters to the marathon. She excelled at all three of the sport's major disciplines--track, road, and cross country... |
50:02 |
| 1989 | John Halverson | 43:12 | Cathy O'Brien Cathy O'Brien (athlete) Cathy O'Brien is a retired female long-distance runner from the United States. She set her personal best in the women's marathon in 1991 while winning the Los Angeles Marathon. She is married to Michael O'Brien and has two kids, Patrick Finbar O'Brien born Apirl 2, 1999 and Andrew Joseph O'Brien... |
49:45 |
| 1990 | Ed Eyestone Ed Eyestone Edward D. Eyestone is a two-time Olympic marathoner and long distance runner. Eyestone graduated from Bonneville High School in Washington Terrace, Utah and was the Utah State High School State Champion in cross-country and track and field.- Collegiate career :Eyestone attended Brigham Young... |
43:58 | Francie Larue Smith | 49:39 |
| 1991 | Steve Spence | 43:41 | Francie Larue Smith | 48:43 |
| 1992 | Valdenor Dos Santos | 43:42 | Olga Markova Olga Markova (athlete) Olga Markova is a retired long-distance runner from Russia, who set the world's best year performance in 1992, when she won the Boston Marathon, clocking 2:23:43. In 1993, she defended her victory in Boston in 2:25:27.-Achievements:-References:*... |
49:20 |
| 1993 | Benson Masya Benson Masya Benson Masya was a Kenyan long-distance runner and marathon specialist, who competed in the late 1980s and 1990s. He participated at the inaugural IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1992 and finished in first place.... |
43:59 | Gwyn Coogan | 51:26 |
| 1994 | Todd Williams Todd Williams (athlete) Todd Williams is a retired long-distance runner from the United States, who represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992. He was a two-time United States cross country champion, with victories in 1991 and 1993... |
43:42 | Anne Marie Letko | 49:27 |
| 1995 | Todd Williams* | 42:22* | Cathy O'Brien | 48:56 |
| 1996 | Todd Williams | 43:49 | Lynn Jennings | 49:45 |
| 1997 | Joe LeMay | 43:35 | Lynn Jennings | 50:13 |
| 1998 | Todd Williams | 44:06 | Jennifer Rhines Jennifer Rhines Jennifer Rhines is an American long-distance runner who competes in track, cross country and road running events. She has competed in three different Summer Olympics.... |
51:00 |
| 1999 | Todd Williams | 43:59 | Lynn Jennings | 50:05 |
| 2000 | Dan Browne Dan Browne Daniel J. Browne is a United States distance runner, who as won numerous major American road race championships and was a member of the 2004 Olympic team in the 10 km and marathon.-Education:... |
44:26 | Deena Drossin | 49:40 |
| 2001 | Meb Keflezighi | 43:14 | Deena Drossin | 49:09 |
| 2002 | Meb Keflezighi | 42:49 | Deena Drossin | 48:12 |
| 2003 | Meb Keflezighi | 43:31 | Deena Drossin* | 47:15* |
| 2004 | Meb Keflezighi | 43:18 | Colleen De Reuck Colleen De Reuck Colleen S. De Reuck is a long-distance runner from South Africa, who became an American citizen on December 11, 2000... ** |
49:02** |
| 2005 | Ryan Shay Ryan Shay Ryan Shay was an American professional long-distance runner. He was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and attended the University of Notre Dame. He was married to Alicia Craig, also an American distance runner... |
43:50 | Jennifer Rhines | 49:21 |
| 2006 | Meb Keflezighi | 43:41 | Blake Russell Blake Russell Blake Russell is an American long-distance runner who represented her country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After finishing third in the marathon at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, she went on to finish in 27th in the Olympic marathon in Beijing... |
49:14 |
| 2007 | Meb Keflezighi | 43:39 | Deena Kastor Deena Kastor Deena Michelle Kastor is an American long-distance runner. She holds American records in the marathon, half-marathon, and numerous road distances. She won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece... |
47:20 |
| 2008 | Andrew Carlson | 44:10 | Deena Kastor | 49:34 |
| 2009 | Anthony Famiglietti Anthony Famiglietti Anthony Famiglietti is an American track and field athlete who competes professionally for Reckless Running. He was formerly sponsored by Adidas. He has competed for the U.S... |
43:36 | Amy Yoder-Begley Amy Yoder-Begley Amy Yoder Begley is an American middle and long distance runner and a US Olympian in the 10,000 meter event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing... |
49:51 |
| 2010 | Mo Trafeh | 42:56 | Katie McGregor Katie McGregor Katie McGregor is an American runner who participates in track, cross country and the marathon.-High school:McGregor attended Willoughby South High School in Willoughby, Ohio... |
49:51 |
| 2011 | Mo Trafeh | 42:58 | Jennifer Rhines | 49:31 |
| Key: | * = American Record | ** = Masters Record | ||