Gate River Run preview

Did we spot you or someone you know on the Gate River Run course? (WJXT)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla – We are just hours away now from one of the largest events in Jacksonville each year. All that preparation for the 15K had runners both excited and a little anxious today.

It’s the 47th Gate River Run tomorrow with our coverage beginning at 730 in the morning. The Elite Women begin at 7-54.

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Elite Men and Wave One runners begin right at 8 o’clock. Runners stopped by the Fairgrounds Friday to pick up their race packets.

“Looking forward to meeting my time from last year and just finishing strong,” Dulce Calva said.

The race is sold out for just the second time in history. That means about 14,000 people participating.

“I was reading that online. I’m like shocked about that. So I’ve done other ones like breast cancer and stuff like this with the first time and again I was reading the numbers I’m like, wow, wow,” Dee Beaver said.

18 runners are “Streakers” runners who have competed in all 46 previous races. The athletes we spoke with aren’t worried about trying to set records. They’re ready to have fun and compete and earn some bragging rights especially when it comes to 6th grade siblings from Mandarin.

“I’m gonna beat my sister,” Luke Schmaltz said.

“No you’re not, and you’re gonna probably get kicked off the course, you’re just gonna sit on the motorcycle,” Lily Schmaltz said.

Our coverage begins when we go on the air at 6am for The Morning Show. Our dedicated race coverage goes from 7:30 to 10am. After that we will be streaming a finish line camera on News4JAX.com and News4JAX Plus for about an hour.


About the Author

Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.

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