JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With Hurricane Helene moving out of our area, nearly 800 runners decided to take advantage of the nicer weather Saturday morning.
For the fifth straight year, walkers and runners took part in the VyStar Emerald Trail 5K and 10K.
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“It’s amazing,” VyStar Community Engagement VP Kemal Gasper said. “Jacksonville is becoming a running community and so, every year the community looks forward to this race.”
And it’s all to raise money for the Emerald Trail.
The trail is a 34-mile route that will connect much of Jacksonville’s historic neighborhoods.
“I think it’s just wonderful,” Gloria McNair said.
McNair is a part of Groundwork Jacksonville. A group that is spearheading much of the Emerald Trail work.
“I keep saying and I mean it that this trail is transformational for Jacksonville,” she said. “It brings people together.”
JTC Running runs the event and has been a big part in getting the Emerald Trail project off the ground.
“From the very beginning we did the initial contribution to produce a master trail plan,” JTC board member Larry Roberts said. “Out of that plan came the concept of the Emerald Trail, so to help sponsor the Emerald Trail and to get runners involved because we’re a running club. We sponsored the first Emerald Trail 5K, where we paid all the expenses so that all the entry fees could go to the Emerald Trail.”
But this year’s run had an extra special addition.
After a half-decade of work, runners got to finally get on a part of the trail.
For the first time, they got to see a 1.3-mile portion of the path they’ve been raising money to get put together.
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“I’m excited,” Egbert Johnson said before the race. “I’m curious to see what it all entails. I just see what sites and things it brings.”
It’s a step organizers at Groundwork Jacksonville said puts them going in the right direction — and gives runners a whole lot of space to run.