Gate River Run 15K Joins PRRO Circuit

November 22, 2024

The Saturday, March 1, 2025 event will be the next stop – and the first 2025 event – on the 2024-25 PRRO Circuit; the American classic road race in Jacksonville, FL offers a $62,000 guaranteed prize purse; the overall male and female winners will qualify to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2025 PRRO Championship hosted by the Boilermaker 15K this coming July

BETHESDA, MD. November 22. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) has announced its newest event member, the Gate River Run 15K, set to run on Saturday, March 1, 2025 in Jacksonville, FL. For the first time since 1993, the event will be open to elite international athletes as well as its annual stellar cast of top Americans. The southern winter running tradition will be the third stop on the 2024-25 PRRO Circuit and offers $62,000 in guaranteed prize money, including an “American Cup” $16,000 purse for the top five U.S. athletes and Equalizer gender race $5000 bonus. At the 48th edition, the race champions will also earn eligibility to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 28th PRRO Championship hosted by the Boilermaker 15K on July 13, 2025 in Utica, NY.

“We are excited to join this premier series. It is our objective to continue to grow Jacksonville’s largest participatory sporting event, providing a world class 15K race for elite athletes representing the U.S. as well as internationalists, along with 18,000 runners and walkers of all fitness levels,” said longtime race director, Doug Alred.

The Gate River Run, the largest U.S. 15K, is also the home of the U.S. 15K road records by Todd Williams – 42:22 (1995) and Shalane Flanagan – 47:00 (2014).

“We’re delighted to add another American classic road race, the Gate River Run 15K, to the PRRO Circuit, and we look forward to seeing world class competition by both American and international athletes at the event on March 1 in Jacksonville, Florida,” said Don Kardong, PRRO Circuit President.

The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at five of America’s Classic Road Races™, the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville, FL, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, DC, the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K in Spokane, WA, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA. The 2024-25 PRRO Circuit offers more than $400,000 in guaranteed prize money overall with $113,600 for U.S. athletes. The PRRO Circuit, a nationwide series of premier non-marathon road racing events, is organized and promoted by the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO), an alliance of race directors.

THE PRRO CIRCUIT 2024-25 SCHEDULE

Boilermaker 15K, July 14, 2024, Utica, NY

$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money)

WINNERS: John Korir*, Kenya, 42:11 and Grace Loibach Nawowuna*, Kenya, 49:18

50th Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 27, 2024, Davenport, IA

$50,000 in prize money

WINNERS: Wesley Kiptoo*, Kenya, 32:27 and Rachel Chebet*, Uganda, 36:11

Gate River Run 15K, March 1, 2025, Jacksonville, FL

$57,000 in prize money ($16,000 U.S. prize money) plus $5000 Equalizer gender race and World, U.S. & course record bonus money

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, April 6, 2025, Washington, DC

$80,600 in prize money ($48,600 U.S. prize money) plus performance bonuses

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 4, 2025, Spokane, WA

$81,000 in prize money ($20,000 U.S. prize money)

THE 28th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Boilermaker 15K, July 13, 2025, Utica, NY

$65,100 in prize money ($14,500 U.S. prize money) as well as:

• $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus to male or female champions who have won any of the PRRO Circuit 2024-25 races (split if both eligible male and female win)
• $2500 to male or female championship winners who have not won any races on the 2024-25 Circuit
• $1500 to eligible males and females finishing in places 2-10

* = Qualified to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2025 PRRO Championship.

Reigning PRRO champions Tebello Ramakongoana and Sarah Naibei, who won the 2024 PRRO Championship at the Lilac Bloomsday 12K on May 5, were the first two athletes to earn a chance to compete for the $20,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2025 PRRO Championship. They will be joined by all the athletes who win one of the 2024-25 Circuit events listed above. Those qualified runners are also eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus ($1500 cumulative for eligible athletes who do not win the PRRO Championship but do finish in places 2-10 at the PRRO Championship). Any athlete who wins the PRRO Super Bonus is not eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus.

If the male and/or female winners of this summer’s PRRO Championship at Boilermaker have not won any of the events on the current Circuit, they will be awarded $2500 each as the PRRO Championship winners in addition to the prize money at the PRRO Championship event.

To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 17 world and 19 U.S. road records, awarded more than $8.5 million in prize money and seen more than 2.7 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $2.2 million including $188,500 in PRRO Championship bonus money.

PRRO Championship and Circuit Year

The PRRO Circuit, launched in 1995, starts and finishes the Circuit Year at the same event that will also host the season-ending PRRO Championship race. The reigning titlists of the PRRO Championship and the event winners on the current Circuit are eligible to compete for the PRRO Super Bonus at the PRRO Championship.

Visit PRRO.org for more information, including its history and past champions, as well as how to join the PRRO Circuit.

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