15K: March 7, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Please arrive early to allow time to park and get to your Wave Staging Area.
Start/Finish Location Update: We have moved the start and finish to the Jacksonville Shipyards (700 E. Bay Street) due to ongoing construction at the stadium. To accommodate the new start/finish, Bay Street will be closed east of the Main Street Bridge.
There is absolutely no parking at the Jacksonville Shipyards.
Plan to park off-site and walk or use shuttle transportation.
Arriving & Parking
Arriving from the Downtown side of the start/finish
If you come over the Main Street Bridge or Acosta Bridge, please park downtown and walk to the starting area. The starting line is about 0.5 mile from the Main Street Bridge.
If you want to try to park near the stadium, you will need to use Duval Street. The parking garages on each side of the arena will be open, as well as Lot P in front of the old Fairgrounds location. It is closer to walk from downtown to the start than it is to walk from Lot P.
Arriving from the Stadium side of the start/finish
The main parking area will be in the Tailgaters and Cypress parking lots off Talleyrand. Free bus transportation (about 1 mile) to and from the start/finish area will be provided.
Wave starts begin at 8:00 AM (see start layout below).
Important Information
- Please arrive early. Traffic will be heavy, and you may need to walk up to one mile to reach the start, depending on where you park.
- Every participant will receive a men’s or women’s technical, moisture-wicking shirt.
- Medals will be given to all finishers in the 15K.
- Wear your race number on the front of your clothing. This is the only way to be identified for online pictures.
- Bag check will be available near the finish.
15K Start Times
All waves will start from the same starting line on Bay Street at the Jacksonville Shipyards. The start times for Waves 2, 3, and 4 are estimated and may occur earlier. Please be in your start area 15 minutes before your estimated start time.
- 7:50 AM – Adaptive athletes and Streakers
- 7:55 AM – Top 25 seeded women
- 8:00 AM – Top 300 seeded (Yellow) and Wave 1
- Wave 1 (Blue, Red, Green, Orange, Black, White) – Bibs 301–4,600
- Wave 2 (Grey) – 8:05 AM – Bibs 4,601–10,100 (Walkers not allowed)
- Wave 3 (Purple) – 8:10 AM – Bibs 10,101–15,600 (Walkers not allowed)
- Wave 4 (Pink) – 8:15 AM – Bibs 15,601–18,100 (All walkers should be in this wave)
Course Information
All miles will be marked and digital clocks will display elapsed time at each mile mark. Water stations and toilets will be located throughout the course, and entertainment will be provided each mile during the race.
No bikes or dogs are allowed on the course under any circumstance. Biking next to a runner may lead to disqualification.
Course Time Limit
All 15K participants must reach the Hart Bridge (mile 7.5) by 10:45 AM. This is a 20:00/mile pace.
15K Waves Overview
The Gate River Run 15K uses a four-wave start system to ensure a safe and efficient race for all participants.
| Pace | Wave |
|---|---|
| Under 10:00/mile | Wave 1 (Seeded) |
| 10:00–10:59/mile | Wave 2 |
| 11:00–11:59/mile | Wave 3 |
| 12:00+/mile or walking | Wave 4 |
Your wave and bib number are assigned based on your qualifying time or selected pace.
Wave 1: Top 4,600 Seeded Runners
Wave 1 (Bibs 1–4,600) is reserved for runners who have submitted a verified qualifying time.
To qualify, you must have run 10:00 per mile pace or faster in a previous race.
Runners in Wave 1 are placed into color-coded zones based on their qualifying time:
- Yellow – Top 300 runners
- Blue
- Red
- Green
- Orange
- Black
- White
Faster qualifying times are assigned earlier starting positions.
Seeded sections fill quickly. Once a section is full, runners will be placed in the next available zone.
How to Qualify for Wave 1
To receive a seeded bib number:
- Submit a qualifying time from a race run between last year’s Gate River Run and your registration date
- Your time must be verifiable
- Qualifying times cannot be updated after registration
- Only runners who register for the seeded section can receive seeded numbers
If your time cannot be verified, you will be moved to the appropriate wave.
There are no exceptions.
Please do not register for Wave 1 unless you have already met the qualifying standards.
Top 300 Seeded (Yellow Wave)
The fastest 300 runners are placed in the Yellow Wave.
Qualifying standards:
| 5K | 5 Mile | 10K | 15K | Half Marathon | Marathon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 17:00 | 29:00 | 37:00 | 56:00 | 1:21:00 | 2:49:00 |
| Women | 20:00 | 32:30 | 41:00 | 63:00 | 1:31:00 | 3:10:00 |
Top 4,600 Seeding
Each wave has a limited number of spaces. Once filled, qualifiers will be moved to the next available wave.
| Wave | 5K | 5 Mile | 10K | 15K | 10 Mile | Half | Marathon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | Under 21:00 | Under 36:00 | Under 45:00 | Under 1:08:00 | Under 1:15:00 | Under 1:38:00 | Under 3:30:00 |
| Red | Under 25:00 | Under 42:00 | Under 50:00 | Under 1:15:00 | Under 1:24:00 | Under 1:46:00 | Under 3:45:00 |
| Green | Under 28:00 | Under 45:00 | Under 56:00 | Under 1:26:00 | Under 1:34:00 | Under 2:05:00 | Under 4:15:00 |
| Orange | Under 30:00 | Under 48:00 | Under 60:00 | Under 1:32:00 | Under 1:40:00 | Under 2:12:00 | Under 4:25:00 |
| Black | Under 32:00 | Under 52:00 | Under 64:00 | Under 1:38:00 | Under 1:47:00 | Under 2:20:00 | Under 5:00:00 |
Wave 2 (Grey Wave)
Bibs 4,601–10,100
For runners who can maintain a pace of:
- 10:00–10:59 per mile
Estimated finish time:
- 1:30:00–1:42:00
Walkers are not allowed in this wave.
Wave 3 (Purple Wave)
Bibs 10,101–15,600
For runners who can maintain a pace of:
- 11:00–11:59 per mile
Estimated finish time:
- 1:41:00–1:52:00
Walkers are not allowed in this wave.
Wave 4 (Pink Wave)
Bibs 15,601–18,100
For runners and walkers expecting to finish:
- Slower than 1:52:00
All walkers must start in this wave.
Walkers should position themselves behind runners within this wave.
15K Chair Divisions
Three Classes – White bibs 4,501–4,600
- Handcycles
- Push Rims (Wheelchairs) – Paras
- Push Rims – Quads
All classes will start together ahead of the Elite Women. Athletes with a certified disability can ride in the Handcycle class on three-wheeled recumbent cycles.
Accessible Parking
There will be a dedicated Disabled Competitors Parking Area near the starting line, and all disabled competitors will receive a parking pass. Please pick up your pass at the Expo from the Runner Relations table.
Water Stations
Water will be provided at the following points on the course:
- 1.5 mile – Riverplace Blvd
- 2.5 miles – San Marco Blvd at Lasalle Street
- 3.5 miles – River Road at Davin Park
- 4.5 miles – Atlantic Blvd just east of the railroad tracks
- 5.5 miles – Holmesdale at Jolly
- 6.5 miles – Gay at Atlantic Blvd
- 7.0 miles – Atlantic at the base of the Hart Bridge Expressway
- 8.5 miles – Bottom of Hart Bridge on the stadium side
Bands will be located on the course at 12 different locations.
Hart Bridge – “Green Monster”
The Hart Bridge starts at mile 7.0 with a challenging 140-foot climb over half a mile. The final mile is mostly downhill, offering a fast finish. A timing point at 8.3 miles lets runners track their pace for the last mile of the race.