Passavant-Gatorade 5K | 10K Popular for First-Time and Experienced Runners

People travel from near and far to participate in the Passavant-Gatorade 5K | 10K, scheduled this year for May 25.

“I ran my first Passavant 5K in 1999 and have ran almost every year since,” said Jody Claussen of Jacksonville. “It’s perfect for a first-time racer. The Passavant-Gatorade race has everything a runner needs to have a successful race.”

Mark Fryer of Canton, MO, returns to the Passavant-Gatorade 5K | 10K every year because the race “checks all the boxes.”

Claussen and Fryer will join more than 350 runners when the race starts at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 25 at Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville.

“I travel over 130 miles each way to run the Passavant-Gatorade race,” said Fryer. “It’s an easy to find venue, ample parking, experienced and responsive race director, multiple race distances, performance shirts, interesting courses, chip timing, unique awards and quite the spread for post-race refreshments. It’s simply a well-organized, professional event.”

Both races start and finish on the east side of the Passavant campus and are USA Track and Field-certified. The courses are considered flat and fast and travel through mostly residential areas on Jacksonville’s west side. Many previous runners have achieved personal best times at the event.

The first 400 participants to cross the finish line will receive a commemorative finisher’s medal. Custom pint glasses are presented to the top overall male and female finisher in each race and to first, second, and third place, male and female, in 13 age categories.

Proceeds from the race will provide youth scholarships to children identified through Passavant’s Healthy Jacksonville initiative on the northeast side of the city. “The most overwhelming response when we ask about the needs in this area is, ‘there is not enough for the kids to do,’” said Andrea Phelps, Healthy Jacksonville’s community health coordinator. “We’ll identify potential campers (grade school and junior high school students) through families in the Healthy Jacksonville program and give opportunities to those who wouldn’t normally be able to experience summer camp. We will match the kids to their areas of interest. It’s a tremendous opportunity to engage in healthy activities while building lasting friendships.”