Young runners prepare for the Gate River Run

Jacksonville, Fla. — The Gate River Run is an annual tradition in Jacksonville. The 15K race started in 1978.

“First Place Sports and Jacksonville Track Club put it on for the city. It has over 10,000 runners,” said Carol Butler, a physical education teacher at Mandarin Oaks Elementary School.

Butler hopes to inspire another generation of runners. So for the past four years, she’s been coaching her students to run in the Junior River Run, a one-mile fun run.

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“We start off a couple of minutes running and then the rest walking and at the end of our training were up to 10 minutes running,” she said.

More than 170 kids, ages 5 to 13, will run the race.

Butler, who has been teaching P.E. for nearly 20 years, said seeing kids get physically active is the best feeling.

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She said, “Running is a great program to keep kids healthy, to develop stamina and perseverance.”

The Gate River Run, and the Junior River Run, will take place Saturday morning in Downtown Jacksonville.

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