Participants in the Jacksonville Memorial Hospital 5K/10K presented by Gatorade start the race in 2019.
Online registration for the Jacksonville Memorial Hospital 5K/10K presented by Gatorade is open for those wanting to participate in the 5K or 10K event.
The run will begin at 8 a.m. Oct. 22 at the hospital, 1600 W. Walnut St.
Registration will be available online at bit.ly/3w88dIs through Oct. 21. Registration is $30.
In-person registration will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Running Center, 2943 W. White Oaks Drive in Springfield, or from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 21 in the main lobby of Jacksonville Memorial Hospital.
There will be prizes awarded to men and women first-, second- and third-place winners in 13 age categories. The first 350 runners to cross the finish line will receive a finisher’s medal.
“Be prepared for a personal record as both courses are flat and fast,” said Kevin Eckhoff, who has served as the director of the race since its start in 1994, when the event was known as the Passavant-Gatorade 5K/10K. The race has grown to include nearly 400 runners, some from other states.
Proceeds will benefit the Jacksonville Youth Engagement Program, which helps children from low-income households participate in different sport, extracurricular activities or mentoring programs.
Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree has been a reporter for the Journal-Courier since May 2014. She joined the staff after graduating from Eastern Illinois University. The Cahokia native worked with her school newspaper in various editor roles.