PRRO Circuit 2026 Opens at Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville

March 5, 2026

The American classic road race, offering a $77,000 guaranteed prize purse plus record bonus money, draws top international field including past women’s champions Calli Hauger-Thackery (2025) & Rachel Smith (2024); winners also secure automatic qualification for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 29th PRRO Championship

BETHESDA, MD (March 5, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The Gate River Run 15K, set for Saturday morning, March 7 in Jacksonville, FL, kicks off the 2026 PRRO Circuit racing season. The 49th edition offers $77,000 in guaranteed prize money, including an “American Cup” $23,000 purse for the top five U.S. athletes who finish in the top ten. The purse also includes the entertaining Equalizer gender race $5000 bonus to the first male or female across the finish line with the elite women given a 5-minute advance start on the men. The event, in addition, offers World, American and course record bonus money ($10,000, $5000 and $3000, respectively).

At the second stop on the 2025-26 PRRO Circuit, the race champions will also earn automatic eligibility to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 29th PRRO Championship hosted by the Quad-City Times Bix 7 on July 25, 2026 in Davenport, IA. In addition, the 2-10 Gate River Run finishers earn PRRO Circuit points, with the top 5 point scorers overall before the PRRO Championship also qualifying to compete for the Super Bonus at Bix.

At Gate River Run, there are 13 international athletes from 9 different countries, with 5 being Olympians. The top runners include:

WOMEN

Calli Hauger-Thackery (GBR), defending race champion, 2026 Chevron Houston Marathon winner & Paris Olympian; Rachel Smith (USA), 2024 race champion & 2020 Tokyo Olympian; Fiona O’Keeffe (USA), 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion & Paris Olympian; Emily Durgin (USA), third 2024 Gate River Run; Jessa Hanson (USA), fifth 2025 Gate River Run; Chloé Herbiet (BEL), Paris Olympian; and Meskerem Mamo (ETH), 14:36 5K / African U20 5000 champion

MEN

Mezgebu Sime (ETH), 2025 Prefontaine Classic 10,000 (27:04) & Oslo Diamond League 5000m (12:49); Mohammed El Youssfi (MAR), 2026 Aramco Houston Half Marathon (59:21) & 2025 Rockin Rib 10K winner (27:43); David Mullarkey (GBR), 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championship, 26th & 2025 Rockin Rib 10K (27:49); Getinet Gedamu (ETH), 2025 Rockin Rib 10K (27:51); JP Flavin (USA), 2025 Marathon Project winner (2:09:18); and Joe Whelan (USA), 2025 California International Marathon, runner-up (2:09:42)

“At the first 2026 PRRO Circuit event, the Gate River Run 15K, an iconic American classic road race, has again assembled a world class international field, capable of challenging the event records,” said Don Kardong, PRRO Circuit President. “The top runners will not only chase the $77,000 guaranteed prize purse, but also, for the win in Jacksonville, earn automatic berths to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 29th PRRO Championship hosted by Quad-City Times Bix 7 in July.”

The Gate River Run – which along with the 15K includes a 5K, Mile Challenge, Junior River Run and Diaper Dash – is Jacksonville’s largest participatory sporting event, with more than 18,000 expected downtown. The 15K, with 13,852 finishers in 2025, is the largest 9.3 mile road race in the U.S.

Last year’s overall race champions were Wesley Kiptoo of Kenya and Calli Hauger-Thackery of Great Britain who crossed the finish line in 42 minutes, 10 seconds and 47:24, respectively. Kiptoo’s time set an event record, shattering the longstanding 42:22 run by Todd Williams in 1995. The women’s course record is 47:00 by Shalane Flanagan (USA), set in 2014.

The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at six 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 Steamboat Classic 4 Mile in Peoria, IL, the Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, IA. The 2025-26 PRRO Circuit offers more than $440,000 in guaranteed prize money overall with $148,100 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 2025-26 SCHEDULE

Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 26, 2025, Davenport, IA

$50,000 in prize money

WINNERS: Alex Maier*, USA, 32:02 and Vibian Chepkirui*, Kenya, 36:41

Gate River Run 15K, March 7, 2026, Jacksonville, FL

$72,000 in prize money ($23,00 U.S. prize money) plus $5000 Equalizer gender race and World, U.S. & course record bonus money

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, April 12, 2026, Washington, DC

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

Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, May 3, 2026, Spokane, WA

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

Steamboat Classic 4 Mile, June 6, 2026, Peoria, IL

$43,200 in U.S. prize money

Boilermaker 15K, July 12, 2026, Utica, NY

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

THE 29th PRRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Quad-City Times Bix 7, July 25, 2026, Davenport, IA

$50,000 in prize money as well as:

• $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus to male or female Bix winners who are either defending PRRO Champions, have won any of the PRRO Circuit 2025-26 races or finished top 5 in the points system (Super Bonus split if both eligible male and female win)
• $2500 to male or female Championship winners who have not won any races on the 2025-26 Circuit
• $1500 to eligible PRRO event champions, males and females, finishing in places 2-10

*Qualified to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2026 PRRO Championship.

With their 2025 PRRO Championship titles at Boilermaker, John Korir and Veronica Loleo were the first two athletes eligible to compete for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 2026 PRRO Championship hosted by the Quad-City Times Bix 7 next July. In pursuit of the Super Bonus, the pair will join the winners of the 2025-26 Circuit events as well as the top 5 per gender in the PRRO Circuit points system (2-10 finishers score points at each current Circuit race; except, 2-5 finishers score at a U.S.-only Circuit race).

To-date, PRRO Circuit events have produced 18 world and 24 U.S. road records, awarded more than $8.9 million in prize money and seen more than 2.8 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $2.2 million including $218,500 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, the event winners on the current Circuit and the top 5 in the PRRO points system 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.