Thieves apparently tried to steal the bronze statue of a runner in front of the Adam’s Mark Hotel on the Northbank Tuesday night. According to Lamar Strother of the Jacksonville Track Club, which donated the artwork to the City to commemorate the Gate River Run, somebody backed a truck up to the statue and tried to pull it down. He said police investigated and have some evidence. Strother was at the site Wednesday afternoon to inspect the damage to the $38,000 piece of art. Strother said he’s spoken with the City’s Recreation Department and they will repair the statue. Strother said he was told bronze sells for about $2 a pound; the statue weights about 500 pounds.