by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Doug Alred hasn’t run the 15K Gate River Run since 1982, but he’s been a vital part of each one since.
Alred serves as race director for the annual event in addition to owning 1st Place Sports, a specialty running store with four locations in Northeast Florida.
The week of the race tends to be his most hectic time of the year as he coordinates all of the activities associated with putting on the event, including the Runner’s Expo at the Fairgrounds & Expo Center Downtown.
“It’s definitely my busiest week,” he said.
Alred spent much of Tuesday afternoon at the fairgrounds with staff setting up for the three-day expo that he believes will draw close to 30,000 people.
The event will have 100 booths related to running and health, he said, including for his own business.
This year’s race, scheduled Saturday, should draw about 21,000 runners for the various races, he said. For the first time, there will be more women than men competing.
From water to generators, from Jumbotrons to T-shirts, Alred organizes the run and accompanying events on a budget of around $600,000. He credits cost-savings to the physical work he and the staff do themselves.
A former certified public accountant, Alred said in the late 1970s he knew he had to center his life and business on what he loved. So he ran from the desk job and opened his first running store. He is now contemplating opening a fifth store.
“I love it,” he said. “I wanted to revolve my life more around doing what I love to do.”
He readily thanks the volunteers who have helped him over the years, admitting he couldn’t make the event work without them.
As for running the race again – or at least seeing the course?
“I’d love to see it out there sometime,” he said. “It’s moving.”
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