Garcia Places 10th at USATF 15K Champs in Jacksonville's Gate River Run

Greenville Track Club ELITE's Eduardo Garcia ran a personal best 45:14 to place 10th in the USATF 15K Road Championships in Jacksonville's Gate River Run. It was 64 degrees with 95% humidity at the 8:00 am men's start near Jacksonville's Fairgrounds. Eddie passed 5K in 14:48 and 10K at 30:03 before the climb up the Hart Bridge, also know to runners as the "Green Monster" for its elevation and placement during the final third of the race. ​​​After cresting the bridge at 8.3 miles he was able to run the final mile in 4:30 as he finished next to Everbank Stadium, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Eddie averaged 4:51 per mile and 3:01 per kilometer. The time was a new GTC-ELITE program record for a 15K race. 

HIs teammate, Karl Thiessen (11th at the 2023 USATF 10K Road Championships) had an off day as he placed 23rd with a time of 47:52. There were 11,786 finishers in the 15K race, which is the largest road race in Florida. 

Nine of "Top Ten" men. Garcia pictured on far right.

Pre-race prep.

Post-race award.

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Greenville Track Club-ELITE was established in 2012 and is in its second decade as a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program. The program produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA, one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase and three qualifiers for the 2024 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Orlando, FL. The program's runners set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon--twice) and three (15K, 10-Mile and 20K) in 2021. GTC-ELITE also produced the South Carolina Men's 2020 Long Distance Runner of the Year. 

​The program is sponsored and supported by the 52-year-old Greenville Track Club, ASICS, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, UCAN energy products, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Movement (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.​