Running, Racing, Connecting
The goal of the 1st Place Sports Distance Project is to give each team member the best running experience possible, one that honors commitment, friendship, a positive attitude and celebrates running with a community of people who share a passion for the sport.
The 1st Place Sports Distance Project was founded by Ryann Lohman in 2021. She saw the need for an all inclusive race team in Jacksonville where like-minded people could come together to run, thus the creation of the Distance Project.
What You Get!
- Community of runners
- ASICS singlet or ASICS short sleeve technical shirt with Distance Project logo
- 15% off in-store merchandise & 10% off electronics
- Pair of Swiftwick Socks
- Discounts at Sports Recovery Annex
- Private Facebook Group for super fun team updates, meetup details, and more!
- 1 year JTC membership for Bolles access-membership good for 1 year regardless of when you join. Click here for membership benefits.
- Regularly scheduled runs lead by our coaches
- Access to trusted network of coaches for tips and advice
- Team Monthly Mixer
- Membership pause for active duty service members on deployment
- $5 off entry at 10 of the below races (all are Jacksonville Grand Prix events) Plus extra early bird specials:
- Celebration 5K
- Tour de Pain
- RunJax Labor Day 5K
- Evergreen Pumpkin Run
- Bailey’s Health and Fitness Mandarin Run
- Community First Thanksgiving Distance Classic
- Ameris Bank Jacksonville Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K
- Evergreen St Paddy’s 10K & 5K
- San Marco Wine & Chocolate Run
- Run for the Pies
How to Join
- Cost: $150 per year (includes JTC membership-$20 discount taken at checkout if you already have a membership). All memberships end June 30th, so the price is prorated throughout the year.
- Fill out a quick registration form to give us your contact info and tell us why you are joining the Distance Project!
- Do you have questions? Email them to distanceprojectruns@gmail.com
Weekly Run Meet-ups
Media
Follow us!
Meet the Coaches
Our coaches will be helping lead the Sunday long group runs. We will also occasionally have opportunities to ask specific coaches questions on our Facebook page. For more individualized coaching plans and 1 on 1 sessions, please reach out to one of the coaches below!
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Raymond Colon
Raymond holds both a BS and MS Degree in Nutrition & Dietetics. He has provided nutrition education and coaching for over 5 years. As an endurance runner himself, he enjoys working with other runners wanting to excel in running with better nutrition. His coaching breaks down complicated nutrition principles so you can easily implement them into your training program. His goals are to fuel your nutrition so you can run faster, further, and without the dreaded “bonk.”
Email: TalonNutrition@gmail.com
Instagram: @raymondcolonnutrition
Website: TalonNutrition.com -
Stephen Cox
Stephen is from Jacksonville, Florida and is a graduate of Bishop Kenny High School and Florida State University. He has a Level 1 coaching certificate from USATF. He has trained middle school, high school, and adult athletes for foot races ranging from the half-mile all the way to the marathon. Stephen has also qualified for the Boston Marathon three times.
Email: stephen@1stplacesports.com
Instagram:@quehombretc
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Jordon Garman
Jordon Garman is an assistant cross country coach and running lab technician at Jacksonville University, where he also received his M.S. in Kinesiology in 2018. A USATF certified coach, he is passionate about coaching individuals of all experience levels. As a pupil of running and life, he enjoys applying the knowledge he has gained through education, academic research, and his own athletic training. He is a firm believer that a coach’s duty is to assist athletes in manifesting their own abilities. Allowing individuals to gain and maintain skills that transcend the sport itself, he views running as the perfect medium for enhancing quality of life.
Other academic qualifications: B.S. Nutrition & Dietetics w/ Public Health Minor, University of North Florida 2016
Email: newsouthendurance@gmail.com
Instagram:@newsouthendurance
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Coach Macca
Chris McCaffrey, aka Coach Macca, grew up in Jacksonville, FL. Athletics took up most of his free time, soccer being his favorite sport. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from St. Leo University, he began to focus his resources on the sport of running. His debut in competitive racing started with a Turkey Trot 5k November 2010. Chris placed fourth overall with a time of 17:50. Two weeks later was his debut 10k, finishing the race with a time of 37:18 and third overall. He was immediately picked up by a local racing team and running specialty store, to join the team on a 200 mile relay from Miami to Key West. The team placed 1st Overall, setting a new course record that still stands today. The team averaged a 6:08 minute mile pace.
After his running foundation was set, Chris earned himself several certifications. Personal Training with the International Sport Science Association. SPINNING Instructor with Mad Dogg Athletics. Selfmyofascial Release Technique Instructor with TriggerPoint Performance. Good Form Running Coach with Newton Running. Running Coach with USA Track & Field Level I and Road Runners Club of America.
Chris has now been competitively racing Road Running Events for the past ten years. However, for the past seven years, he has also been a high level competitor in Multisport Events. June 2019, Chris finished his first 140.6 Ironman triathlon with a time under 11 hours.
Other personal bests are listed below
1mi – 4:38 (2018)
5k – 15:29 (2019)
Half Marathon – 1:10:56 (2018)
Marathon – 2:34:36 (2018)
Email: coaching@itzracing.com
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Sean McCormack
Sean enjoys helping others get better and reach their goals and potential. Giving back his knowledge and experience to the running community means a great deal and is very important to him. He is motivated by helping others, watching them improve, and sharing in their excitement. Competing as a distance runner helped build discipline and confidence that he has been able to draw upon in many aspects of his life.
Experience:
- Head Coach Georgia Southern Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Team – 1985-1986
- RRCA Georgia Marathon Champion- winner Savannah Marathon – 1986
- Three time U.S. Navy Marathon Champion – Blue Angel Marathon winner 1992-1994 (Course Record 2:22:45 1994)
- Three time Jacksonville Marathon Champion – 1993(x2) January & December, 2004
- USTAF Masters Outdoor Track Championship – Charlotte NC – Silver Medalist 5,000 & 10,000 meters-2006
- USTAF Certified Level 1 Coach – 2010
Personal Records:
- 5k-14:42 -1986
- 10k-30:21 -1986
- 1/2 Marathon – 1:07:32-1985
- Marathon – 2:22:10-1992
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Lisa Thomas
Lisa started training and distance running at the age of 40. In her first marathon, she ran 3:37 and qualified for the Boston Marathon. This early success during middle age was the inspiration to become a dedicated runner and coach. She has subsequently qualified for the Boston Marathon six times and has run over 15 Marathons which include Boston, NY, Chicago, and London. Her Marathon PR is 3:29 achieved at the age of 47.
Although, she has enjoyed the lure of the marathon, her first love is Track. She has participated in several Masters Competitions in the 800m, 1500m and the mile. At 43, as an age-group runner, she achieved her mile PR of 5:38 and kept that pace for the following 5 years. A proud moment was when she received recognition as Florida’s 2nd Female Masters in the 2014 Gate River Run Championship. She has worked for 1st Place Sports and has been on the 1st Place Sports racing team since 2008.
Lisa’s passion for running has motivated her to help others achieve their running goals through personal one-on-one coaching for the past 10 years. She enjoys developing first-time runners as well as female master runners. She has turned walkers into runners and Boston qualifiers into finishers.
Fun Fact: She was 1 of 2 female runners selected to model for the historic female river runner statute located on the Riverwalk in Jacksonville.
Certifications:
USATF Level 1
RRCA Certified
Galloway Pacer
Coaching Experience:
2011 – present
Coached beginner to advanced runners male/female
Specific River Run Training
1 Mile/5K/5Mile/10K/15K/10 mile/Half Marathon/Marathon Training
1st Place Sports Distance Project Sponsors