Doug Alred, Founder of 1st Place Sports,  was inspired to become a runner when he learned of a new race about to make its debut: The River Run 15,000. He was a rather out-of-shape certified public accountant at the time but after completing that 1978 race he never looked back. Little did he know how that experience would change his life forever. He ran in every race he could find, joined the young Jacksonville Track Club, became one of its board members (where he has remained ever since) and in 1978 opened a running store that he named 1st Place Sports. Doug, an accomplished runner himself with a marathon personal record of 2:29:29, has tirelessly committed himself to the development of running for more than 40 years. His efforts paid off when Runner’s World magazine recognized Jacksonville as one of the ‘Top Ten Best Running Cities In America’. 1st Place Sports has been awarded “The 50 Best Running Stores in America” by Competitor Magazine for many years.

Jane Alred, president of 1st Place Sports retail division,  has been a runner since the first Running Boom of the 1970’s. She has run more than 40 marathons, and has a personal record for the distance of 3 hours and 10 minutes. Jane still walks several times a week. When she attends races it is usually to do with the administration of the event. She is heavily involved in the more than 60 races that 1st Place Sports organizes every year. Jane served for many years as the assistant race director of Jacksonville’s Gate River Run, a position now filled by Stuart Toomey. She still organizes, from start to finish, the huge expo that accompanies the 20,000-person event. She has been so instrumental in the development of the event that she has been named to the Gate River Run Hall of Fame. One of the Jacksonville Track Club’s earliest members, she has served on the club’s Board of Directors for more than 20 years. When the club needs a party or social event organized it is usually Jane who does the grunt work, very often throwing the party in her own house. There is not much around 1st Place Sports that Jane does not do. From waiting on customers, to overseeing the stores’ staff, paying the bills and ordering the apparel, she does it all-and more.

Brian has been part of the 1st Place Sports family since 2005. He wears a lot of hats around here — from serving as our General Manager to selecting the right shoes for our shelves, and even designing the look and feel of our stores. If you’ve stepped into one of our shops, chances are you’ve seen a bit of Brian’s touch!

Originally From: Jacksonville, Florida

Favorite Distance: Half Marathon

Favorite Race: Thanksgiving Day Classic

Advice: “Be patient with your training, you cannot expect to get fast quickly. It takes time.”

Hobbies: Hunting, fishing, golfing.

Favorite Running Item: Roll Recovery

Stuart became part of the 1st Place Sports team in 2005, starting on the sales floor before quickly discovering his true passion in race management. His dedication and attention to detail soon led him to take over as head timer and day of race operations director, a role he has mastered ever since. Today, Stuart oversees the timing and setup of more than 80 events each year—ensuring accuracy and excellence at every finish line—while still making time to lace up his own shoes for regular runs.

Originally From: Jacksonville, Florida

Favorite Distance: Half Marathon

Favorite Race: Miami Half Marathon

Advice: Advice my dad gave me- Always give everything you have, then you can walk with your head held high.

Hobbies: Other than running,  going to beach!

Favorite Running Item: Garmin 235