River Run nears two decades of fun, fundraising, and friendship

It takes a crew of volunteers to help with River Run registration pick-ups in the Central Waters warehouse. Participants received a long-sleeved t-shirt, a can of commemorative River Run beer, a free beer from Central Waters, the opportunity to purchase limited-edition Black Gold beer, and a wristband (being applied in the photo above) verifying that they are of legal drinking age.

Jensen Center annual event prepares for 20th annual race in 2026

By River Run Race Coordinator Chelsea Graham and Jensen Center Executive Director Brent Frankenhoff

The weather was absolutely perfect for a beautiful fall morning at the 2025 River Run, held October 11 at Central Waters Brewing Company. Early that morning, a large group of amazing volunteers were at their stations, ready to make this another successful event. Registration volunteers began checking in the nearly 800 participants at 7:45 a.m., making sure they received their bibs and timing chips, t-shirts produced by Amherst’s own 3K Apparel, River Run beer, and the chance to purchase a coveted bottle of Black Gold. Parking volunteers directed traffic to the parking areas, keeping Allen Street safe for foot traffic along the road. While waiting for race time, attendees could watch the 1/2 K Falcon Fun Run for runners aged 5 to 10 in the Central Waters parking lot or enjoy coffee and treats from Grit and Grace Family Restaurant.

Runners and walkers began lining up at about 9:45 a.m. near the starting gate set up by Ben Schultz, Paul Graham, and their amazing team of race course volunteers. After pre-race instructions, the national anthem was performed by Amherst High School Senior and 2025 Junior Person of the Year Presley Voss, and the five-mile course runners set off on a tour of our community at 10 a.m. Following shortly behind, the two-mile course participants took a shorter tour of our village. Out on the course, runners breezed by Portage County Sheriff’s Deputies and members of the Amherst Fire District helping to ensure safety (with periodic updates on racer progress sent back to the start/finish line) and saw students from the Amherst Cross Country Team directing them on the course. Once the runners and walkers got back to the brewery, they were greeted at a recovery table by a group of teenage volunteers with water and bananas donated by Amherst Family Foods. While waiting for race results, participants also had the chance to purchase treats from the Amherst High School Spanish Club while enjoying live music provided by deejay A.J. Zanella and free upper neck treatments, including shoulder and neck rubs, provided by Rachel Joling, esthetician at Stepping Stone Salon & Day Spa. Again this year, the race prizes were one-of-a-kind beautiful mugs and “medals” individually made by potter Kris Crubaugh.

The fundraiser serves as a primary source of funding for the Jensen Community Center, and we would like to once again thank Emerson Automation Solutions and Legacy Steel for allowing us to use their parking lots for emergency vehicles and for providing electricity for announcements as well as letting us use their respective grounds for additional parking. A special thank you to Amherst Bible Church, Sharpe Engineering, Blenker Construction, Northwind Solar, and the Village of Amherst and Travis Stuczynski for providing parking areas for volunteers and attendees. And, a special thank you to this year’s River Run sponsors: Northwind Solar, Central Waters Brewing Company, Stuczynski Soils and Design, Legacy Steel, Re/Max Lyons Real Estate, Sullivan Investment Management, Shambeau & Thern Real Estate, Farmers State Bank, and Amherst Family Foods.

We would be remiss if we didn’t offer an extra-special thank you to Amherst residents and business owners who may have seen more traffic and people for a few hours that day. This event is definitely a chance for us to show off all that Amherst has to offer!

With 2026 marking 20 years of River Runs, plans are already being developed to mark the anniversary. If you participated in one of the first River Runs, we’d like to profile you in upcoming issues of the Spirit. Please contact brent@jensencenter.org. Other plans will be announced as the 2026 River Run gets closer.

Each year, this event just keeps getting better. A town like ours relies on the Jensen Center for so many programs, entertainment, and strength-building community events. From all of us who worked on the Run, thank you for the support of this important event for our area.

Mark your calendars for October 10, 2026, and the 20th River Run. Registration opens in the spring. See you next year!

Click here for race results.