2014 "Up the River Downtown" 10k Swim and Flotilla

"Up the River Downtown” is a 10-kilometer (6-mile) swim and paddle in our cherished St. Johns River raising awareness through athletics and recreation. JumpingFish also LOVES The Special Olympics – Duval County swim team and we raise money to support their program. It is our way of saying thank you for the joy and acceptance they inspire in the community.

Please join us along our way as we swim, kayak, and SUP up the St. Johns River in a FLOTILLA of awesome! Route: http://events.jumpingfish.net/routemap/

The website is here: http://events.jumpingfish.net/

The JumpingFish swimming and safety crew will launch from Jacksonville University. Flotilla will launch from Arlington Road Boat Ramp and together we will journey "Up the River" to the Riverside Arts Market. You may opt to join us at any other access point along the route in the river south of Jacksonville University. The swimmers will be escorted by our safety team wearing Day-Glo orange shirts and will be easy to spot.

On the Water Event Times…
09:30am ~ JumpingFish Swimmers launch from JU
09:30am ~ Kayakers prepare for launch from Arlington Road Boat Ramp
10:00am ~ Kayakers/Flotilla launch from Arlington Road Boat Ramp to meet swimmers
12:00pm ~ Approximate arrival time at Riverside Arts Market
12:35pm~ Tide changes for the next 6 hours for an easy ride back!

Once docking at Riverside Arts Market, feel free to leave your boat with one of our volunteers as you enjoy all the local crafts, vegetables, food, and music. ALSO make sure you stop by our table at the St. Johns Riverkeeper tent to check out all the current River issues. Please make sure the swimmers have exited the river safely before docking your kayak, SUP or boat!

For those who wish to paddle back (once the tide changes @ 12:35 pm), please do! Enjoy our Downtown sights like Friendship Fountain, The Jacksonville Landing, Main Street Bridge, Everbank Field, or paddle down McCoy’s Creek located under the Florida Times-Union building.

~Qualifying Swimmers (Female)~
Bree Bailey, Lisa Broadfield, Giselle Carson, Lauren Gianino, Moby Lotzia, Stephanie Ortner, ~Qualifying Swimmers (Male)~
Jim Alabiso, Vedad Begic, Chris Bleau, Ian Cherry, Diego De Los Rios, Eric DePetris, Luis Etchenique, Brian Fisak, Tom Jackson, Joshua Stevens, Ben Yute

Need a kayak? No problem! Our friends at First Coast Outfitters will have rentals available for the event. These rentals (kayak, paddle, and PFD) are by reservation only, so make sure you call Joe at First Coast Outfitters (904) 502-7733 and reserve yours today... you won't want to miss this!

This event made possible by our river friendly community businesses: Grassroots Natural Market, Unity Plaza, MarksGray, AquaJax, Jacksonville Firefighters Association, Jim Love, Bold Bean Coffee Roasters, Portofino Pools, Pele's Wood Fire, Law Offices of Mitch Ritchie, Community Couriers of Jacksonville, Fresh Jax, Good Shepherd Pool, Boat Florida Rentals and Mee Mee Jax 18.1, St. Johns Riverkeeper, Riverside Arts Market, Wateryogi, First Coast Outfitters and ZenCog Bicycle, North Florida Land Trust, Inc., St. Johns River Alliance, the Sierra Club, and the dragon boats… Jax Fire Dragons and In the Pink!