History of the Tillman Clocktower Race
by Gail Johnson
The Tillman Clocktower 5K Road Race is an outgrowth of the Clocktower 5K Road Race, which was begun in 1986 by the Rome Jaycees as a fundraiser for the restoration of the City Clock. Beginning and ending in Heritage Park, the race takes place in downtown Rome, running through the Between the Rivers neighborhood, down Broad Street, and around Myrtle Hill. In 1996 the Rome Runners Club, whose members had staffed the Finish Line for the race, was approached by the Jaycees to assume full responsibility for the race, and the race was moved from an August date to November, but eventually returned to the third Saturday in August, and is held on this day every year. 2023 was the second year for a record net income for the race, with $34,000 in monetary sponsorships and over $37,000 in net income. In the eighteen years the Clocktower 5K Road Race has been run in Gary’s memory we have raised almost $244,000 for the Family Resource Center.
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