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.

Kelly Sanker, Jason Sanker, and Gail Johnson

Thank you to our event sponsors!

The Tillman Clocktower Race would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors.

Runners reaching the finish line

Watch this video of runners progressing up Clocktower Hill!

Meet Board Member Braden Keith

This is Braden's first year as a Board Member, and he is dedicated and passionate about this role. Braden owns Romega Digital, a digital marketing and software development agency. His professional expertise centers around creating custom software for companies and he really enjoys that aspect of his life. He has been married for 8 years to his childhood sweetheart, Adlynn. They are parents to two daughters, Mills (3) and Greta (18 months), and they are expecting a third daughter in January. Braden is passionate about health-related activities like CrossFit, using the sauna, and taking cold plunges. He loves traveling with his girls and is a big fan of smoking meats. Some interesting facts about Braden are that he once drove in a presidential motorcade; before having kids, he and Adlynn RV’d across the country and visited over 30 national parks; and he once had dinner next to Steve Martin! Braden is the Marketing Committee chair and helps the FRC with their technology decision making. Having a role in restoring families and enabling them for success is Braden's motivation for being an integral part of the FRC Board.

Save the Date

Pickleball Tournament

Date: Saturday, October 14

Location: Rome Downtown Racquets Center

Mens, women, and mixed doubles brackets.

All skill levels are welcome.

Watch social media and our website for the registration link!