Everything You Need to Know About the 2015 Fifth Third River Bank Run

The River Bank Run is upon us, and we want you to be prepared! Here's everything you need to know about this year's run.

More than 20,000 runners and 40,000 spectators will be taking part in the 38th annual Fifth Third Bank River Bank Run this Saturday.  

Runners will start lining up at 7 a.m. on the corner of Lyon and Monroe in downtown Grand Rapids.Finishers with the best times will be invited to participate in the 2016 U.S. Olympic trials for the first time this year.

Also of note is that there is a "race within the race" this year. Elite woman athletes will start 11 minutes and 30 seconds ahead of the elite men and the rest of the field. Why 11 minutes and 30 seconds? Because that's the average difference between the men's and women's race finishing times for the Fifth Third River Bank Run over the past ten years.

Starting the women earlier will create a competition between the men and women. Whoever crosses the finish line first, male or female, will receive a $1,000 bonus.

Organizers are also adjusting start times to make room for the split field. The elite women will start at 8:18 a.m. and the rest of the 25K runners will start at 8:30 a.m. The Fifth Third 5K Community Walk will begin at 9 a.m.

Here's the official 2015 parking and traffic guide:

Roads will begin closing starting at 3 p.m. Friday with Ottawa closing from Michigan to Lyon. For more, see below.