When inducted as a team in 2006, the historic Amway River Bank Run was known as the Fifth Third River Bank Run. The race was created and first held in 1978 by Old Kent Bank as the Old Kent Bank River Bank Run and it was presented annually under than name until 2000. The name was changed to the Fifth Third Bank River Run after Fifth Third acquired Old Kent that year. In 2018 Amway took over primary sponsorship of the race from Fifth Third.
The annual road race is presented in May and draws over 20,000 participants and thousands of spectators from around the world. It is the largest 25K road race in the country, and is the site for the USA 25 km Open and Masters Championships. The event also features the only 25K Wheelchair Racing division in the world. Other runs and walks are also part of the event involving thousands from across West Michigan.
The race has attracted many of the world’s best runners and has been won by local running standouts Greg Meyer (seven times) and Dathan Ritzenhein in 2017.
Amway became the primary sponsor in October of 2018. Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital provides sponsorship for the Wheelchair and Handchair Divisions, and many other local sponsors partner with what has become one of the running world’s top events as well as a premier event in Grand Rapids.