Misty, Samuel and I traveled to Atlanta July 4th 2007 to stay with great friends and I ran the Peachtree with our friends, Gary and Ona. It was a sight to behold, 55,000 people waiting to start the largest 10K in the World. It was a very hot morning and a very long wait to get out of the start gate but it was lots of fun.
I had no plans to run this year as you have to register in March and then it is a lottery to try and get placed. I received the call last week that there was a space available and Gary and I are running again this year. It is simply amazing to be in the midst of all these runners and all of them have a great attitude.
Here is a little history.
Ronnie
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race 2008
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The course of the 39thrunning of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race will add one additional turn to the route from previous years to a new finish line at the intersection of Juniper and Ponce de Leon in midtown Atlanta. With our goal to keep the integrity of the race in tact, this change affects the final .6 of a mile of the world’s largest 10k. Minor adjustments will be made to the start to ensure a certified 10k course but all runners will continue to assemble around the Lenox Square Mall area.
On July 4, 1970 in Atlanta, a group of just over 100 runners made history, just by running down the street. What began that day as a simple fun run has grown over the past forty years into one of the city’s signature events and favorite Fourth of July traditions. Each year on this date, 55,000 runnersgather at Lenox Mall to run 6.2 miles south on Peachtree Street in the largest 10K road race in the world. Along the way, they are cheered by almost 150,000 spectators and aided by more than 3,000 dedicated volunteers. For the elite runners, the race is a chance at prize money and one of the most prestigious titles on the international circuit. For the “weekend warriors” at the middle—or farther back—in the pack, it’s a day to have fun running with friends and family, maybe achieve a personal best time, and earn their own prize: the famed Peachtree T-shirt. Over the years, Atlanta and its favorite race have grown and changed, but one thing stays the same: Atlanta loves to celebrate the 4thby having some guests over and “doing Peachtree.”
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