As July 4th comes around, many think of fireworks, BBQ and perhaps the reason for the season, the birthday of the United States. In Atlanta though, it is time for another great tradition: the Peachtree Road Race.
Since 1970, runners have gotten together in the wee hours of July 4th to run (or jog or walk or crawl) 6.2 miles on Peachtree Road to prove their metal and celebrate the nation’s birthday. 110 runners finished the race that year at what is now known Woodruff Park. The sponsor for that year’s affair? Carling Brewery. A small Canadian beer outfit that opened a plant near Atlanta in the 1950’s.
The second year of the race the number of runners nearly doubled and by 1978 the race had over 6,500 participants. Carling Brewery had sold its Atlanta plant to Coca-Cola by then and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution became the main sponsor. In 1995, the race held the first design contest for the famous T-shirt and the number of attendees was capped at 50,000. Known as the world’s largest 10K, the race now accommodates 60,000 runners chosen through an online lottery system. Since its inception, over half a million people have run in the race.
It takes 3,500 volunteers to put on the event, including working at the starting area, handing out water along the course, or at the finish in the park. 500,000 cups and 120,000 gallons of water will be given out to runners during the event.
In addition to the 60,000 runners, there are some 150,000 spectators who line Peachtree to cheer and enjoy the sights and sounds. Some hand out their bottled water, and even an occasional beverage of the more hops-oriented variety. Many runners wear costumes, some with a patriotic flair and some of a sillier nature.
Not to be overlooked is the economic impact of the race. Hotels are generally booked and restaurants are full, its been estimated to have an economic impact of $15 million. Cotton Graphics, a Kennesaw based t-shirt shop, has been doing the shirts for the Peachtree Road Race for nearly two decades, deriving 15 percent of its annual income from the event. Profits from the race go to fund the Atlanta Track Club.
Last year’s race hosted a fundraiser organized by the track club with American Meb Keflezighi, the 2014 Boston Marathon winner. Meb started at the back of the field with a goal of passing 22,500 runners. Nearly 39 minutes later (a 6:17 pace, slow-time for a runner who ran a sub 5:10 pace as he finished eighth in this year’s Boston Marathon), and in true Peachtree-style, much meandering, Meb had passed 22,780 runners. By the end of the race, Kilometer Kids, the track club’s program for youth, raised $75,000 thanks to Meb.
The 2014 race featured runners from 47 states and the District of Columbia (the Dakotas and Wyoming apparently were busy). Bill Thorn, an 84-year-old running coach at Landmark Christian School in Fairburn, is the only participant to have run in every race but 506 runners have run over 35 times. The oldest male entrant to the 2014 race was 89 and the oldest female was 95.
Whether you are a first-time runner or a grizzled veteran, few events in Atlanta bring as many people of varied backgrounds together. When you get to the finish, keep an eye out for one of the event’s long running “mascots”, Ron Reis from the Georgia Peach Council, a man of significant stature wearing a full peach costume, ready to greet you with a smile and a photo op in Piedmont Park. Happy Fourth of July!
