Atlanta’s favorite Fourth of July tradition is turning 50 years old! Held annually by the Atlanta Track Club, the Peachtree Road Race is one of the Atlanta’s most exciting events, and in just three days, 60,000 of our neighbors from all over the world will gather at Lenox Square to battle the city’s famous heat, hills and humidity in the world’s largest 10-kilometer race. Keep an eye out for Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty agents on the course!
“It’s by far the most fun road race I have ever run,” says North Atlanta agent Sarah Tennery. “The high-rise where we live has a bird’s eye view of all the preparations, and our start wave is practically at the front of our building.”
As the closing notes of the national anthem ring out, the Blue Angels soar overhead in an aerial salute and the excitement in the air is palpable. When the bullhorn goes off, runners make their way down Peachtree Road, winding through Midtown toward the finish line in Piedmont Park.
Thousands of Atlantans line the route, handing out water, waving signs and cheering, and local radio stations keep the pump-up jams blasting. “It’s like a moving party! It’s so much fun along the route that you almost forget the heat, humidity and pain,” says Sarah.
After three miles of mostly downhill running, participants face the infamous “Cardiac Hill” – a 3/4-mile-long uphill stretch
that culminates at Peachtree Road and Collier Road. While Cardiac Hill is the toughest part of the race, many runners cite it as their favorite. Midway up the hill is the Shepherd Center for Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Rehabilitation, and every year patients and staff alike gather on the sidewalk to encourage runners to keep moving forward.
Plenty of post-race festivities await across the finish line in Piedmont Park, but first, runners must pick up the highly anticipated Peachtree Road Race finisher’s shirt. “The shirt” is the stuff of urban legend, a coveted status symbol all the way to the far-out suburbs. (See: Things you didn’t know about the ‘sacred’ AJC Peachtree Road Race T-shirt, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.)
Throughout its 50 years, the Peachtree Road Race has been filled with incredible moments. Intown agent Kellie Hardcastle ran for the first time in 1982, but her favorite race day memory comes from 1996 when it was announced that Atlanta had won the bid for the 1996 Olympics – and they played the Chariots of Fire theme music during the race!
The 2005 edition of the Peachtree Road Race will always have a special place in Buckhead agent Kyle Hinson’s heart – her now-husband, John, stopped mid-race to pop the question!
The Peachtree Road Race brings Atlantans together like nothing else, and we can’t wait for this year’s! As Casey Schiltz, an agent in the Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty North Atlanta Office, says – “it’s the best way to celebrate the Fourth of July!”
For more history on this staple Atlanta event, check out this timeline, courtesy of the Atlanta Track Club:
- 1971: The first of the now famous Peachtree T-Shirts are handed out at the end of the race.
- 1976: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution becomes the title sponsor.
- 1978: Race finish is moved to Piedmont Park in front of the Bath House to accommodate the 12,500+ runners.
- 1982: The Shepherd Center’s Wheelchair Division is added. Since then the event has produced several world record-breaking performances by participants in the wheelchair division.
- 1987: First AJC Peachtree Junior is held.
- 1990: New race cap of 40,000 is announced.
- 1992: Race cap increases to 45,000 and race fills in nine days.
- 1995: Race cap increases to 50,000, and the first AJC Peachtree Road Race T-shirt Design Contest is held. Carle Wattenberg, III is the winning designer.
- 1998: Race cap increases to 55,000 participants.
- 1999: Race finish moves to 10th Street and Charles Allen Drive due to sewer construction inside the park. The finish will remain there for the next eight years.
- 2004: First overseas race is held in Baghdad.
- 2008: Due to the drought, race cannot finish in Piedmont Park and is successfully moved to Juniper Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue.
- 2009: For the first time every participant is electronically timed and race finish returns to 10th Street.
- 2011: Race cap increases to 60,000. Online lottery system is implemented for registration.
- 2015: The Peachtree Cup team competition is introduced, featuring Team USA, Team Africa, Team Asia and Team Europe.
- 2016: A 5K split time is offered for all participants for the first time.
See you on race day!
Header image courtesy of the Atlanta Track Club