For a few years now I have wanted to volunteer at this event, but schedule conflicts always prevented me from getting to. This year, I did not have a race in the morning so I was excited to finally get to head to Piedmont Park to give back to the junior runners in the community.
As we set up, it was fun to get to watch the runners and their families arrive to the park. A lot of local schools had teams there which was so great to see. My favorite part was watching the twinkle in the parents eyes as their child was getting ready for the race. As one family came through, the father explained to his daughter about the hydration station and told her that 'this is the only time it is alright to litter, the nice volunteers will make sure to clean up after the race.'
The first few runners to come through bypassed the water so it took a few minutes for the station to get busy. While some runners were totally focused on the task at hand, there were some that wanted to stop and congregate around the water tables and tell us about the race so far (a few thought that this was the finish). In order to get the area clear for the next runners we had to cheer them on to the finish line. They were seriously great to watch and cheer for.
The Atlanta Track Club staff is amazing and really cares about the running community. Whether you are looking for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or even volunteering yourself, be sure to check out their race calendar for future events.