To mark the milestone and celebration of Independence Day, I opted to go with a patriotic and 50th Peachtree outfit for the big day.
The beauty of staying right at the start line is that you can leave a lot later (especially if you have a later corral). I was meeting up our run squad in our corral around 6:30, so I didn't even leave the room until after 6:15 which was great. To put into perspective, if I stayed home last night, I would have had to leaving home around 4am, so that is exactly why I book a hotel room at the start line in February every year for July 3rd.
This year Atlanta Track Club added some extra zest to the party. With DJs pumping songs from each of the decades of Peachtree Road Race, there was a variety of music along the way (and several dance parties by Julia and myself).
Atlanta Track Club does a phenomenal job of positioning water stations about every mile, but sometimes the kindness of others really benefits you on course. Hydration was key today, and I cannot express enough gratitude for the volunteers (and other spectators) for providing support for the runners today whether it was with water, snacks, music, cheers, or high-fives.
There were a number of spectators and organizations that hand out refreshments along the way including watermelon, Popsicle, water, beer, and more. We even met up with "Sherpa Steve" (Julia's husband) who was chasing us down along the course with cold water and such.
Having the finish line at Piedmont Park provides an absolutely wonderful area for runners and their families and friends to hang out afterwards. A family reunion area greets runners and their family and friends with a place to find each other post-race. There are some great photo opportunities and some freebies set up throughout the park as well. Probably one of the most popular features is the ability to spread out and stretch out in the grass for a bit.
As we did last year, we all headed to the Atlanta Track Club post-race party at Park Tavern to meet up. For the past few years, Atlanta Track Club had a tent in Piedmont Park for members to gather after the race. Three years ago, they gave members a special treat with the party at Park Tavern and it was such a hit, they did so again last year and this year. We definitely felt like VIPs after the race - just one of the many perks of being an Atlanta Track Club member. We didn't get to hang out long as we needed to get back to the hotel for check-out.
Thank you to the wonderful team at Atlanta Track Club, volunteers, law enforcement and emergency responders, spectators, and fellow runners for a wonderful morning of fun and festivities.
Eleven Peachtree Road Races down, many more to go! See you in 2020!
August 17th - Atlanta's Finest 5K, One Mile & 50m Dash
September 20th & 21st - Wingfoot XC Classic
Interested in becoming a member of the Atlanta Track Club and guarantee your entry to the Peachtree Road Race in 2020?
Learn about member benefits and become a member here.