I spent my July 4th holiday in Atlanta, Georgia with family as I have in years past, but instead of running in the Peachtree race, I was a spectator. What a sight! This race is a fun one and I was disappointed that I did not get a number. Although 55,000 people run, all the spots were taken by the time I went online to sign up. They were scooped up in 7 hours. This Fourth of July event is an Atlanta tradition. The Peachtree Road Race, runs right through the city, ending in Piedmont Park. It is the country's largest 10K.
I have run it 4 times and it has become a favorite. The sidelines are packed with cheering spectators, rooting you on. Along the way you encounter bands, patriotic music, dancers on a party bus, offerings of doughnuts as you pass Publix and Holy Water being sprayed as you pass by a church. There is so much going on, that it is over before you know it. Plus unlike other races, you don't get your T-shirt until you finish.
As a spectator this year, I got a completely different view point. First of all, I actually got to see the front runners. (They are usually finished before I ever start - this race is divided into 20 waves!) They run an all out sprint the whole way, but I guess you have to to earn a time of 27:56. That's a 4+ minute mile.
A little faster than my pace :)
I am a people watcher so I loved checking everybody out. I've never seen so many different running outfits. There were people of all ages and fitness levels running/walking. The sea of runners just kept coming for over 2 hours. We cheered so much, we had sore throats by the end. It was great fun and made me want to run.
Many participants were dressed up for the race- here are just a few.
This is Uncle Sam running with Marge Simpson - You probably didn't know they were friends.
Stars and Stripes
Hawaiian Cowboys??
By the end of the race, runners and spectators alike were ready to relax.
If you are looking for a fun 10K race this is it!
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