Peachtree Road Race
Encyclopedia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race 10K is a 10 kilometer
road race
held annually in Atlanta, Georgia on July 4, Independence Day
. The Peachtree Road Race was until recently the world's largest 10 kilometer race (an estimated 55,000 participants in 2007), a title it has held since the late 1970s. The Race's registration of 55,000 was surpassed in April 2008 by the Vancouver Sun Run
which had over 59,000 registrants (although the Sun Run is two races, a 10k and a 2.5k; the Peachtree has just one), although it is expected to pass that in 2011 with the new limit. The race has become a city-wide tradition in which over 70,000 amateur and professional runners try to register for one of the limited 60,000 spots. The event also includes a wheelchair
race which precedes the footrace. In recent years the race also has a special divisions for soldiers stationed in the Middle East
.
Children can participate in Peachtree Junior, held in late May or early June.
The Peachtree Road Race was started in 1970 by the Atlanta Track Club. The first year approximately 110 runners ran from the old Sears building at the corner of Peachtree Road
and Roswell Road to Central City Park (now Woodruff Park
). The race was sponsored by Carling Brewery
. The next year the race increased to 198 runners. Organizers used the sponsorship money to purchase T-shirts but underestimated the number of participants. T-shirts were given out to the first finishers until they ran out. In 1972 the organizers only ordered 250 T-shirts but 330 runners ran the race. In 1974 the event grew to 765 runners, 1975 there were over 1000 runners.
In 1976 Carling Brewery dropped its sponsorship of the race and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution began sponsoring the race, bringing added coverage and popularity to the race. That year over 2300 runners competed. In 1977 over 6500 runners competed overwhelming the capacity of Central City Park. As a result, in 1978 the course was moved to starting at Lenox Square and finishing at the Piedmont Park
. In 1979 the race attracted over 20,000 runners. In 1980 the number of participants was limited to 25,000 runners, which continued until 1990. In 1982 the wheelchair division was formed for the race.
The race became so popular that by 1989 the race reached capacity in only 9 days and the Atlanta Track Club increased the limit to 40,000 in 1990. In 1992 it expanded to 45,000 runners; in 1995 it expanded to 50,000 runners, followed by a 10% expansion in 1998 to 55,000 runners; it would not be until 2011 when the capacity was expanded to 60,000.
The Peachtree Road Race has become an event important in Atlanta culture. In addition to the 60,000 participants there are approximately 150,000 observers who line both sides of the entire course to cheer and support the runners. Some runners deliberately wear costumes, many of which are patriotic (due to the event occurring on Independence Day). The entire race is also televised on WAGA-TV
.
The race hosted the USA Men's 10 km Championship in 2007.
In 2008, because of severe drought conditions, the race was unable to end in Piedmont Park, and runners turned east onto 10th street before heading to Juniper Street, ending at the intersection of Ponce de Leon and Juniper St, where racers finished by going uphill instead of the older downhill stretch of 10th St. Runners then walked a short distance to the Atlanta Civic Center for finish line festivities. This unpopular course lasted one year, after which the course returned to the traditional pattern.
As typical of other road races, the roads used are completely closed to vehicular traffic and observers watch from the sidewalks. Water is provided at each mile; approximately 500,000 cups and 120,000 gallons of water are used. Approximately 3,000 volunteers are needed to work the race.
Many runners utilize MARTA
to travel to the start site and back from the finish line due to the large crowds, limited parking and road closures.
The race is divided into nine starting groups. The first group is divided into top-seeded runners, sub-seeded runners (sub 42 minutes), timegroup 1A (42 to 50 minutes), timegroup 1B (50 minutes to 55 minutes). A documented 10K time is required for placement into these groups. In recent years, the Atlanta Track Club has recommended all runners who have run a USATF
certified 10k within the past two years to submit their times to race authorities in order to be placed in appropriate groups, so that faster runners will not be put in the slower groups. This reserves timegroup 2 to be for runners between 55 and 75 minutes. The remaining starting groups (3-9) are for undocumented times and casual runners/walkers. The starting groups are so large that it takes approximately an hour and a half from the first group starting until the last group starts, as the groups are started in twelve-minute intervals.
Due to the limited number of spaces available in the race, as well as the 3 and a half month advance registration requirement, some people have attempted to sell their number on ebay and craigslist, although this practice is prohibited by the Atlanta Track Club. Runners who are assigned a number for the race, and subsequently cannot run, are able to return their number to the Atlanta Track Club in exchange for a card guaranteeing placement in next year's race. (Registration fees, however, are not refunded.)
On July 4, 2007, three men were caught sneaking into the Peachtree Road Race. In addition to a $1,000 fine, each was banned from the Peachtree Road Race for life.
The next Sunday, applications for the 10,000 slot lottery are published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution These slots are randomly selected from remaining applications post-marked by March 31.
The Atlanta Track Club experimented in November 2008 at The Weather Channel Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon with implementation of the ChronoTrack D-Tag transponder system, a disposable tag system. Following its success, the organisation announced starting with the 2009 Peachtree, all runners—not just the Elite and Time Group 1 runners—will be timed. This will help with positioning runners for future Peachtree events.
In one of the biggest changes seen in race history, starting assignments for all participants will be performance based. Once the top seeded and sub seeded runners start, Time Groups 1A, 1B, and 2-9 have been replaced with Start Waves A-W (19 in total, with letters I, O, Q and V omitted). Applicants are able to submit results from an official race (run on a USATF certified course), run on or after March 1, 2008, of distances of 5 miles, 10K, 10 miles, the 1/2 Marathon, and for the first time, the shorter 5K distance.
The official race t-shirt is perhaps the most popular aspect of the Peachtree Road Race, perhaps due to the limited numbers of t-shirts available in the early race years. Each year a different design is chosen through a contest sponsored by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper and a limited number of shirts are made. T-shirts are only available to runners who finish the race, and thus have become a status-symbol among Atlanta culture.
, but Georgia Tech refused, citing safety concerns. On February 19 it was announced that the race finish line will be at the intersection of Juniper Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown. Runners then walked three more blocks to the Atlanta Civic Center
parking area where the awards stage, family meeting area and sponsor village were located. The race returned to its previous course in 2009.
Since 2004, satellite Peachtree Races have been held for US soldiers stationed overseas. The first race was held in Iraq
. In 2007 five separate races were held on July 4 (one in Kuwait
, three in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan
) with a combined total of 3000 participants. The Atlanta Track Club sends race supplies, including T-shirts, to the runners.
is the women's record holder with her run of 30:32 from 2002. The record for the wheelchair division of the Peachtree Road Race is 19:05 (Saul Mendoza
). The women's division record is 23:13 (Jean Driscoll
). Gayle Barron and Lornah Kiplagat are the athletes with the most victories in the history of the Peachtree Road Race. Barron won in the women's division on five occasion (1970–71, 1973–75), while Kiplagat had her victories from 2000–2002 and 2005–2006.
Key:
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
road race
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
held annually in Atlanta, Georgia on July 4, Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
. The Peachtree Road Race was until recently the world's largest 10 kilometer race (an estimated 55,000 participants in 2007), a title it has held since the late 1970s. The Race's registration of 55,000 was surpassed in April 2008 by the Vancouver Sun Run
Vancouver Sun Run
The Vancouver Sun Run, sponsored by The Vancouver Sun newspaper, is a 10-km race held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada each year on the third Sunday in April since 1985...
which had over 59,000 registrants (although the Sun Run is two races, a 10k and a 2.5k; the Peachtree has just one), although it is expected to pass that in 2011 with the new limit. The race has become a city-wide tradition in which over 70,000 amateur and professional runners try to register for one of the limited 60,000 spots. The event also includes a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
race which precedes the footrace. In recent years the race also has a special divisions for soldiers stationed in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Children can participate in Peachtree Junior, held in late May or early June.
History
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
and Roswell Road to Central City Park (now Woodruff Park
Woodruff Park
Woodruff Park, named for Robert W. Woodruff, is located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The park's are north of Edgewood Ave, between Peachtree Street NE and Park Place NE...
). The race was sponsored by Carling Brewery
Carling
Carling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
. The next year the race increased to 198 runners. Organizers used the sponsorship money to purchase T-shirts but underestimated the number of participants. T-shirts were given out to the first finishers until they ran out. In 1972 the organizers only ordered 250 T-shirts but 330 runners ran the race. In 1974 the event grew to 765 runners, 1975 there were over 1000 runners.
In 1976 Carling Brewery dropped its sponsorship of the race and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution began sponsoring the race, bringing added coverage and popularity to the race. That year over 2300 runners competed. In 1977 over 6500 runners competed overwhelming the capacity of Central City Park. As a result, in 1978 the course was moved to starting at Lenox Square and finishing at the Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is a urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence...
. In 1979 the race attracted over 20,000 runners. In 1980 the number of participants was limited to 25,000 runners, which continued until 1990. In 1982 the wheelchair division was formed for the race.
The race became so popular that by 1989 the race reached capacity in only 9 days and the Atlanta Track Club increased the limit to 40,000 in 1990. In 1992 it expanded to 45,000 runners; in 1995 it expanded to 50,000 runners, followed by a 10% expansion in 1998 to 55,000 runners; it would not be until 2011 when the capacity was expanded to 60,000.
WAGA-TV
WAGA-TV, virtual channel 5.1 is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Television Network and based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
.
The race hosted the USA Men's 10 km Championship in 2007.
Course description
The Peachtree Road Race is a 10,000 meter road race. The race starts on Peachtree Road at Lenox Square Mall (just south of Lenox Road). The race continues down Peachtree Road. At the 6,000 meter mark (near Piedmont Hospital) is mostly uphill and has received the nickname "Cardiac Hill". At the 8,000 meter mark, the race turns east onto 10th Street with the finish line next to Piedmont Park.In 2008, because of severe drought conditions, the race was unable to end in Piedmont Park, and runners turned east onto 10th street before heading to Juniper Street, ending at the intersection of Ponce de Leon and Juniper St, where racers finished by going uphill instead of the older downhill stretch of 10th St. Runners then walked a short distance to the Atlanta Civic Center for finish line festivities. This unpopular course lasted one year, after which the course returned to the traditional pattern.
As typical of other road races, the roads used are completely closed to vehicular traffic and observers watch from the sidewalks. Water is provided at each mile; approximately 500,000 cups and 120,000 gallons of water are used. Approximately 3,000 volunteers are needed to work the race.
Many runners utilize MARTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...
to travel to the start site and back from the finish line due to the large crowds, limited parking and road closures.
Race registration and starting group placement
Until 2008, applications for registration in the Peachtree Road Race were published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the third Sunday in March. The first 45,000 applications received were automatically entered into the race; an additional 10,000 applications are randomly selected from remaining applications post-marked by March 31. The race is currently limited to 60,000 entries. The 2009 registration fee is $33. The Atlanta Track Club requires runners to be at least 10 years of age on the day of the race.The race is divided into nine starting groups. The first group is divided into top-seeded runners, sub-seeded runners (sub 42 minutes), timegroup 1A (42 to 50 minutes), timegroup 1B (50 minutes to 55 minutes). A documented 10K time is required for placement into these groups. In recent years, the Atlanta Track Club has recommended all runners who have run a USATF
USA Track and Field
USA Track & Field is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking...
certified 10k within the past two years to submit their times to race authorities in order to be placed in appropriate groups, so that faster runners will not be put in the slower groups. This reserves timegroup 2 to be for runners between 55 and 75 minutes. The remaining starting groups (3-9) are for undocumented times and casual runners/walkers. The starting groups are so large that it takes approximately an hour and a half from the first group starting until the last group starts, as the groups are started in twelve-minute intervals.
Due to the limited number of spaces available in the race, as well as the 3 and a half month advance registration requirement, some people have attempted to sell their number on ebay and craigslist, although this practice is prohibited by the Atlanta Track Club. Runners who are assigned a number for the race, and subsequently cannot run, are able to return their number to the Atlanta Track Club in exchange for a card guaranteeing placement in next year's race. (Registration fees, however, are not refunded.)
On July 4, 2007, three men were caught sneaking into the Peachtree Road Race. In addition to a $1,000 fine, each was banned from the Peachtree Road Race for life.
2009 Changes
Starting in 2009, registration applications began to be implemented online on the Active.com site, in association with the Atlanta Track Club starting on the third Sunday in March. Controversy ruled over the 2009 registration, as over 800 complaints were filed because of server failures by the outsourced registration. The 45,000 applications sold out within hours.The next Sunday, applications for the 10,000 slot lottery are published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution These slots are randomly selected from remaining applications post-marked by March 31.
The Atlanta Track Club experimented in November 2008 at The Weather Channel Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon with implementation of the ChronoTrack D-Tag transponder system, a disposable tag system. Following its success, the organisation announced starting with the 2009 Peachtree, all runners—not just the Elite and Time Group 1 runners—will be timed. This will help with positioning runners for future Peachtree events.
2010 Changes
Online registration for the 2010 PRR opens on Sunday, March 21 at 1:00pm at ajc.com/peachtree. The first 45,000 online applicants receive race entry. Additionally, a paper application appears in the March 28 AJC. 10,000 entries will be randomly selected from all paper applications received. The online spots were filled in less than five hours.In one of the biggest changes seen in race history, starting assignments for all participants will be performance based. Once the top seeded and sub seeded runners start, Time Groups 1A, 1B, and 2-9 have been replaced with Start Waves A-W (19 in total, with letters I, O, Q and V omitted). Applicants are able to submit results from an official race (run on a USATF certified course), run on or after March 1, 2008, of distances of 5 miles, 10K, 10 miles, the 1/2 Marathon, and for the first time, the shorter 5K distance.
2011 Changes
The Atlanta Track Club switched to an exclusive lottery format online for the 2011 Peachtree. Most of the 60,000 positions were determined by a lottery draw, with selected exceptions for elite invited athletes, the members of the organising club, and those who have run ten or more consecutive Peachtree Road Races, all of which were allowed automatic entry. Also, those who pay $150 for the organisers' charity would be automatically entered. 2011 Peachtree participant registration information.T-Shirts
2008 Course
With the entire north Georgia region facing historic drought conditions in 2008, water conservation measures were enacted prohibiting outdoor watering of plants and lawns. As a result of the watering ban, the City of Atlanta decided to prohibit large festivals (over 50,000 people) from using Piedmont Park in 2008 in order to protect the grass lawns which could not be watered. Displaced events included the Atlanta Pride, Jazz, and Dogwood Festivals as well as the Peachtree Road Race which traditionally used Piedmont Park for the finish line of the race and distribution of T-shirts. The Peachtree Road Race considered moving the finish area to Georgia TechGeorgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, but Georgia Tech refused, citing safety concerns. On February 19 it was announced that the race finish line will be at the intersection of Juniper Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown. Runners then walked three more blocks to the Atlanta Civic Center
Atlanta Civic Center
The Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center is a theater and fine arts venue located in the SoNo district of Atlanta, Georgia located on Piedmont Avenue Northeast. The theater, which seats 4,600, regularly hosts touring productions of Broadway musicals, concerts, seminars, comedy acts, and high...
parking area where the awards stage, family meeting area and sponsor village were located. The race returned to its previous course in 2009.
Race financials
It is estimated that the Peachtree Road Race costs over $1,000,000, if in-kind contributions are included. The race must pay between $25,000 and $30,000 to government agencies for their costs of supporting the race. T-shirts for runners and volunteers are estimated to cost over $200,000. The race also pays $25,000 for its timing system and $100,000 for contract labor. The Peachtree Road Race was estimated in 2003 to have an economic impact over $10,000,000. Profits from the race entry fees and sponsorships are used to fund the Atlanta Track Club.Overseas races
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. In 2007 five separate races were held on July 4 (one in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, three in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
) with a combined total of 3000 participants. The Atlanta Track Club sends race supplies, including T-shirts, to the runners.
Peachtree Junior
The Peachtree Junior is 3 kilometer (1.9 mi) race open to children ages 7 to 12, and is designed to be a shorter and safer version of the longer Peachtree Road Race. The event is held in late May or early June. The entire course is within the confines of Piedmont Park. The race is limited to 2,500 participants. T-shirts are given to all race finishers. The event has been held over 20 years.Past winners
The men's course record is 27:04 minutes, which was set by Jospeh Kimani in 1996. Lornah KiplagatLornah Kiplagat
Lornah Kiplagat is a Dutch long-distance runner. She was born in Kabiemit, Rift Valley Province, Kenya and came to the Netherlands in 1999. She gained Dutch citizenship in 2003 and has competed for the Netherlands since...
is the women's record holder with her run of 30:32 from 2002. The record for the wheelchair division of the Peachtree Road Race is 19:05 (Saul Mendoza
Saúl Mendoza
Saúl Mendoza is a former wheelchair racer, who competed at the Olympic and Paralympic levels.He acquired polio when he was 6 months old, and he grew up playing different sports....
). The women's division record is 23:13 (Jean Driscoll
Jean Driscoll
Jean Driscoll is an American wheelchair racer. She won the women's wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon eight times, more than any other female athlete in any division. Her wins in Boston included seven consecutive first place finishes from 1990 to 1996...
). Gayle Barron and Lornah Kiplagat are the athletes with the most victories in the history of the Peachtree Road Race. Barron won in the women's division on five occasion (1970–71, 1973–75), while Kiplagat had her victories from 2000–2002 and 2005–2006.
Key:
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Women's winner | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1970 | 32:21.6 | 49:13 | ||
| 2nd | 1971 | 30:58 | 45:17 | ||
| 3rd | 1972 | 31:10 | 47:42 | ||
| 4th | 1973 | 31:22 | 40:37 | ||
| 5th | 1974 | 30:47 | 38:40 | ||
| 6th | 1975 | 29:52 | 38:04 | ||
| 7th | 1976 | 29:14 | 39:13 | ||
| 8th | 1977 | 29:20 | 36:00 | ||
| 9th | 1978 | 28:59 | 33:52 | ||
| 10th | 1979 | 28:30 | 33:39 | ||
| 11th | 1980 | 28:39 | 32:48 | ||
| 12th | 1981 | 28:03 | 32:38 | ||
| 13th | 1982 | 28:17 | 32:36 | ||
| 14th | 1983 | 28:22 | 32:01 | ||
| 15th | 1984 | 28:35 | 32:55 | ||
| 16th | 1985 | 27:58 | 32:03 | ||
| 17th | 1986 | 27:56 | 32:10 | ||
| 18th | 1987 | 28:34 | 32:22 | ||
| 19th | 1988 | 28:17 | 32:09 | ||
| 20th | 1989 | 28:13 | 32:05 | ||
| 21st | 1990 | 28:23 | 32:04 | ||
| 22nd | 1991 | 28:34 | 32:42 | ||
| 23rd | 1992 | 27:56 | 31:49 | ||
| 24th | 1993 | 28:06 | 32:15 | ||
| 25th | 1994 | 28:01 | 31:57 | ||
| 26th | 1995 | 28:00 | 32:20 | ||
| 27th | 1996 | 27:04 | 30:52 | ||
| 28th | 1997 | 27:43 | 31:21 | ||
| 29th | 1998 | 27:47 | 31:52 | ||
| 30th | 1999 | 27:45 | 31:34 | ||
| 31st | 2000 | 28:04 | 30:52 | ||
| 32nd | 2001 | 28:19 | 30:58 | ||
| 33rd | 2002 | 27:36 | 30:32 | ||
| 34th | 2003 | 28:22.7 | 31:12.1 | ||
| 35th | 2004 | 28:04 | 31:55 | ||
| 36th | 2005 | 28:19 | 31:17 | ||
| 37th | 2006 | 27:25 | 31:13 | ||
| 38th | 2007 | 28:01 | 31:44 | ||
| 39th | 2008 | 28:30 | 32:23 | ||
| 40th | 2009 | 27:22 | 31:31 | ||
| 41st | 2010 | 27:56 | 30:51 | ||
| 42nd | 2011 | 28:05 | 31:22 |