peachtree road race

The most fun race I've ever run. I can't wait to do it again next year! I told Ryan that right after he found me in the Reunion area, and he said "That's really sick." haha! I think everyone needs to do it, run or walk it, at least once. It's such a fun experience!


Five Points MARTA station around 6 am - all runners here!









Everyone getting off the trains at Lenox station









Ready to walk toward the start













Check out where 80000-99999 had to go! My line-up was with numbers 1-29999 - couldn't really ask for a better start. We started 7 minutes after the first wave.

I got to warm-up in the Lenox Mall parking lot and I lined up right at the intersection of Lenox Rd and Peachtree Road, under a stop light. There were several helicopters hovering at the start, Gov. Perdue did a little intro, and there was a huge flyover - not sure what kind of plane. But I was wowed.

Once the 2nd wave started, I have to say I got really emotional running under the giant American flag. I let out a cheer and raised my arms Rocky style. Then jockeyed for a good position middle to left on the road.




Ryan found a good spot at the finish line. Right around sunrise, the wheelchair racers approached the finish. See the wheels?






Some patriotic runners - I cannot imagine running with heavy flags for 6.2 miles! These guys are troopers. Some other funny runners that I saw included:

Swimmers - guys wearing speedos, swim caps, and goggles
American flag capes - guys with flag capes & red/white/blue wigs
A man answered his cell phone around mile 5 "Hey Sweetheart, I'm runnin the Peachtree! Let me do this thing! I'll call ya back!"
Mohawk boy - guy with mohawk and checkered pattern in his hair




Can you see me?









There I go, on to the finish! I finished with a time of 1:04:40, almost 1 whole minute less than my 10k in February (Charles Harris).

I really enjoyed the race, the atomsphere was just so fun. I couldn't help but smile the whole time I was running. Every mile there were musical acts (DJs, bands, trombone players, drummers), free stuff being thrown out (tshirts, bracelets, bumper stickers), and all kinds of nourishment (yogurt, beer, athletic drinks, donuts, cupcakes). I think it would be fun to walk it next year just to enjoy all the free stuff! I always had a laugh when I saw people stopping for a donut (how can you eat a donut and keep running? I would totally hurl), or people stopping at a band's stage to sing along and cheer.

I really wanted to stay focused on the run for my first Peachtree, so I ran the whole thing, even all the way up Cardiac Hill. This is definitely the hardest hill I've ever run in my life. It's so long! Runners were dropping like flies all around me, stopping, walking, slowing down. But I just kept chugging along, all the way to the end!

What a great time :)