Peachtree Road Race updates: Cool, calm and collected

RACE COUNTDOWN: 3 DAYS

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

It’s the final countdown. Take a minute to hydrate and keep reading for essential Peachtree details, heat safety tips — and where to get free beer at the end of the race.

PEACHTREE ‘GO GUIDE’

📫 Get your race number: Runners who didn’t purchase UPS shipping when they registered will need to pick up their race numbers at the Peachtree Health & Fitness Expo presented by Publix.

📝 Expo info: This year’s prerace expo returns to Lenox Square, taking place in climate-controlled tents in the Macy’s parking lot. Important dates to remember:

Thursday, July 2

Friday, July 3

🪪 What you’ll need at the expo: To pick up your race number, you will need a form of identification, such as a driver’s license or student ID, and a copy of your race number confirmation. You will also need your check-in pass, which can be found in your confirmation email.

A third party can pick up your race number, but they will need to have a copy of your ID and check-in pass.

More expo details here.

🚇 Transportation and accommodations: MARTA will start running at 4 a.m. on race day. If you are taking MARTA, Lenox Square is easily accessible from both of the north-south lines.

Find more transportation and accommodation info from the Track Club here.

🚧 Course maps: Keeping with tradition, runners will start at Lenox Square in Buckhead, then travel down Peachtree Road before turning onto 10th Street in Midtown and finishing at Piedmont Park.

Download detailed maps of the start area (with starting waves), course and finish area here.

⏰ Start wave times: Wave assignments are performance-based, and runners who submitted times from previous races were assigned to waves according to those times. Participants who didn’t submit results from previous races are assigned to later waves.

You can look up your start wave here.

🏅Crossing the finish line: The end of the race is just the start of the fun, which will include:

🏃 Virtual runner reminders: Make sure to complete your races and submit your results between July 2 and July 5 at noon. Each registered virtual runner will receive an email with a dedicated link to submit results. Runners can also submit times via the track club’s app. There is no course time limit for virtual runners.

Find your FULL “Go Guide” here, and follow live results for the Peachtree and Peachtree Junior.

STAY SAFE IN THE HEAT

Credit: Natrice Miller/ AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/ AJC

Atlanta is well known for its heat and humidity, so as “feels-like” temperatures climb, we want to make sure you stay safe on race day — one sweaty mile at a time.

Over the past few years, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has compiled expert-approved advice on how to recognize the warning signs of heat-related illness.

Daniel Smith, Ph.D., a heat waves researcher with Emory University, has studied the health impacts of climate change. According to Smith, Georgia’s humidity — as much as its warm temperatures — is what makes it feel so hot.

How to spot symptoms of dehydration, heatstroke: Muscle cramping, heavy sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, nausea — dehydration and heat exhaustion can take many forms. Discolored urine, for instance, is often an early sign that someone is not well-hydrated. Untreated dehydration and heat exhaustion can worsen into heatstroke.

“If we think about heat-related illness as a spectrum, those more dangerous parts of the spectrum (are) where you’re becoming confused. Your heart rate starts to increase,” Smith explains. “You’re ultimately becoming dehydrated, and your blood pressure is falling, which then can lead to the next part of the spectrum, which is heatstroke.”

Prevention is key: Dr. Jonathan Kim, a sports cardiologist and associate professor at Emory University, suggests Peachtree runners wear light-colored clothing. And of course, make sure you stay hydrated before and during the race. That means drinking water every 15 to 20 minutes, he says.

“Everyone’s ability to work out in the heat is going to be very different,” Dr. Michael Kraft, assistant professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at Emory University, tells the AJC.

Other signs to look out for: If you experience nausea, vomiting or a headache, these are signs of heat exhaustion, and we would definitely encourage you to hydrate and find a way to cool off. If someone suddenly seems confused or disoriented, that’s a strong indication of heatstroke.

“If you’re outside running and you’re starting to feel heat exhaustion, sit down in the shade, hydrate, and relax,” Kraft recommends.

What else to do: Kim suggests using evaporative cooling methods like putting cold towels under your armpits and on your groin and back. Replace the towels with cold ones before they start to get warm, and again, Kim stresses the importance of drinking plenty of water. Hydration stations and water sprays will be located approximately every mile, on both sides of Peachtree Street, along the course.

Here’s a list of other ways to stay safe while sweating it out:

🛁 Try soaking in a hot bath a few times before the big day

🧊 Throw on some frozen underwear as a form of precooling

🌡️ Add 20 degrees to the outdoor temperature

⌚ Determine your summer pace

MORE FREQUENTLY ASKED RACE DAY QUESTIONS

Can I get water on the course?

Yes. There will be hydration stations and water sprays along the course.

Does the course have a time limit?

Yes, the course will officially close at 10:45 a.m. It is also a timed event.

Is the course closed to traffic?

Yes, but participants should remain aware of their surroundings.

What’s not allowed on the course?

Pets, backpacks and wheeled conveyance, including baby strollers, bicycles, scooters, skateboards and inline skates, are not allowed.

👟 For other concerns or questions, refer back to your Peachtree go guide or visit the Track Club’s FAQs page.

SOME PEACHTREE HISTORY

Credit: AJC

Credit: AJC

🍑 From the July 1, 1991, front page of The Atlanta Journal: Getting in stride. Sylvia Baxter and Daniella Taylor listen to their radios Sunday as they train for the 22nd annual Peachtree Road Race on July Fourth. Hot, humid weather is forecast on the morning of the 6.2-mile run, which will feature 40,000 entrants.

Thirty-five years later, we’re bracing for a similar forecast on Saturday. This time, though, some 50,000 of your fellow runners will be there to keep you motivated.

COOL-DOWN

Before the fireworks, parades and parties marking America’s milestone anniversary, you’re taking on the “world’s largest 10K.” Take it all in as you go: fellow racers, loved ones cheering, the city skyline and the trees in Piedmont Park. Stay present as you chase the finish line, then go celebrate big. 🎆