Race day has arrived, and more than 50,000 runners from across the metro — and around the world — are ready for the 57th running of the “world’s largest 10K.”
You can follow the action Saturday morning with the livestream of the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race, beginning at 6 a.m. Watch here:
And follow the AJC’s ongoing live updates:
Greg Gates, a 77-year-old former attorney and certified public accountant, says the Peachtree Road Race has been the one constant in his life. This year’s running will be the 50th year in a row he participates in the 10K.
“It just got to be a tradition,” said Gates, a self-described “creature of habit.”
The Atlanta Track Club has resumed all operations at the Peachtree Road Race Health & Fitness Expo.
In a social media post, the Track Club said Guests who have been waiting inside Lenox Square mall will be guided in.
The expo was evacuated just before 2 p.m. when heavy rain and storms moved through the area.
Defending champion Patrick Kiprop braved the Atlanta heat last year and won the 56th running of the Peachtree Road Race on his professional debut in the 10K.
With early race temperatures expected to reach at least 80 degrees, runners are at heightened risk of heat-related illnesses.
Despite the high heat, Kiprop remains intent on taking home the victory and possibly a new course record.
“It’s always hot. Last year, it was hot and humid,” Kiprop said at the Atlanta Track Club’s Elite Athlete Press Event on Friday. “We’ll see how it goes, depending on the weather.”
The Peachtree Road Race Health and Fitness Expo is planning to reopen so runners can pick up their race day bibs, Atlanta Track Club officials said.
The expo was evacuated when heavy rain and storms in the area just before 2 p.m. forced an evacuation.
“We want to make sure that we accommodate as many people who have waited around as possible,” said Rich Kenah, Atlanta Track Club CEO.
Kenah said officials are still evaluating whether to reopen the expo's vendor booths.
Runners in tomorrow's Peachtree Road Race, take note: There's no parking for participants at Lenox Square.
Instead, Atlanta Track Club recommends taking MARTA. The Lenox station on the gold line is the best way to reach the race start waves. You can also get off at the red line's Buckhead station, but you'll need to walk a bit to get to the race start.
If arriving by Uber or Lyft, enter your drop off as one of these three approved Lenox Square locations:
- East side: Lenox Road and Ga. 400 North
- West side: East Paces Ferry and Roxboro roads
- North side: Peachtree Street and Narmore Drive
After the race, head to the Midtown MARTA station, about four blocks west of Piedmont Park.
Before 2 p.m., rain began to pelt the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race expo site at Lenox Square.
The sudden rain caused water to rush into the parking lot and vendor stands and prompted officials to order an evacuation.
It’s possible storms could become strong, with damaging wind gusts and hail, according to the National Weather Service. These isolated storms could bring some heat relief to the areas they pass over.
The Peachtree Road Race is expected to begin under a red flag, indicating potentially dangerous heat conditions.
On Friday, as part of the lead-up to the 57th running of the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels — of Run-DMC fame — will headline a free performance at 8:30 p.m. at Lenox Square, presented through Atlanta Track Club’s partnership with Adidas.
The concert, held on the eve of the nation’s 250th Independence Day and just days before Atlanta again welcomes thousands of visitors for the FIFA World Cup, will cap an unusually symbolic weekend for the city, blending music, sport and civic celebration before fireworks light up the sky over Buckhead.
Ahead of his performance, McDaniels sat down with AJC senior editor Ernie Suggs to talk about Atlanta’s role in early hip-hop, the enduring bond between Run-DMC and Adidas, the responsibility that comes with influence and why, more than four decades after releasing “Sucker MCs,” he still believes that positivity can be gangster.
This year, 3,200 kids ran the Peachtree Junior Mile and Dash races, Atlanta Track Club officials said.
Following those races and until 6 p.m., the Peachtree Health and Fitness Expo is underway in advance of tomorrow's 10K, where there is an expected 56,000 racers, said Natalie Cabañas, the Atlanta Track Club’s marketing and communications director.
With participants coming from all over, she encourages runners to hydrate ahead of time and take advantage of the five aid stations that will be present along the race route.
“I met somebody yesterday that traveled from Jamaica just to be here,” Cabanas said. “I just think the running community just is so beautiful to support each other in that way and to travel all that way just to be a part of a big race.”
Running through the banner for the Peachtree Junior Mile was Elliot Browne, taking home first place overall.
Browne has been running since fifth grade, and is an incoming freshman at Roswell High School. He prepared for the mile using his summer conditioning for the school’s track team.
On Friday, Browne said winning felt weird. “I was never like the top of my team,” he said. “I was always up there, but never No. 1. So, it felt weird to run through the banner.”
Browne said he plans to recover on the couch for the rest of the day.