Out of a potential field of 55,000 folk 50,007 including myself walk, ran, and wheeled from Lenox Mall to Piedmont Park in the 40^th annual Peachtree Road Race 10k.  The winning men’s time was 27:22 (yes 27 minutes, 22 seconds for 6.2 miles) and the winning women’s time was 31:30. Here’s my time. The race begins at 7:30 am but for folks in the rear time groups (7-9) there’s at least another hour to start and umpteen thousands of people in front of us. In fact my time group (8) did not cross the START line until 8:45 but that is a good thing. That gives all of us at least another hour of sleep. 

The weather was excellent. Low humidity and 65 at the start, which was a vast improvement over last year and it’s been my experience that the rear time groups are the most fun.  People will run in costumes, sing songs, chant and there have been some years that beer was consumed.  Along the route there are plenty of on-lookers to cheer us on (which you need when you hit Cardiac Hill which is near Justin’s and climbs up to Piedmont Hospital). There are also radio stations, live bands, and political candidates.  In previous years, Publix served donuts on the route but not this year.  During the drought years and park renovations the finish line was moved a few times but this year the finish was back at Piedmont (I’d not seen the Park in a few years it looks beautiful).  At the finish you get water, the coveted t-shirt and proceed to your company tent, link up with friends or in my case, get out of dodge and go eat. 

This was my 11^th Peachtree.  I missed 1997 and 2005-2007 but of all the years I’ve done it this year was different.  The energy was definitely lower, the corporate tents fewer as well as the freebies especially for those of us at the tail end.  I heard lots of talk about the economy, company cutbacks and so forth but there were still some of the majors in Atlanta who held it down.  Overall my Peachtree experience was a good one.  My time (which is in the turtle zone) was better than last year and I ran more of the race this year vs. last. Some may think it’s crazy to get up early on a holiday off, but the way I see it, I can’t think of anything better than lacing them up with 50,000 other folks just like me who are nutty enough to get out of bed and run down this city’s most famous street.