More than 50,000 runners lined up in Atlanta today for a race that’s equal parts sporting event and citywide celebration, but this year’s Peachtree Road Race carried extra weight, arriving on America’s 250th birthday and under the hottest conditions organizers have flagged in nearly a decade.
The 57th running of the world’s largest 10K kicked off before sunrise at Lenox Square, with red flag conditions in effect for the first time since 2017. Atlanta Track Club officials warned runners with underlying health conditions or limited heat training to consider switching to the race’s virtual option instead of running in person. Temperatures at the start hovered near 73 degrees with heavy humidity, and the heat index climbed toward 100 as the morning wore on.
Elite runners battle the heat and the clock
Despite the conditions, the race produced tight finishes across every division. 1) Patrick Kiprop defended his men’s elite title, crossing the line in 27 minutes, 36 seconds. 2) Tsigie Gebreselama edged out Melknat Wudu by a single second to win the women’s elite race. 3) Daniel Romanchuk claimed his ninth career win in the men’s wheelchair division. 4) Tatyana McFadden matched him with her own ninth title in the women’s wheelchair race.
Not every runner made it through unscathed. Bailey Brackett, competing in the women’s elite high school division, collapsed near the finish and received medical attention, missing the postrace awards ceremony as a result.
A race run in someone’s memory
For the first time since 1989, the Peachtree went on without its most beloved fixture. Longtime runner Betty Lindberg died in June at 101, ending a streak that began almost by accident. She first showed up at the starting line in 1988 to drop off her daughter, decided on a whim to try the race herself at 63, and never stopped. By 97, she had broken the 5K world record for her age group, shaving more than 30 minutes off the previous mark. Runners who lined up for photos with her over the years often said just meeting her made the morning feel worthwhile.
The traditions that make Peachtree unique
Long before anyone crosses the finish line, Peachtree runs on ritual. 1) Just past the second mile, the Very Rev. Sam Candler has offered blessings to runners of every faith for 27 years, a tradition so popular that some runners double back after missing it.
2) Elsewhere on the course, runners dressed as Revolutionary War redcoats jeered at passersby in a lighthearted nod to history, while others turned the morning into a costume contest, including a tribute to Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman and plenty of red, white and blue outfits marking the nation’s 250th year. 3) The night before the race, Run-DMC rapper Darryl McDaniels headlined a free concert at Lenox Square, adding a hip-hop soundtrack to the weekend’s festivities.
By midmorning, thousands of finishers had made their way to Piedmont Park to cool off, swap stories and wait out the heat together, proof that in Atlanta, the Fourth of July still means running toward each other rather than away from the heat.