Peachtree Road Race
I am finally doing it. A few friends and I put it on our to-do lists for 2007 and the time is nigh: The Peachtree is only a day away. I have lived in Atlanta almost all my life, and i never ran the Peachtree Road Race. Something always comes up. (Usually that something involves beer and a lake.) Little did I know when I signed up for it that it is the world’s largest 10K road race with 55,000 runners; I just thought it was a bigass 4th of July party.
I have taken up running to make me a little more sane (just a little) and the big day is almost here. I am doing a mental checklist of things I need to prepare for Wednesday morning: sunscreen, visor, shades, MARTA Breeze card, race number, identification (post-race beer at the Park Tavern!), a little TP. The Atlanta Track Club (which puts on the race) warns to watch out for road construction during the first mile of the race. (If that isn’t so very Atlanta, I don’t know what is.) Stay hydrated. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Runners to the left, slowpokes to the right.
Forget the running part: My real anxiety centers around the logistics of it.
Getting to MARTA at 5 a.m. Will there be enough parking at the station? How backed up will the stations be with people who never ride MARTA purchasing Breeze Cards?
Do i just carry my number with me and then put it on when I get there? It seems like I will be freaking out about losing my number.
Will I be able to find a porta-potty before the race?
What is the best station to get off at? (ATC says Lenox station, not Buckhead.)
How do I find someone if I want to meet up with them before the race?
How do I find someone if I want to meet up with them at the park afterwards? (ATC puts up balloons with letters. You can use them to find people alphabetically by name.)
Will people get upset if I use my IPod? Will I want to use my IPod?
Where do I tell my husband to take the kids? (There’s a pretty good primer on the AJC site.) Should he even attempt to take the kids?
What do i need to know that I haven’t even thought to ask?
Other info from the ATC:
The Peachtree Expo is going on today at the Intercontinental Hotel Buckhead.
Race Map
FAQs
I would love to hear from veteran PRR runners about their tips and experiences. Are any Metroblogging Atlanta readers running it for the first time?
> Getting to MARTA at 5 a.m. Will there be enough parking at the station?
Yes, but it depends on which station you choose. Btw- Remember it’s much nicer to Marta before the race when people are not all sweaty.
> How backed up will the stations be with people who never ride MARTA purchasing Breeze Cards?
Expect the worse. This is the first year Marta has had to deal with this (in the past they still accepted tokens).
> Do i just carry my number with me and then put it on when I get there? It seems like I will be freaking out about losing my number.
Put it on before you leave the house. It will be much easier to get it exactly how you want it then. Besides, it will have to stay on for 6.2 miles so you should never worry about losing it.
> Will I be able to find a porta-potty before the race?
There will be porta-potties available. There will be long lines.
> What is the best station to get off at? (ATC says Lenox station, not Buckhead.)
Lenox
> How do I find someone if I want to meet up with them before the race?
Choose a meeting place nowhere near Peachtree. Think about the last time you tried to find someone at a festival.
> How do I find someone if I want to meet up with them at the park afterwards? (ATC puts up balloons with letters. You can use them to find people alphabetically by name.)
Use the balloons.
> Will people get upset if I use my IPod? Will I want to use my IPod?
Unless you need your iPod to run, don’t use it. One of the best things about running the Peachtree is the crowd. You will miss this entirely if you tune it out with music.
If you don’t plan to run fast, stay to the right. You will be surprised how many a**holes think that they are going to win and will yell at you for “slowing them down”.
> Where do I tell my husband to take the kids? (There’s a pretty good primer on the AJC site.) Should he even attempt to take the kids?
Bring the kids. Have them camp out near the end, but tell them to get there early. Remember, Peachtree will be *closed* therefore no traffic will be allowed to cross.
What do i need to know that I haven’t even thought to ask?
– Have a change of clothes (at least a shirt) for the end.
– If you are not up front, you probably want sunblock. Later groups will start about an hour after the winners cross the finish line.
I second all of Paulie’s thoughts, especially about not using the iPod. One of the best parts of the Peachtree is all of the music. I also recommend staying wet…pour water down your next to cool off instantly and get a burst mid-race.
Look for free donuts/bagels at Publix, whether you eat or not, it’s just wacky, and just keep an eye out for other wackiness and fun! This will be my 14th Peachtree…it’s a blast. Careful, you might get hooked!
You will have a blast doing the Peachtree, Annie. I am, unfortunately, having to sit out this year due to severe dehydration. I was able to sell my number to someone last night, and seeing how excited he was about the race made me really sad that I will miss it.
I don’t think it’s going to be that hot, but take it easy and don’t try to overdo it. Unless you’re racing for time, just focus on having fun and finishing safely!
Parking at an east line station like east lake or edgewood at 5am should be no problem (and free), both have huge lots. Lenox station is the best exit.
Awesome tips, Paulie. Thanks. Are you running? If so, are you doing marta? Which station?
Thanks, David. I think i am going to carry IPod just because I’m used to running with it, but probably won’t use it. I think i will have more to keep me occupied than I usually do. Funny about the Publix. ha!
Another thing friends told me offline – if you are prone to blisters, avoid the water sprays on the course.
Sabrina – Hope you are feeling better. I am nursing a slightly “off” knee anyway, so this is just about the experience more than anything. Also, i am in Group 9, which i hear is the “fun” group. Evidently, the party is in the back, and I should just go with it, rather than getting bent out of shape about people slowing me down. My goal is to finish. Period.
Thanks, BTI. Oddly enough, my sis is staying in Buckhead tonight, so i might crash with her, get up and use HER potty, and walk on over. IF i can get husband to watch kids this evening. Fingers crossed.
I agree with everyone’s comments above too. The only thing I could think to add is that depending where you are “corralled” you may need to manage your expectations a bit… This is based on feedback from frustrated friends who were looking forward to a good run and were disappointed by a couple of things. If you are in a group further back it will take time (something like up to 2 hours after the race starts) to get to the starting line (I think the race materials give an estimate?) and there are a lot of walkers the further back you go. Think of this as more of a tradition than a race and go with the flow, and you should be fine.
It’s easy to get in a better corral if you send proof of having completed a 10K in the past 2 years with your application. Don’t worry if you think you’re not fast – just providing evidence that you are not planning on walking helps. I’ve been in corrals 1A and 2 the past five years and it’s by far my favorite race.
Thanks, Susan. I had heard similar (re: managing expectations) from friends and mentioned that a few comments back. I am in Group Nine, and they all said just to have a good time and not worry about my time. I actually think it will be pretty fun that way. No stress.
alright, annie. we are looking forward to your post about your experience…
Working on it as we type.