AJC Peachtree Road Race
The AJC Peachtree Road Race consists of two 10-kilometer road races in Atlanta: one on Independence Day and a winter version the first weekend of January. Both races traverse the same Peachtree course, but in opposite directions. The summer "South" race proceeds downhill from Lenox Square toward Piedmont Park. Conversely, the Polar Opposite Peachtree runs north from 10th Street at Piedmont Park back to Lenox Square. The July race, established in 1970 by the Atlanta Track Club, has been the world's largest 10K since the late 1970s, typically drawing over 70,000 participants for 60,000 available spots. The participants include elite 10K runners, club runners, first-time participants, wheelchair athletes in the Shepherd Center division, and a special division for soldiers stationed in the Middle East. The event has also served as the United States men's and women's 10K championship, meaning the lead runners are very fast, though the majority of the day resembles a large city run. Children have their own Peachtree Junior mile and 50-meter dash in Piedmont Park. An early tradition originated from a miscalculation: organizers underestimated demand for race T-shirts and ran out, inadvertently making the Peachtree shirt a highly sought-after souvenir.
