2011 Peachtree Road Race

The 2011 Peachtree Road Race is expanding by 5000 runners maintaining its title as the “World’s Largest 10K Race”. The 42nd Annual Peachtree Road Race gets underway 7:30 a.m. on Monday, July 4th, 2011.

Changes for the 2011 AJC Peachtree Road Race 10k include a new online lottery registration in addition to the expansion to 60,000 participants.

The Atlanta Track Club organizes the Fourth of July race and believes the lottery system will make registration process easier and more fair. This year’s Peachtree Event has an entry fee of $33.

2011 Peachtree Road Race Registration

Entrants to the Peachtree Road Race can obtain a registration form and register online at ajc.com/peachtree from 5 a.m. March 15, 2011 to midnight March 24, 2011. Everyone who enters during that 10 day period will have an equal chance of being chosen for the 2011 Peachtree Road Race. An email will be sent out to the lottery entrants by Thursday, March 29 confirming if they were lucky enough to be selected. Results of the search process will be available online at peachtreeroadrace.org and ajc.com/peachtree.

Entrants to the lottery will be happy to know if they are not selected for race two years in a row they are guaranteed entry into AJC Peachtree Road Race the following year. The new registration procedure allows for Groups of up to ten people. Groups are given the same opportunity to be selected as individuals. If your group is chosen, everyone in your group will be granted access to the race. Conversely, if your group is not chosen no individual in that group will be able to participate in the event.

Atlanta Track Club members will have the benefit of obtaining an early access with guaranteed entry to the race as long as their memberships are current (as of Feb. 28, 2011). The “Streakers” will also be provided special consideration when they register through the new online system. Streakers are runners who ran in ten or more Peachtree Races.

Race Start Times:

* The wheelchair race begins at 6:45 a.m.
* The footrace begins at 7:30 a.m.
* Individual wave start times will be officially announced in late spring 2011.

2011 Peachtree Road Race Anticipated Wave Start Times

The 2011 Peachtree Road Race will once again have start times that are performance-based instead of random assignments as in prior years. Participants will have to submit their USATF certified race finish time at registration. Participants who fail to do this will be placed randomly towards the last of the start waves.

Invited 7:30 a.m., Seeded 7:30 a.m., Sub Seeded 7:30 a.m.
A 7:30 a.m. B 7:35 a.m. C 7:41 a.m. D 7:45 a.m. E 7:50 a.m.
F 7:55 a.m. G 8:00 a.m. H 8:05 a.m. J 8:09 a.m. K 8:14 a.m.
L 8:18 a.m. M 8:23 a.m. N 8:27 a.m. P 8:33 a.m. R 8:37 a.m.
S 8:42 a.m. T 8:46 a.m. U 8:51 a.m. W 8:55 a.m. X 9:00 a.m.

The Peachtree Road Race Course

The Peachtree Road Race has evolved into an Atlanta Tradition attracting hundreds of thousands of people who come from all over to cheer the runners. Now, with over 60,000 participants the Peachtree Road Race will continue to be the largest 10k in the world. Not only is it one of the most prestigious Atlanta Events, but one of the most impressive events in the world!

People from all over the South and nation will jam the streets and sidewalks of Peachtree Street to view the Peachtree Road Race. The Peachtree Road Race course starts on Peachtree St. by Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. This is where you can view the massive starting crowds, get some coffee and do some shopping.

From there the course proceeds south along Peachtree Road. A little over a mile has past where West Paces Ferry Rd. intersects Peachtree Rd. Travel approximately one mile south on Peachtree Rd. and you’ll see The Cathedral of St. Philip which has July Fourth Events going on. You may even find Dean Sam Candler from the cathedral sprinkling Peachtree Road Race Runners with holy water.

Further down Peachtree is miles three and four. The Mile Three marker is just past the intersection of Peachtree Creek and Peachtree Rd. Crowds attract at nearby Peachtree Battle Shopping Center and Piedmont Hospital. This famous part of the Peachtree Road Race Course is affectionately known as “Cardiac Hill”. After the Peachtree Runners pass the Brookwood Station they will have triumphed not only Cardiac Hill but also the fourth mile of the course.

Mega crowds jam the streets after Peachtree crosses over Interstate 85. Thousand of race fans line the street in Midtown along Colony Square and the Woodruff Arts Center. 14th Street marks the fifth mile of the Peachtree Race Course. From there the race travels south to 10th Street where the Peachtree Runners turn to prepare for the finish line at Piedmont Park.

AtlantaGAToday’s favorite entertainment spot for the Peachtree Road Race is where 10th Street and Peachtree intersect in Midtown. In this area there’s an abundance of restaurants, activities and excitement and it’s only a short walk to Piedmont Park.

The Peachtree Road Race is a 10K long distance track event that was started in 1970 by the Atlanta Track Club. Back then it had 110 runners, but today it has more than 60,000 runners making it the largest 10k in the world. Other popular 10k’s around the world include Vancouver’s “Sun Fun Run” and the “Bolder Boulder 10k” in Boulder, Co.


Spectator Information

Mile One

The Peachtree Road Race starts next to Lenox Square Mall – the center of Buckhead shopping. If you’re watching the race in this part of town, you’ll get to see the monstrous start crowds. Cool your heels while your friends line up for the start by having a bagel and java at a local coffee house or scope out all the luxury shopping you can do later.

Mile Two

Top recommendations for getting the true crowd feel is watching the race where W. Paces Ferry, Peachtree and Roswell Road meet. Further down mile two, you’ll find The Cathedral of St. Philip, at 2744 Peachtree Road, which is known for hosting race day events. See Dean Sam Candler sprinkle the runners with “holy water”.

Mile Three

Good locations in mile three for watching the race are the Starbuck’s at the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center and at Piedmont Hospital, where music is playing and runners are conquering Cardiac Hill.

Mile Four

In mile four, runners regroup after recovering from the daunting effects of Cardiac Hill. Now participants can pick up speed and begin to focus on the finish line. This section attracts spectators from the surrounding residential areas, and some from the local dining and beverage establishments.

Mile Five

The section is where Peachtree Rd. crosses I-85 heading south toward Woodruff Arts Center and the restaurants of Colony Square and Midtown. At this point, the Peachtree Road Race really becomes an exciting spectator sport.

Mile Six

As mentioned above, the corner of 10th and Peachtree Streets is Atlanta Ga Today’s favorite place for seeing the run. From here, you can watch all the race excitement and still walk to the family meeting area in the meadow at Piedmont Park, to congratulate family and friends on their accomplishment. As you head to the park, there are a number of shaded areas for race watching, as well as numerous trendy Midtown Atlanta restaurants where you can sit down and enjoy the race.

Peachtree Road Race Historical Timeline:

1970 – The first inaugural Peachtree Road Race takes place when 110 runners met at the corner of intersection of Peachtree and Roswell Rd. They ran 6.2 miles to central City Park in Atlanta. They are infamously referred to as the “Original 110″ and have become the founding fathers of one of the greatest running events in the world.

1976 – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution becomes the official sponsor.

1980 – The race is limited to 25,000 participants due to crowding.

1982 – Peachtree’s Wheelchair Division is added to the race. The division is sponsored by the Shepard Spinal Centre and attracts top international competition. Several
record-breaking performances have occured since its inception.

1990 – The race maximum is increased to 40,000.

1992 – Race maximum is increased to 45,000.

1995 – Carle Wattenberg III is the winning designer of the first ever AJC Peachtree Road Race T-Shirt Contest. Race limit increased to 50,000.

1996 – Joseph Limani (KEN) finishes the race with a world’s best record time of 27:04.

1998 – Race limit increases to 55,000.

2009 – All participants are electronically timed for the first time.

2010 – Start waves are implemented for the first time.

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