PACE TEAM

No, all registered Publix Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon participants are welcome to run with the Pace Teams of their choosing. You can sign up, meet the Pace Lead and receive a pace bib at the Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend Expo. No additional registration is required.

The times offered for each race will range from 1:30:00 to 3:30:00 for the half marathon, and 3:00:00 to 6:30:00 for the marathon. Times are subject to change and vary from race to race, so check the specific race's event page to learn what times are being offered. The pace team will have an information booth at the Expo for the specific race.

The best guide to determine your ideal pace will be your recent race history, training and personal knowledge of your own body. You can also base your pace off your recent training runs. To determine your pace ask yourself, "At what pace were you able to run your longest training run?" If your goal time is between two groups, we typically recommend to start with the slower of the two groups, then speed up after a few miles if you feel strong.

If you want to run with a Pace Team that is in an earlier corral, you will need to sign up for that group and pick up your pace bib at the Pace Team booth at the Expo. Please note your pace bib will allow you to join the Pace Team in an earlier corral, but you must be wearing the pace bib in addition to your race bib. Please attach your pace bib to your back and your race bib (which has the chip) on your front. Do Not Cover your race bib.

On race morning, Pace Leads will be in the corrals 15 minutes prior to the start of the race. A list of the Pace Teams and their assigned corral with approximate locations within the corrals will be posted at the Pace Team information booth at the Expo. The Pace Team will also hold large signs with the specific finish times. You'll want to find the Pace Team that you signed up to run with and stand with them in the appropriate start corral. Pacers will also be wearing bright yellow singlets that say "Pace Team" on them.

The pacers plan on running even splits throughout the race. Not every mile will be perfectly even due to terrain and race day conditions, but the pacers will adjust as necessary each mile to make sure they stay as close as possible to maintaining even splits. By running even splits, the pacers accommodate as many runners as possible and help you to avoid going out too fast.

The first mile is often crowded and usually slower as a result. The pacers will try to take you out on pace, but if they are slowed down they will gradually adjust the pace over the next several miles to get back on the goal pace. Whatever happens, they'll make sure you don't go out too fast.

The pacers are targeting to finish as close to (or slightly ahead of) the goal finish time. They will be going by chip time not clock time. They will be communicating regular pace updates throughout the race. Ideally the pacers will cross the finish line close to the goal time with participants ahead of them.

The pacers will be focused on maintaining even splits in order to accommodate as many runners as possible. Pace leads will run intervals for the 2:45 through 3:30 half marathon pace group and the 5:306:30 marathon pace groups.

Absolutely not! Listen to your body and use whatever method works for you. You don't need to run even splits to use the pace group as your guide. If you become injured or ill, please seek aid or assistance.

Yes, and you can even switch mid-race if you choose to do so. The pace team leaders are merely guides to help you achieve your finish time goal.