The 60,000 participants of the 2014 AJC Peachtree Road Race enjoyed a break in the temperatures and the humidity this Fourth of July. From American flags at the beginning and end of the course to the patriotic outfits of the participants, the 45th running of the event celebrated our nation’s independence in style.
Christo Landry (Ann Arbor, MI) and Amy Hastings (Providence, RI) took home victories with times of 28:25 and 32:16 respectively, each earning the title of 2014 USA 10 km Champion. Landry earned his third straight USA title this year with his win and bested his 10K personal record. Hastings also set a personal record after finishing third last week at 10,000 meters in the USATF Outdoor Nationals.
"It's clear Atlanta knows how to celebrate the Fourth of July," said Rich Kenah. "To see 60,000 strong start down Peachtree Road and end at Piedmont Park on a perfect weather day like this, is what our staff at Atlanta Track Club looks forward to every year."
In the Masters’ races, Kevin Castille (Lafayette, LA) pulled away from the pack and finished in 31:26. Jen Rhines (Boston, MA) came in first for her Masters debut with a time of 33:04.
The Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division of the AJC Peachtree Road Race crowned two four-time champions. Krige Schabort (Cedartown, IA) narrowly finished first for the men with a time of 20:30, while Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, MD) broke the tape for the women in 23:17.
One of the most anticipated moments of the morning was the unveiling of the winning design of the 2014 AJC Peachtree Road Race T-shirt Design Contest. Lilburn resident James Balke created the winning design, which featured a peach, the Fourth of July and a map of the course. This is the second time Balke has won the contest; he also won in 1997.
The very last person to cross the start line was Meb Keflezighi, winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon. Keflezighi was the featured runner in Atlanta Track Club’s inaugural Kilometer Kids Charity Chase, an online fundraiser benefitting the club’s youth running program, Kilometer Kids. He set out to raise $75,000 by passing as many participants as possible, with a goal of 22,500. Donations are still being accepted online at atlantatrackclub.org. After exceeding his goal and passing 22,780 participants, Keflezighi’s approximate finish time was 37:56.
“It was a new perspective to start as the very last runner of this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race and I’m honored to have raised money for Atlanta Track Club’s Kilometer Kids with each step I took,” said Keflezighi.
About Atlanta Track Club
Atlanta Track Club is a nonprofit committed to creating an active and healthy Atlanta. Through running and walking, Atlanta Track Club motivates, inspires and engages the community to enjoy a healthier lifestyle. With more than 19,000 members, Atlanta Track Club is the second largest running organization in the United States. In addition to the AJC Peachtree Road Race (peachtreeroadrace.org) – the largest 10K running event in the world and the Atlanta Half Marathon and Thanksgiving Day 5K (atlantahalfmarathon.org), Atlanta Track Club directs more than 30 events per year. Through the support of its members and volunteers, Atlanta Track Club also maintains a number of community initiatives including organizing and promoting the Kilometer Kids youth running program to metro Atlanta youth, honoring high school cross country and track and field athletes through Atlanta Track Club’s All-Metro Banquets and supporting the Grady Bicycle EMT program. For more information on Atlanta Track Club, visit atlantatrackclub.org.
About the AJC Peachtree Road Race
The AJC Peachtree Road Race is a 10K event that takes place every Fourth of July in Atlanta, Georgia. The first Peachtree was held in 1970 and featured 110 runners. The AJC Peachtree Road Race is now the largest 10K running event in the world with 60,000 participants. The AJC Peachtree Road Race is perhaps most famous for the coveted AJC Peachtree Road Race T-shirt, which is handed out to all the event finishers. For more information on the AJC Peachtree Road Race visit peachtreeroadrace.org or ajc.com/peachtree.
About The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the leading source – both in print and online – of news, information and advertising for metropolitan Atlanta, reaching a total print and online audience of 2 million people each week. Every month, nearly 3 million unique visitors access the newspaper's websites, including ajc.com and accessAtlanta.com. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is part of Cox Media Group, a publishing, digital media and broadcasting subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises.
# # #