2021 Peachtree Road Race Recap

As usual, this year’s Peachtree Road Race was different. Different in many ways – some good, some great, and some perhaps not so great. We signed up to run on Saturday July 3 to be different – the race had never been run on July 3 before. Rumor has it that about 13000 ran it on the 3rd, 18000 on the 4th, and another 8000 ran the race virtually (or maybe fewer than 25000 total?). This made for a far different experience.

Will, Anna, and I were all in Time Group B, which started at 6:40 am. The journey to the start line is always an experience in itself. We agreed to meet at Anna’s at 5:30 am. Not wanting to sleep late, my rest wasn’t deep. I woke up several times, and finally got out of bed before 4 am. I got ready with time to spare, but as I drove off I realized I’d forgotten to eat anything for breakfast. Liquids would have to do.

One of my Peachtree traditions is to take 400 south under the Buckhead Loop and Peachtree Road. I got off on Sidney Marcus and  took Piedmont south under I-85. There I was surprised to see the Mexican restaurant’s parking lot jammed with cars, both in parking spaces and the drive thru. The pizza place up the hill was likewise crowded, I suppose from late night partiers from the night before.

Mary-Clayton and Okie dropped us off at the Piedmont Road Krystal, where police had the road blocked. We walked through the neighborhood and crossed the GA 400 pedestrian bridge, around the new Hyatt hotel under construction up to the Lenox MARTA station, and up Lenox. Saw coworker Brad waiting on his son, and we were all routed around Target to Wieuca, then back to group B – a two mile walk.

The Star-Spangled Banner was sung beautifully by the runner-up in the anthem contest. This should’ve registered with me. One of the highlights at the start is the military flyover, which didn’t happen on Saturday - only the constant buzz of helicopters overhead. My ears didn’t miss the loud jets.

At 6:30 the first group was off. Then next ten minutes flew by, and then our group B was off. I bade farewell to Will and Anna and cut right to be with the slower runners. With the smaller 1500 person time groups, the crowd thinned out quickly. With ten minutes between time groups, the road remained thinned out. I kept looking back, expecting a huge Time Group C crowd to come bearing down on me. But instead of a crowd, they came just a few at a time, after I had covered a mile and a half.

With so few runners, the mighty Peachtree took on the feel of a much smaller race. I broke my custom and got sprinkled with holy water by the priests at the Cathedral St. Phillip, as Anna had before me. Then I moved left to pass my friends at Second-Ponce de Leon, but there were only two couples in front, whom I didn’t know.

I quickly settled into my run/walk/repeat mode. Since I didn’t have to constantly dodge other runners and walkers, concentrating on my run/walk splits was easier, so my mile splits were faster than usual. After a mile I’d spotted a guy in a yellow shirt running and walking like me. We kept passing each other, and finally found the same step. He lives in Berkeley Lake, so I told him I worked nearby. His wife was in group F. He plays senior baseball. As we started up Cardiac Hill he jogged off.

In addition to far fewer runners, there were far fewer spectators as well. Friends and family lining the road are a big part of the race. They holler encouragement, offer waves and high fives, and give you something to look at along the way. Back in the 90’s the entire six miles was packed with spectators three deep, but over the years the crowds have thinned. I supposed more would come out to watch the next day, when the wheelchairs and elite runners buzzed by.

Only two wheelchair patients were outside the Shepherd Spinal Center. Seeing all those patients every year was always an inspiration. No Shepherd Spinal Clinic sweatbands this year, so I wasn’t able to add a new color to my collection. Instead the Hawks had a spirit team handing out bandanas, so I grabbed one for Joel. Few people outside Piedmont Hospital.

Joel Norman had set up a Bellwood Coffee cart outside his shop inside the 1776 Peachtree building, just south of Bell Street Burritos near the four mile mark. Mary-Clayton had taken Okie there. Will was the first to arrive at Bellwood, and Joel greeted him with an expresso. Anna was second to stop, and finally me. Anna and I stopped our watches. Got to talk to Joel, Willis, and Becky. Willis remarked that my 34 Peachtree’s matched his age.

I was the first to depart Bellwood, settling back into my walk/run pace. No trombone player on the bridge over I-85. The water stops were changed, in different locations. No water near White Columns, where former coworker Ellsworth directed operations. Instead of small cups of water, runners were handed 16 ounce bottles of Dasani. By mile five there were more runners that had caught up, but nothing like a normal Peachtree crowd.

After passing Colony Square Anna caught to me, and we ran/walked around the turn onto 10th Street and down the hill under the photo bridge. Then she took off to the finish. Not long afterwards Will caught me, and we finished the race together.

At the finish I realized Saturday’s race wasn’t on TV. No TV booth, no Hullinger, no man will a bullhorn calling out encouragement, no one to tell it had been my 34th Peachtree. Piedmont Park was far less crowded. No plastic bags with the t-shirts, just the rolled up shirt. In the park I spotted my new friend in the yellow shirt, and congratulated him on the finish.

Will, Anna, and I picked up a Powerade, then walked down Monroe to her house on Piedmont. I drove Will home, then home myself. By the end of the day I’d covered almost 13 miles. A different Peachtree for sure.