RUN ON, ATLANTA!
by Mike Cosentino
Why We Are The Most Run-Crazy City in the Country
Strength in numbers… Mass motivation… If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
Call the prevailing mentality what you like… but there is no denying that Atlanta-area residents (and visitors!) love to run. The evidence is literally everywhere! Even the most chronic couch spud cannot label this assertion as merely simple-minded and subjective civic pride. After all, Scarborough Sports Data indicates that almost 25% of Atlantans consider themselves a runner or a jogger! Further, Runner’s World magazine has lauded Atlanta as one of “the best places to be a runner” in the U.S. on multiple occasions. We’ve hosted the Olympic Marathon. We’re home to the world’s largest 10k race (Peachtree). We have nationally recognized coaches as long-time residents… Clearly, we take this seriously around here!
Now, for those who have their eyes even half open when they pass by Memorial Park in Buckhead, Riverside Drive in Roswell, Columns Drive in East Cobb or a myriad of other places in and around Atlanta, the statistics and acknowledgments above may be impressive… but they are not surprising. So let’s take a look at, and get familiar with, why Atlanta is arguably America’s most enthusiastic running town.
Join The Club
According to Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), there is no other city in the U.S. that boasts more persons registered in an official running club than Atlanta. That’s easily understood when you consider some of the statistics pertaining to the local running club offerings. The Atlanta Track Club (http://www.atlantatrackclub.org) is the second largest organized running group in the country, behind only the New York Road Runners. The club offers its members a full calendar of free races (sorry, the Peachtree Road Race is not included), volunteer coaching and a complimentary subscription to its nationally acclaimed publication, Wingfoot. Across town, the Chattahoochee Road Runners (http://www.crrclub.com) are celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year. And with a robust racing and social calendar, the “Hoochies” are no longer comprised of only people who like to run at the river. Further south, the Peachtree City Running Club (http://www.ptcrc.com) was also founded in 1981. Today, the club is one of the largest in Georgia, annually hosts a popular 15k that is often times a state or national championship and offers members the chance to become part of the coveted 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 Mile Club. The PTCRC President, Bob Dalton, is one of Atlanta’s most recognized runners at local races. In this year’s Peachtree Road Race, he finished ahead of every other 50+ year old finisher by almost two full minutes!
The opportunity to run or train with a first-class club - - like Atlanta traffic - - seemingly knows no bounds. If you don’t live near any of the previously mentioned groups, then, perhaps, the Douglas County Rogue Runners (http://www.dcrr.org) or South Fulton Running Partners (http://www.sfrp.org) is an option. Organized runs are also available in Brookhaven, Cabbagetown, Canton, Cherokee County, Covington, Decatur, Duluth, Hiram, Roswell, Sandy Springs and Virginia-Highlands. Visit a local running store for more information on any of these organized jaunts or locales.
Running groups are also available based on interests or lifestyle. For example, the Atlanta Singles Running Organization (http://www.atlanta-singles-running.org) is pretty self-explanatory while Reason Runners (http://www.fellowshipofreason.com) organizes running and walking activities for “people united by the idea that reason provides the best guide for understanding reality and living the best life possible.” Atlanta was the launching pad, and has the largest chapter, for ChristianRunners.org (http://www.christianrunning.com) which now has a growing membership base in Chicago, Salt Lake City and Canada, among other places. Front Runners (http://www.frontrunnersatlanta.org) is Atlanta’s popular gay/lesbian running club and the Georgia Ultrarunning & Trail Running Society (GUTS; http://www.getguts.com) is for those who like to get off the roads or go long. Really long. The “Who Are We?” section on the website is answered, in part, with “sometimes we run all night just to test a new flashlight.”
For those who are training for a particular long-distance running event and need a little bit more structure than a predictable number of miles on a particular day of the week, Atlanta is second-to-none in its offerings. The Georgia Chapter of the grandfather of charity-based marathon training programs - - Team In Training (http://www.teamintraining.org) - - will be a large contributor to the 30,000 persons who complete an endurance event and raise millions of dollars for the fight against leukemia and lymphoma. The St. Jude Heroes Program (http://www.stjudeheroes.org) trains together locally, with valuable and inspirational components available to help participants raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. And although there are some featured races, the program is also designed to help athletes compete in the events of their choice. Joints In Motion (http://www.jointsinmotion.org) is the Arthritis Foundation’s fundraising and endurance training program as it does work on behalf of the more than 1.7 million Georgians suffering from arthritis. With the foundation’s national headquarters located in Atlanta, the local chapter is one of the country’s most spirited. 65 Roses recently started a training program to help raise funds and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. (http://www.cff.org)
Atlanta also has the good fortune of having two world-class, non-fundraising, membership-based training programs. Specifically, USA Fit/Team Spirit (http://www.usafitteamspirit.com) and Get Fit Atlanta (http://www.getfit-atlanta.com) prepare close to 1,000 people annually for a marathon, half marathon or triathlon. Gayle Barron is the Head Coach for Team Spirit, with a personal resume that includes winning the Boston Marathon, Atlanta Marathon (3 times) and winning the Peachtree Road Race more than any other person (5 times!). Dana Greene, Director for Get Fit Atlanta, has her own courageous story to tell, directs two races every year on the Silver Comet and introduces more people to the benefits of regular running every weekend.
Location, Location, Location
If you think about Atlanta’s personality, it, too, solidly indicates why we are passionate about our running. Of course, some of the traits are more positive than others… For starters, real cold weather whimps notwithstanding, you CAN run outdoors year round in Atlanta. I promise you, with the appropriate attire, you will not get frostbite when its 41 degrees outside. Also - - and there are those who may disagree with this- - an abundance of hills make for an abundance of good cardiovascular workouts. The same cannot be said for a pollen count above 2,000 or a code orange smog alert… You want another indicator? O.K., we have beautiful neighborhoods and tree-lined streets. Lots of them. More everyday, it seems. These are inherently good for running. Cities that, instead, have snow-capped mountains or sandy beaches with rolling waves probably tend to have fewer runners. We may not have surfing in the Chattahoochee River, but there is plenty of running alongside!
The Race Is The Place
If you like big organized running events, Atlanta is your mecca. And this is just another reason to call Atlanta home if you like to run. Of course, it starts with the Peachtree Road Race. Our July Fourth holiday tradition is, again, the most populous 10 kilometer race in the universe. Fifty-five thousand registrants. More than 100,000 spectators. Three-thousand volunteers. Sixty-five thousand bottles of water. Five hundred thousand recyclable paper cups… and, yes, six hundred portable toilets. But we’re not just Peachtree. The Atlanta Half Marathon, our Thanksgiving Day rite, is one of the largest and oldest official 13.1 mile treks in the U.S. The U.S. 10k Classic and Kaiser Permanente Corporate Challenge hosted over 11,000 and 25,000 persons, respectively. Further, our Race For The Cure earlier this year saw 14,000+ participants and raised a record 1.1 million for breast cancer research and treatment!
To no one’s dismay (or, perhaps, disappointment), when you have numbers, you have options. What else can explain the litany of long distance races practically on top of one another in this town? In October there are two half marathons within a week of each other. Both are great events and get a large turn out. Check out the Silver Comet Half Marathon (http://www.silvercomet10k.com) and/or the Alpharetta Half Marathon (http://www.runalpharetta.com). Less than a month later, we have the previously referenced Atlanta Half and Full Marathon on November 23rd (http://www.atlantatrackclub.org). And, we are now lucky to also host the world class ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon, being touted as a New Southern Tradition, and offers a great sight-seeing tour of the city. This takes place just weeks after the Alpharetta Marathon, which welcomes residents and visitors alike with suburban charm.(http://www.alpharettamarathon.com). All told, you can do no less than 3 marathons and 2 half marathons in 5 months without ever leaving metropolitan Atlanta. Show me a place that can top that!!
So, there you have it. Atlanta runs. And runs. And runs. Here’s to you doing your part and the role that you play in making this the greatest running city on the planet!
