Peachtree Road Race
Atlanta, GA
- 10K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race will continue the iconic Fourth of July tradition bringing more than 60,000 runners and walkers to the streets of Atlanta for the world’s largest 10K. The race begins at Lenox Square and finishes in Piedmont Park, taking participants through the heart of the city. … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Jul 04):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 96 | 92 | 105 | 95 | 88 |
| L (°F) | 77 | 74 | 78 | 74 | 71 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Not a Peachy Event
The course itself lives up to the name. It is a nice course with many spectators. The expo setup was horrific. A tent in a parking lot combined with poor … MORE
The course itself lives up to the name. It is a nice course with many spectators. The expo setup was horrific. A tent in a parking lot combined with poor line organization and Atlanta heat was a recipe for disaster. The worst offense of all was the race shirt colors: yellow, green and brown. All the merchandise for sale was red, white, and blue, as well as all other race materials. I cannot imagine why they chose three colors that could not be further from the American colors on the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. A true disappointment at what should have been a great moment receiving the coveted shirt. I would not participate in this event again until the expo situation is fixed, I hope the design team listens to feedback and never chooses non-related colors again.
Expo, course safety and swag failures
What has been a well-run tradition on our nation’s Independence Day has lost its mojo. The outdoor/tented Expo was closed for weather and caused miles-long traffic buildup due to location … MORE
What has been a well-run tradition on our nation’s Independence Day has lost its mojo. The outdoor/tented Expo was closed for weather and caused miles-long traffic buildup due to location traffic limitations. There were no corral entrances before corral F. MARTA issues delayed runners getting to the race and they were climbing tall fences to get to their corral. The crowded race had protesters on the course which had to be avoided. The swag was yellow on the nations 250th birthday. If you run a race on July 4th (my 25th) you expect heat. You don’t expect gross incompetence, mismanagement and egregious lapses in security or judgment from the organizers.
A Local July 4th Race...
My 14th Peachtree Road Race. COURSE DIFFICULTY: Iconic course, with some good hills, more difficult if hot. 3.1 downhill, then real hills start. 45,255 finishers. Slower runners run all over … MORE
My 14th Peachtree Road Race.
COURSE DIFFICULTY: Iconic course, with some good hills, more difficult if hot. 3.1 downhill, then real hills start. 45,255 finishers. Slower runners run all over the road, but at least they are out there and very nice runners.
COURSE SCENERY: Excellent crowd support. Nice Volunteers. Music. Beer on course. Just Water, no PowerAde at stations.
RACE PRODUCTION: I ran a Peachtree qualifier under 29:00 for a 5K, but since I was not a member of ATC I was moved from F to L. So, if I wanted F, I would have to join ATC $60 then pay for Peachtree $60 = $120. ATC says they are the largest race with 45,225, while Bolder Bolder 10K has 5000 more runners? They don’t check bib numbers in the corrals, honor program. MARTA was excellent. Excellent ATC race communications.
EXPO: Tent in a parking lot is not good to start with, dark and depressing, especially when it rained. Excellent number distribution. Plenty of Peachtree gear to purchase. Plenty of ATC gear to purchase. No vendors; just sponsor vendor booths. Please go back to the World Congress Center with a REAL Expo and with running vendors for Runners.
RACE SWAG: You get the Peachtree t-shirt, peach and banana, CORE, small bags of cookies, and one free beer.
RACE SHIRT: Yellow for 250th.? Very thin, and screen printed 3 stripes. Not representative of a true Adidas shirt? I noticed ‘Atlanta G . A .’ printed, I know of GA! 🙂
OVERALL: A good local race to run on the 4th.
ATC: PLEASE go back to Peachtree qualifier placements, instead of member preferred placements with up charging. And I hate to say it, 45,000 is not 60,000. 🙂 But gave me more room to run!
I get the hype now
Yes, it is big and hot and humid, but this is just an amazing way to kick off 4th of July. I thought the corrals were easy to get into … MORE
Yes, it is big and hot and humid, but this is just an amazing way to kick off 4th of July. I thought the corrals were easy to get into and appropriately seeded — even though there were tons of people, I really didn’t feel impeded in running my pace. July in Atlanta is invariably hot and humid, but the race started early enough that it was not impossible. There were lots of hoses along the course to cool us off. I felt like I was flying down the first half, but the hill after mile 3 brought me back to reality. Nice downhill to the finish line! Piedmont Park is a great venue for the afterparty, and I love a race that gives me a Diet Coke. Maybe my favorite part was going back to Midtown to spectate — people seemed genuinely excited to get/give a high five, and the human connection was just so refreshing on America’s 250th. There were a lot of complaints on IG about the yellow shirt, which I admit was an odd choice, but that is not super important to me. Also saw complaints about the expo and getting to the start, but I had my bib mailed to me and stayed near the start with a discounted rate from the race website, and this made for a very smooth race morning. I’m pumped to come back!
Peachtree is a new top race of the year!
When they say show up early for packet pick up DO IT for this race! There are 60k people picking up packets. And if you like to buy swag, go … MORE
When they say show up early for packet pick up DO IT for this race! There are 60k people picking up packets. And if you like to buy swag, go early. The women sizes sold out and only small were left, ugh!
The race, there are a lot of people but I did not feel trampled. Peachtree is wide as it is long. I had to walk due to a knee energy and still finished strong.
Listen, I had the best time. I have done a lot of races and this is one of my new favorites. Why you ask
There are people cheering all of the 10k
There are bands at almost every half mile to mile.
There was water everywhere
There were porta John’s at every mile, like 5 or 6!
The church’s come out and give water. We were cooled by Holy Water and given holly water blessings by the Father’s.
The people watching from outfits and just people is amazing.
The course is pretty much shaded.
And run by karoke.
And a group served hotdogs with condiments.
There were Krispy Kreme donuts, yes hot and ready since the son was out!
A lady made southern cheese straws they were so good! There were also Jell-O shots and other drinks! And of course coca-cola at the end!
Yes, I will run this again!
Wonderful experience and great crowd!
The expo was fantastic and the race was well-organized (registration, communication leading up to race, race morning line-up, after party). The race course was challenging and fun. I love the … MORE
The expo was fantastic and the race was well-organized (registration, communication leading up to race, race morning line-up, after party). The race course was challenging and fun. I love the race shirt – great design and quality, and the medal is awesome. Fireworks the night before and the shake out run organized by local running group were bonuses. Definitely a bucket list race.
A must run Race
Running the peachtree road race has become my yearly tradition. There is so much to love about this race. It takes place in the scenic downtown atlanta area so as … MORE
Running the peachtree road race has become my yearly tradition. There is so much to love about this race. It takes place in the scenic downtown atlanta area so as you run there is so much to look at. There are aid stations and porta potties everywhere. But the best thing is the crowd support. As you are running people on the sidelines are playing music and giving jello shots and drinks. The course is medium difficult, it has 2 big hills that you must know about but besides that it is fun to run with long hills that are great to run down. The biggest thing to know about Peachtree, however, is that it can be a lot to get there in the morning. I recommend riding marta or staying downtown as parking closes very early in the morning. The race has “waves” which you are put in based on your submitted time. If you want to avoid the heat, please become an Atlanta Track club member and make sure you submit a time because this race has been black flagged for the heat. Each year, I now look forward to the 4th of July because it truly is a party 🙂
A Great Way to Spend the Holiday
Overall such an amazing experience. The expo and fireworks the day before are really cool and adds so much to the experience. The start is electric and huge! The race … MORE
Overall such an amazing experience. The expo and fireworks the day before are really cool and adds so much to the experience. The start is electric and huge! The race itself isn’t too difficult, a few hills in the middle but a solid start and finish. The vibes are off the charts and the amount of people cheering you on is awesome. A race I’ll come back to for sure!
Way Too Crowded
This was my first time participating. I submitted my time and was seeded in Corral U, which i thought a little too far back. It was VERY hot this year … MORE
This was my first time participating. I submitted my time and was seeded in Corral U, which i thought a little too far back. It was VERY hot this year and for a start time of 8:30, it was WAY too late. After about a mile into the race, I immediately regretted my decision to to run. I mean, I didn’t set out to PR, but wanted to do my best. The course was too crowded, so much to the point that it was almost impossible to run. I was constantly weaving back and forth as well as having to come to a full stop to avoid what appeared to be a LOT of walkers. I know it was super hot, and some walking was to be expected, but these were people who intended to walk the majority of the race. Later I found out the ATC members have the option to get an earlier start time. Sounds like a money grab to me. This is NOT a good idea as it creates a gridlock for the runners in later corrals actually trying to run. At one point, two small children darted out in front of me and I almost fell as I was running at full speed. The stretch to the finish was the absolute worst, just impossible to run at all with the amount of people on the course. Overall, I thought that this race was very expensive and not worth it due to the diminished race experience. I will not be running this one again and am strongly reconsidering running any ATC races at this point.
Those Atlanta Hills Beware
This race is huge! The crowd support was amazing. The race is hilly especially heart attack hill! The afterparty was very crowded the building to get your beer was too … MORE
This race is huge! The crowd support was amazing. The race is hilly especially heart attack hill! The afterparty was very crowded the building to get your beer was too small. Watch where you park for this race or you will get car boot.
This race was just okay
Overall the race was okay and I can say I would not do it again. The Expo did not have a lot of vendors for a race of this size. … MORE
Overall the race was okay and I can say I would not do it again. The Expo did not have a lot of vendors for a race of this size. You had to pay extra for a medal. The shirts were nice except for the color. There was plenty of crowd support and water (just water) on the course. Once you cross the finish line you head down to get your shirt & more water. They did not have any fruit, electrolytes, Gatorade, snacks no nourishment. The hotel I stayed out had more nourishment for the racers than the actual race. The only thing they had were boxes of fig prebiotic which was very weird. Then we headed to the bar where we were told they were out of free beer but had plenty of beer/drinks available we could pay for. That little bar was so packed it had to be a fire violation. Yes we finished way before they stopped the race due to weather.
Here is a highlight video
https://youtu.be/azl_-lnpz58
Oh yeah, Where to park was not clearly stated by the race administration so I ended up with a boot on my car.
Super crowded, decent race
This was my 2nd time doing the Peachtree. It was sooo crowded it wasn't enjoyable. I can normally do a 10K in around 52 minutes, less if I'm really feeling … MORE
This was my 2nd time doing the Peachtree. It was sooo crowded it wasn’t enjoyable. I can normally do a 10K in around 52 minutes, less if I’m really feeling it. It was so hard to get pace and rhythm with the crowd that this took me 56 and that was with me near sprinting near the end. That said, the race is organized really well and there’s TONS of on-track crowd support. I’d recommend it for the experience, but not for the semi-competitive runner trying for time.
Virtual Race in 2020
This was postponed from July 4th to November 26th then turned into a virtual event. Ran in my hometown... Was what it was - next year hoping to be there … MORE
This was postponed from July 4th to November 26th then turned into a virtual event. Ran in my hometown… Was what it was – next year hoping to be there in Atlanta July 4th!!!
HOT HOT HOT, but FUN FUN FUN
I'd recommend all runners experience this really cool and historical event. While it's HUGE (60k runners in total!), the race org does a great job of orchestrating the mass of … MORE
I’d recommend all runners experience this really cool and historical event. While it’s HUGE (60k runners in total!), the race org does a great job of orchestrating the mass of people. There were plenty of water stops and ways to stay cool on a 90+ degree 4th of July. The race swag was lacking (no medal, no dri-fit shirt, no cool giveaways at the Expo), but the experience made up for it. The race was easy to access for me because my friends and I stayed in an Airbnb less than a mile from the start line, but I could see it being tough to navigate around for people traveling via Uber or public transit. The Expo was underwhelming for such a big event, but it had everything you need.
Don’t expect a PR…this will be a hot and humid race with a small hill around mile 3-4. It’ll be worth it, though, to run with so much crowd support in a cool and interesting city! Also recommended: Hit up Varsity for post-race food!
Flat course, well organized.
Course is relatively flat. Can get PR if starting in the appropriate start wave. Very well-organized considering the number of runners. Can be hot, but this year overcast conditions reduced … MORE
Course is relatively flat. Can get PR if starting in the appropriate start wave. Very well-organized considering the number of runners. Can be hot, but this year overcast conditions reduced the heat for the early waves. T-shirt is cotton blend, not a tech shirt.
I love the Peachtree, period!
This is one of those races that is just a must do for me. I began running it in 2011 and have done it every year since. I love the … MORE
This is one of those races that is just a must do for me. I began running it in 2011 and have done it every year since. I love the excitement around the race and to me it is that one must do Atlanta race.
World's Largest 10K Party
This is an event, not a race...it's a great Atlanta and American tradition. You're never going to run a Personal Best on July 4 in Atlanta, so soak in the … MORE
This is an event, not a race…it’s a great Atlanta and American tradition. You’re never going to run a Personal Best on July 4 in Atlanta, so soak in the heat, humidity, hills, and fun atmosphere!
2018 was my 27th straight Peachtree. Thankfully, not a lot has changed through the decades other than the starting process. Currently, there are 22 start waves that begin over the course of almost two hours. This allows the large field to arrive and start in small increments. The staging area at the start is not nearly as crowded as it used to be, and the course is rarely as crowded in person as it appears from overhead photos.
If you do want to run fast, submit a qualifying time at registration to ensure a placement in Wave A, or as close to the front as you can get. In 2018, the Wave A standard was 45:47 and a sub-60 minute 10K or equivalent was good enough to place you in Wave E, starting a full hour ahead of those who did not submit a time whatsoever (Waves R-Y). Any submitted time will be placed ahead of those who do not submit a time at all, so you risk getting stuck behind all the walkers who submitted times and thus were put in the middle waves.
The wheelchair racers and the elite women have separate early starts. The elite men go off with Wave A at 7:00am. The final wave doesn’t start until 9:20am. The temperature difference is usually substantial, so take care to hydrate throughout, and enjoy the fun run.
Course description: The first half of the course is downhill and fast, followed by the legendary “cardiac hill” in mile 4, which is rather steep but relatively short. A highly underrated and overlooked incline lasts most of mile 5, before a level/downhill final mile kick on 10th Street takes you home to the meadow in Piedmont Park. Ice cold towels are a hit at the finish. There are fresh peaches, but in general post race food options are rather slim. Coca-Cola/Powerade products are available on 10th Street. There’s not a huge post-race crowd despite the race’s size. They stopped having a live band at the finish stage a few years ago, and now most people leave quickly, which is a shame because the awards ceremony is always a who’s who of American 10K talent.
Bottom line: I’ve raced from Wave A and walked with friends / family from the back. There’s no wrong way to do it. You’ll experience Atlanta’s heat, hills, and humidity, and Atlanta Track Club’s world-class race production. And yes, you’ll get that coveted Peachtree T-shirt.
A Hot One!
I missed the lottery cutoff, so I signed up through the charity, which allowed me to be placed in E Coral. Everything about this race, the expo, and the course … MORE
I missed the lottery cutoff, so I signed up through the charity, which allowed me to be placed in E Coral. Everything about this race, the expo, and the course (including the many hills) was nice. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I would definitely recommend this race!
Festive Big Crowds
This is a great event if you like a really big race with big enthusiastic crowds. The transportation can be hectic so plan ahead and plan for a somewhat cumbersome … MORE
This is a great event if you like a really big race with big enthusiastic crowds. The transportation can be hectic so plan ahead and plan for a somewhat cumbersome finish line. There’s also MANY starting groups, A-Z, I think, so getting started can take a really long time. It’s an Atlanta tradition and fun to be part of the culture of this race.
Racing with 60k of your closest friends
Very well organized, fun race. One of the best organized races I have seen. If you read reviews online you will find people saying this a difficult course. I believe … MORE
Very well organized, fun race. One of the best organized races I have seen. If you read reviews online you will find people saying this a difficult course. I believe it is not a flat, fast course but it rolling hills with plenty of slow gradual hills and downhill that balance each other out. You have fantastic crowd support the entire way!