Archive for July, 2012

By Ken Sugiura, ksugiura@ajc.com

One of the most integral elements of the AJC Peachtree Road Race spent Wednesday morning in a meeting in Indianapolis.

The Very Rev. Sam Candler, whose holy water blessings have cooled and delighted Peachtree runners since 1999, was not at his traditional post in front of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip in Buckhead because he was at his denomination’s national general convention.

It took four priests – Wallace Marsh, George Maxwell, Thee Smith and Carolynne Williams – to replace him.

When they realized the conflict, “we knew we were going to sub for him,” Marsh said. “We knew how much he wanted to be out here because everyone loves it.”

Candler began blessing runners in 1999, when the race happened to fall on a Sunday. Rather than object to the disruption, Candler chose to bring service out to the church’s lawn and began his tradition of tossing holy water and offering blessings upon runners, many of whom veer to the …

Continue reading St. Philip dean misses first Peachtree since 1999 »

The AJC’s Doug Roberson recaps the 43rd AJC Peachtree Road Race.

Continue reading Video: AJC Peachtree Road Race Recap »

We’ll have more on the designer and votes later but for now, here’s this year’s AJC Peachtree T-shirt. What do you think?

Continue reading 2012 AJC Peachtree T-shirt »

The combination of milder temperatures and cautious runners contributed to no serious medical incidents during today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road race, according to Dr. Joe Wilson, the event’s medical director.

He said there were fewer heat-related illnesses this year than in past year’s and no serious cardiac-related issues. Two runners were transported to local hospitals, one for a cardiac irregularity and one for a chest pain, neither of which Wilson said were felt to be serious.

Runners said the humidity, not the heat, was the biggest challenge. But most agree that conditions weren’t as bad as they could have been.

Start-time temperature at 7:30 a.m.  for the men’s race at Lenox Mall was 71 degrees with 85-percent humidity, similar to last year’s 73-degree start. The temperature climbed to 75 degrees with 80-percent humidity at the finish line at Piedmont Park at 9 a.m.

“It wasn’t bad, the  temperature was good,” said Johnny Buice, 58, a member …

Continue reading No serious health issues at AJC Peachtree Road Race »

The Fourth of July weather was hot, but not as hot as the Kenyans at the 43rd Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race on Wednesday.

Peter Kirui led a Kenyan sweep of the top three in the  men’s race with a winning time of 27 minutes, 37 seconds, the fifth-fastest time in race history. Micah Kogo finished second (27:39) and Mathew Kisorio finished third (27:39). It was Kirui’s first Peachtree victory.

Ethiopia’s Mamitu Daska won the women’s division, completing the 6.2-mile course in 32:22. It was also her first victory in the race. Kenya’s Lineth Chepkurui finished second (32:23) and yet another Kenyan, Risper Gesabwa, who trains in Marietta, finished third (32:23).

“The race was good,” Kirui, 24, said. “I’m happy to be the winner.”

Eight Kenyans finished in the top 10 of the men’s race, and three of the top 10 spots in the women’s race.

The Kenyan’s dominance, like the warm weather, wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise was that neither the temperature …

Continue reading Kirui, Daska win men’s and women’s AJC Peachtree Road Race »

Bill Thorn plans to keep the beat going.

Thorn, the track and cross country coach at Landmark Christian School in Fairburn, said Tuesday morning that he’ll extend his AJC Peachtree Road Race streak to 43, keeping alive his status as the only person to run every Peachtree.

Thorn, 81, acknowledged that his streak may not stretch too far longer.

“It’s kind of getting down to the end, isn’t it?” Thorn said. “I don’t know how long, but just take it one year at a time. I know it’ll end one day.”

Thorn continues to maintain his daily exercise regimen, including running, stationary bike, walking and trampoline. He’ll run the Peachtree with his granddaughter Kenzie Thrasher.

Continue reading Bill Thorn keeps going with his 43rd AJC Peachtree »

I had this old poster from a previous AJC Peachtree Road Race. It read: “So hot even the pavement runs.” It’s going to be one of those days tomorrow.

It’s going to be hot. We knew that going in, and even as the temperature in the city cools from the record highs of last week, the heat will play a huge role in this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race.

Here’s the first thing to know: The Atlanta Track Club said in an e-mail to runners this morning that the race will begin in Alert Code Yellow (more on the color codes here). That means a moderate alert, “less than ideal conditions for the start time on Wednesday morning.”

“We encourage our participants to take it easy and be prepared for conditions to possibly get worse. We ask our runners to pay attention to the Event Alert System along the course as conditions change.

“Please utilize the water stops that will be available along the course on both sides of the street as well as the cooling stations. Hydrate prior to the …

Continue reading No surprise: It’s going to be hot »

It sounds delicious, but shoving a giant plate of pasta into your mouth the night before a race isn't such a great idea. / Photo by Getty Images

Where did the time go? It’s hard to believe that a few months ago, we were talking about registering for the AJC Peachtree Road Race lottery, and now the race is only two days away.

Which begs raises the question — what are you doing over the next couple of days to make sure you’re in prime racing condition? I’m not talking about training — if you haven’t been training, well, good luck to you. Maybe it’ll be a 4th of July miracle and you’ll actually cross the finish line intact.

No, I’m talking about the things you do in two or three days leading up to the race to ensure success in crossing the finish line.

There are various schools of thought on what to do before a race, but most people agree on things not to do, many of them regarding what you eat and drink. For instance, contrary to popular belief, it’s actually not a good idea to …

Continue reading It’s almost here — are you ready? »