For the fifth time, Daniel Romanchuk won the men’s elite wheelchair division of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race on Monday morning, with a final time of 18:39. Susannah Scaroni won the women’s elite wheelchair division for the second time in her career with a time of 21:18, setting a course-record time with her victory.
“It still probably hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” Romanchuk said. “But it’s just amazing to be here. Just happy to be here. It wouldn’t feel like the Fourth of July without being here in Atlanta.”
During the race, Romanchuk faced computer difficulties, but he paid that no mind, with his main goal just to finish the race in front of him.
Romanchuk, 23, solidified his place in AJC Peachtree Road Race history with this win. He now is tied with Krige Schabort for the most Peachtree men’s wheelchair race titles. Since competing at the elite level, he has won titles in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Scaroni overcame a lot in the last year to get to this annual race. In September, she competed and won a gold medal in the Paralympics 5,000-meter. Two weeks later, she was hit by a car, putting her in a back brace for four months. After recovering, she got back to training and competing with a newfound gratitude for road competition.
“My perspective has changed a lot this year just in how thankful I am to be alive each day and what I have in front of me and then to get to race as well,” Scaroni said. “It’s kind of something I didn’t think would be possible and I am so grateful.”
Because of her record-breaking performance, Scaroni will leave the Peachtree Road Race with a $53,000 prize.
Romanchuk and Scaroni’s finishes displayed their yearly dominance at the Peachtree Road Race.
“I was picturing myself back in 2019,” Scaroni said. “And I was trying to race my former self because I was in that pack that broke the record. So I, I know how hard we went, and so I went as hard as I could today.”
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