It’s sure to be a chill event, in contrast to the annual summer tradition that shares part of its name.
The Polar Opposite Peachtree Road Race will make its debut Jan. 4. The Atlanta Track Club announced the news on social media Friday morning.
The weather won’t be the only thing that’s different about this one. The race will be in reverse. Instead of starting at Lenox Square, the race will start at Piedmont Park and end at Lenox. Runners will also race down Cardiac Hill instead of climbing it.
Participants in the inaugural event will receive entry into the long-running annual race in July. Natalie Cabanas, marketing and communications director for Atlanta Track Club, said the company started planning for the new event about a month after this year’s July race.
“We saw a true increase in registration,” she told the AJC. “We saw a true increase in the demand. We saw over 50,000 participants on race day this year, and we were just thinking about how everyone loves the Peachtree. At Atlanta Track Club, we’re always looking to provide a calendar of events that keeps our community interested, keeps them challenged.”
The Polar Opposite Peachtree Road Race will replace the club’s annual Resolution Run, a 5K held Jan. 1. Cabanas said the previous event garnered about 3,000 people. She expects as many as 6,000 people for the upcoming race.
“It’s nice when you can go out on a run, and you don’t have to break out in a sweat. People love the Peachtree tradition and always will, always have — knowing that this year was the 55th — but there’s something to be said about being able to run and it not being as hot.”
Registration information will be posted later this month or early November. The event will be capped at 6,000 people, so registration will be open for a limited time. Atlanta Track Club members will get a discounted price. Those interested in becoming a member can sign up when registering for the race.
Presented by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Peachtree Road Race is the world’s largest 10k road race. Last year, the race ended early due to extreme heat.
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