by John Asgeirson

Created on: June 23, 2008   Last Updated: December 08, 2008

One of the biggest July 4th events in the south will be the Peachtree Road Race in Downtown Atlanta. It's come a long way from its first running with 100 participants.

This year the Atlanta Journal Constitution anticipates that there will be over 55,000 runners in this year's run.

I've run in the race three times. People complained about the heat but coming from Miami, Florida I thought the hills were a bigger challenge.

At lunch last week I asked my running buddies what they remembered most about the run and to a person it was the scale of everything in the race,

Lot's of people watched the race and there were spectators everywhere. Plenty of water, a fire hydrant rigged to spray everyone as the got a little past half way in the race and the world's biggest urinal.

I actually finished the race in the required 55 minutes and was able to get my tee shirt with a clear conscience and was able to wear it proudly that afternoon and evening at a cook out and while watching the fireworks from the Lenox Hills Shopping Center.

The start of the race took a while. I was near the back of the pack and it took almost 4 minutes to cross the starting line and it took a little while longer for things to spread out enough so a person could go faster than a survival shuffle.

In the back of the pack there were lots of people who had not trained a lot. Costumes beyond running shorts and tee-shirts were common and there was a great deal of talking throughout the length of the race. I thought I was towards the back but a quick glance over my shoulder showed that the road was full of people who were even farther back and would be running me over if I didn't pay attention.

The sheer number of runners kind of carried you along. My first race was with four other co-workers and the whole experience was fun. At certain places along the course you could see many of the other participants as the pack slowed going up a hill or speeding up just a little bit while going downhill.

This year the race will take another turn and not end in Piedmont Park as has in previous years. I hope the runners will be able to find friends and family after the heat of running 6.2 miles without too many problems. Hooking up with the people who brought you or finding your friends after the race was almost as difficult as running the race.

In my many races, I've run faster, gone to bigger parties before and after the race but have never experienced the way a whole community gets together, and works harder and does a better job of putting on a race for so many people.

If you are already getting up early to go for a run, make some time on the 4th of July in Atlanta your efforts will be rewarded, and you will have participated in an event you will long remember.

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