The Southeast Brain Tumor Foundation’s Race for Research is a cause that hits close to home for our 11Alive family.   So, when Meteorologist Chis Holcomb and Anchor Ted Hall sent out an e-mail asking the 11Alive crew to participate in Saturday’s 5K, it was an obvious choice for my next race.

Atlantic Station has quickly become a go-to place for new in-town races (or older races looking for a new location).  Just remember to bring money for parking.  I forgot my wallet, so I ran straight from the finish line to my car.  I drove it out of the parking deck, and then made a U-turn right back in.  That way, I got the 2-hour free parking twice.  

COURSE:  5K (3.1 miles) around Atlantic Station.  Because the start line is on low ground, the first mile is mostly uphill.  From there, it is a series of short hills.  Very little of this course is flat, so it’s a little harder than I anticipated.   I ended up chasing Fred Kalil for the first two miles.   His red shirt was easy to spot and continued to mock me until I finally passed him in the final mile.  There was also a 2K for walkers and strollers.  Most 5K’s do draw a lot of walkers, but it takes a while to finish 3.1 miles at a stroll, so I thought the 2K was a great idea.  There is a tough spot where the 5K runners jog across the 2K walker route, and it gets a little dicey.  The walkers were good sports, though, and tried to stay out of the way and cheered the runners as they cut through.

FOOD:  When in doubt, stick with the basics.  The bagels were fresh; the bananas were not brown; and the PowerAde and water were cold.  There was plenty to go around, so two thumbs up.

T-SHIRT: bright blue cotton T-shirt with a SBTF logo and lots of sponsors on the back.  As a runner, I always prefer technical running T’s, but I know these are too pricey for most small races.  I generally donate all my running T-shirts to the local homeless shelter or turn them into cleaning rags.  This one is nice enough, I might wear it. . . just not running.

CROWD: while waiting in line at the porta potties, the man next to me said he ran in the SBTF race 5 years ago with just a few hundred people.  I would estimate Saturday’s crowd at well over 1,000.  We had a great showing of 11Alive folks, so that was a lot of fun (I’m taking the picture, so I’m not in it).

UP NEXT: Still looking for some August road races.  Any ideas? E-mail me at jwolfe@wxia.gannett.com.

As I was sitting in my 5’s group, waiting for my chance to run, I glanced up and saw that huge American flag at the start line.  The sun was shining and I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my fellow runners, my fellow Americans.  I got a little teary eyed.  This is why I love the Peachtree. 

It’s not about the finish time, it’s about the experience.  If you keep that in mind, you will learn to love this 10K like I do.  Kudos to the Atlanta Track Club for pulling off another amazing race.

COURSE:  6.2 Miles from Lenox Mall to Piedmont Park.  Even though the hill at mile 3 has gained a reputation as “heartbreak hill” and “cardiac hill”, it only goes up 150 feet in elevation.  I don’t think this tough reputation is earned.  The combined mostly-uphill run through mile 5 is what gets you.  But then it’s downhill to the finish line!  AND everyone was thrilled to be back at Piedmont Park this year after the drought re-arranged the 2008 race.

FOOD:  The food was better than I remembered from previous runs (maybe with Publix as a sponsor? Not sure if that was new this year).  I especially appreciated the ice cream sandwiches and the volunteer that yelled with a smile, “Have a cup of nice warm water!” since the gallons of drinking water had been sitting in the sun all morning.

T-SHIRT: Good design.  Glad to see it was white and not some crazy lime green or peach.

CROWD:  Awesome crowd.  Seven different bands along the route were a blast.  I always love giving high-five’s to the kids lining the sidewalk.  I think the crowd is THE defining factor that makes this race so much fun!

UP NEXT:  The Southeast Brain Tumor Foundation’s Race For Research Saturday July 25^th 7:30 AM Atlantic Station.  Follow me on Twitter @JulieWolfe. 

This is part of a new web report I’m starting.  I’ll run local 5K’s and 10K’s (with an occasional half marathon).  You can follow me on race day on Twitter @JulieWolfe.  I’ll post my race review on 11aliveblogs.com.  Know of a local race you want me to run?  E-mail me at jwolfe@11alive.com.