ATLANTA — Runners who need a little more motivation than a water bottle and a start number will be hitting the streets of Atlanta on Sunday to run for something everyone can get behind: Chocolate!
Dubbed by some as "America's Sweetest Race" the Hot Chocolate Run began on the streets of Chicago in 2008 and has expanded to more cities like Atlanta.
All finishers will receive an official Hot Chocolate Atlanta medal to commemorate their achievements. And, spoiler alert, 15k finishers get a chocolate look-alike you can enjoy after the race, too! (Make sure you bite the right one.)
The 5k medal will also get a medal featuring the signature silver mug and a ribbon.
Participants also get a goodie bag that includes some pretty cool swag.
Route info
This year's 15k will take runners on a pretty large tour around Atlanta, starting on Marietta Street and going as far south as Georgia Avenue Southeast, through Grant Park and up to Street before taking various jukes through midtown past Georgia Tech and down Luckie Street as the home stretch to Centennial Olympic Park.
Meanwhile, 5K runners will have the same start and finish locations but will split off to the west from Peachtree Street and eventually take a long run north on Northside Drive to Ivan Allen Jr Boulevard and, finally, Centennial Olympic Park.
Runners can expect plenty of chocolate and goodies to great them at the end of their run. Meanwhile, drivers in the area in the early morning hours can expect to see these runners in various parts of Atlanta in the early-to-mid morning hours. In either case, here's a full map of the trek to plan accordingly.
And if you're trying to avoid the traffic from the race, this road closure map could help, too!
When
The Allstate Hot Chocolate 15k and 5k are set to begin at 7:30 a.m. with all 15k runners and 5k runners in corrals A through G. The Second wave is at 8:15 a.m. with only 5k runners in corrals H through N.
Parking
Parking for the event will be available through the Georgia World Congress Center website. Fortunately, organizers have also provided a list of parking areas - though they warn leaving may be difficult due to road closures.
They also suggest runners use public transportation - and those who will be moving around the city during that time might want to do the same.
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