ATLANTA — Among the many faces crossing the finish line on Sunday at the AJC Peachtree Road Race was a familiar one that was nonetheless new to the world's largest 10K.
Sen. Raphael Warnock, one of the most visible presences in Georgia since his successful election run for the U.S. Senate, had never before been a Peachtree participant.
The Ebenezer Baptist Church pastor said he's normally a cyclist, but wanted to get involved this year in Atlanta's signature July 4th tradition.
"This was my all-time record today," he joked.
The senator also had a laugh about the rigors of the race: "I'm gonna go home and fall down," he told 11Alive anchors Aisha Howard and Jeff Hullinger in a post-race interview.
"This really is a great Atlanta tradition and it's just great to see everybody out here, especially after the year we just had with COVID, to see everybody outside having a good time, the spirit that's out here, is wonderful," Warnock said. "I'm just glad to be a part of it."
Warnock expressed his wonderment at the scenes of thousands of runners celebrating July 4th together, coming together as a community, in the wake of the pandemic. And he urged those who haven't been vaccinated to still do so.
"Today is the Fourth of July. We celebrate freedom, and in another real sense this vaccination frees us up - gives us freedom for yourself, for the people you love, for your country, so get your vaccination," he said. "This is a great country and today represents not only the birth of the country but the birth of an idea - e pluribus unum - 'Out of many, one.' A diverse democratic republic where a kid who grew up in public housing can now be a United States senator. We still have work to do and we're gonna keep doing that work, but what a great country."
