ATLANTA — Preparations are underway for the AJC Peachtree Road Race. The world's largest 10k race kicks off Monday morning, and organizers want to make sure runners, spectators, and volunteers are safe in the heat and humidity.
Organizers will have a colored flag system to alert runners about how dangerous the conditions may be. Participants will see flags at the start, every mile marker, and the finish line. They'll also let people know about any changes on social media.
“We'll have the fastest athletes in the world here, not everybody is the fastest athlete," Atlanta Track Club CEO Rich Kenah said. "We're asking everyone to take it slow and enjoy their 4th of July in a nice, modest pace from Lenox down to Piedmont Park.”
Kenah wants to make sure the estimated 50,000 runners stay hydrated during the race.
“We've got water stations at five different places on the course. We have water sprays at eight different locations on the course," Kenah said.
“Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and stay hydrated. I think that would be the biggest take-home message if I had to get one," Dr. Lekshmi Kumar said.
Dr. Kumar is a medical director for the race and said the event alert system includes four different colors.
“They start off with a green flag, move on to a yellow, to a red, depending on conditions, and if it gets to a yellow, essentially what they're saying is be aware of worsening conditions," Dr. Kumar said. "Use caution. Slow down.”
A black flag means the race is canceled.
Monday's 10K is expected to start off with a yellow flag, although organizers will monitor conditions to see if that needs to be changed.
“The wet-bulb takes into account, not just the temperature, but also the humidity, the wind speed, the sun angle, cloud cover are all factored in," Dr. Kumar said.
Runners will take off in different groups from 7 to 8:30 a.m.
Organizers scrapped the race in 2020 and moved it to a two-day format to allow for social distancing with a virtual option in 2021.
Dr. Kumar also encourages people to pack sunscreen, go at their own pace, and take a break if they're not feeling well.