Atlanta Marathon
The Atlanta Marathon (branded Publix Atlanta Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon held in Atlanta, Georgia. On the same day, a half marathon is also held, and some years also feature a 5K run.
| Atlanta Marathon | |
|---|---|
 The Atlanta Marathon logo | |
| Date | Third Sunday in March |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Primary sponsor | Publix |
| Established | March 25, 2007 |
| Course records | Men: 2:18:50 (2008) Oleg Marusin[1] Women: 2:41:12 (2008) Alena Vinnitskaya[1] |
| Official site | www |
History
The first race was held on March 25, 2007 under the original sponsor-branded name ING Georgia Marathon.[2][3] The race was acquired by US Road Sports in 2008.[4] In September 2010, it was announced that Publix would be the new title sponsor for the race.[5] In January 2014, Life Time Fitness acquired the race and operated the race in 2014 and 2015.[6][7]
On December 15, 2015, the race was acquired by Atlanta Track Club, who had previously operated the Atlanta Marathon until its final running in 2013.[3] They have operated the race since 2016. For 2019, the race has been renamed the Publix Atlanta Marathon and the course has been changed.[8]
On February 29, 2020, a day before the Atlanta Marathon, the Atlanta Track Club hosted the U.S. Olympic marathon trials for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The course was different from the Atlanta Marathon—it looped three times so more spectators would line the course. [9] The men's marathon trials saw Galen Rupp win in a time of 2:09:20, followed by Jacob Riley and 43-year-old Abdi Abdirahman.
The woman's race featured the largest number of competitors ever in the US Olympic Trials Marathon: 450 women qualified for the race. After two hours of racing, the pack was led by Aliphine Tuliamuk, who pulled away to win with a time of 2:27:23. Just over her shoulder was first-time marathoner Molly Seidel. No other woman has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team with the trials as her first marathon. Sally Kipyego finished third, edging out Des Linden and Laura Thweatt to make the team.[10]
Course
From 2007 to 2018, when the race was known as the Georgia Marathon, the marathon course would start and end in Atlanta but also go into the city of Decatur. When it was renamed the Atlanta Marathon for 2019, the course was redrawn to stay within Atlanta.
The 2019 course starts at ends at Centennial Olympic Park and, over 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km) of city roads, includes many landmarks, such as Georgia State University, Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, Edgewood Avenue, Inman Park, Little Five Points, Virginia–Highland, Piedmont Park, Georgia Institute of Technology, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Morris Brown College, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, 1996 Olympic rings, Georgia State Stadium, Grant Park and Zoo Atlanta, Cheney Stadium, Georgia State Capitol, and Oakland Cemetery.
Invesco QQQ Half Marathon and PNC 10 Miler (Previous Atlanta Marathon events)
Before Atlanta Track Club acquired the race and renamed it to Atlanta Marathon, it had operated its own race under the Atlanta Marathon name between 1963 and 2009, and continues as the Invesco QQQ Half Marathon and 5k, with only a Half Marathon and 5k race.
The first running of what is now the Invesco QQQ Half Marathon was in 1963 at the North Fulton Golf Course, making it the oldest in the Southeast. The following year, the Atlanta Track Club was formed, and has run the event every year since. In 1966, Tim Singleton became director, and later founded the Peachtree Road Race. Fred Lebow ran in the marathon in the late 1960s, and later founded the New York City Marathon in 1970.
Since 1981, this event has been held on Thanksgiving and was believed to be the longest of several turkey trots held on Thanksgiving across the country. In 2010, the full marathon only was removed with a new race date in October and with a new loop course, while the half marathon and accompanying 5km races continue to be held on the date.[11] The Invesco QQQ Half Marathon and 5k continues as the largest half marathon on the holiday in the country.[12]
The 2013 Atlanta Marathon introduced a new 10-mile (16.09 km) race as part of its meet. On May 1, 2014, it was announced that the Atlanta Marathon course would be suspended indefinitely; the new race founded in 2011 continues as the Atlanta 10 Miler and 5K, starting and ending at Atlantic Station since 2014.[13]
The event was not held in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Peachtree Road Race moved to the Invesco QQQ Half Marathon date.
Course
From 1964 until 1980, the race had its beginning, middle, and end at The Westminster Schools campus, twice running a loop up Nancy Creek Road.
Originally run on the weekend before Christmas, it was changed in the mid-1970s to be after the holiday. This was done in conjunction with the Peach Bowl, a bowl game held every year around New Year's Day, and it was renamed the Peach Bowl Marathon.
In 1981, the race was moved to downtown Atlanta, and the date changed to Thanksgiving in late November. This move doubled participation in the race, renamed back as the Atlanta Marathon. In 1981 and 1982, it ended in Decatur.
From 1983 to 1991, the marathon began in the suburban metro Atlanta town of Lithonia and going east through Stone Mountain, with the half-marathon beginning at the halfway point in Clarkston, and both ending in Atlanta's Piedmont Park after traversing Decatur, and the Atlanta neighborhoods of Inman Park and Virginia–Highland. This route was along the CSX railroad tracks, thus it was much less hilly than previous routes. On one occasion, the race was held for a train; on another, the train was held for the race.
From 1992 to 1996, it began and ended near Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, running north on Piedmont Road (Georgia 237) to Peachtree Street, where it headed north and then back south. The start of the half-marathon was near the Chamblee MARTA station.
From 1997 to 2009, about 90% was run along the same course used for the 1996 Summer Olympics, ending near Georgia State Stadium (built as Centennial Olympic Stadium in the A-FC stadium parking lot). The final loop course went through many major sites within Atlanta, including the Olympic rings. Since then, the half marathon course for which is the continuation of the original Atlanta Marathon starts on Capitol Avenue, with a turn to Decatur Street, Marietta Street, through Centennial Olympic Park, Atlantic Station, Piedmont Park, where the runners run the final kilometer of the Peachtree in the other direction, before jumping to Courtland, Street, Irwin Street, then returning to Decatur Street before a dash to Capitol Avenue and finishing inside Georgia State Stadium.
References
- Rosen, Karen (2008-03-31). "Marathon weather works for runners". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Williams, Geoff (2007-10-23). "Running a Marathon Business". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
- Cosentino, Mike (2016-04-14). "Publix Georgia Marathon History". Big Peach Running Co. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
- "US Road Sports & Entertainment Group Buys ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon". Running Journal. 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
- Connolly, Eoin (2010-09-29). "Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon secures Publix deal". SportsPro. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
- Miller Degnan, Susan (2014-01-21). "Miami Marathon purchased by Life Time Fitness". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
- Rossino, Greg (2014-03-23). "Thousands take part in 2014 Publix Georgia Marathon". WXIA-TV. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
- Moore, Maghen (March 18, 2018). "Nearly 10,000 participate in 12th annual Publix Georgia Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
- USA Track & Field (April 23, 2018). "Atlanta To Host 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon". Team USA. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
- "2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trails results". New York, New York: NBC Sports. NBC. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- Larkin, Duncan (November 24, 2010). "No More Thanksgiving Marathon For Atlanta". Competitor. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- "11,000 to participate in Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, nation's largest". Northside Neighbor. November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
- "Atlanta 10 Miler Poised for Growth". Atlanta Track Club. May 1, 2014. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2018.