Buck Lanford looks forward to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race as much as any other competitor.
What sets him apart from the rest is that running is the last thing on his mind when he arrives at the starting line. Lanford has covered the race for WAGA every year since 1999, continuing to work the event after moving from sports anchor to co-host of "Good Day Atlanta" last summer. So when the self-described "fifth-generation" Atlantan finishes his coverage duties, he takes off.
Finally.
"Most years, I am the absolute last person to start the race," he said. "In fact, many times they have already rolled up the temporary fencing, and I have to race against the street sweepers for the first several hundred yards."
After the race went to electronic chips to track times several years ago, Lanford has seen a few embarrassing numbers appear next to his name. Because the chip begins timing as soon as a runner crosses the starting line — and since Lanford's duties include covering the elite runners beginning at approximately 7:30 a.m. — it has done Lanford no favors. To prove his point, he brought out a certificate a "smart aleck intern" printed from the 2009 race.
"I just beat three hours," he said, before noting the exact time: "2 hours, 59 minutes and 24 seconds" and making sure to point out he still didn't finish last, taking 49,872nd place out of 49,994 runners.
His best race came in a previous lifetime, when he came home in just under 44 minutes.
"I was younger and in a little better shape then, so now I just try to break an hour, and I fail to do that from time to time," Lanford said.
Setting a career-best time isn't what keeps Lanford coming back, though. Yes, he does it in part because it's a job requirement. But he also relishes seeing the same people at the starting line every year. He enjoys meeting new ones, too. And despite having covered other prestigious sporting events — the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Masters, etc. — the Peachtree ranks near the top of his list of favorites because of its universal appeal.
"You don't have to be a great athlete — there are great athletes out there — but you don't have to be a great athlete," Lanford said. "There are people who don't run at all. They walk every step of the race, but they wouldn't miss it every year because they want that T-shirt and they want to be a part of a huge Atlanta Independence Day celebration."
Lanford loves the camaraderie that develops between runners after the race, all adorned with the event's T-shirts. And it is the patriotism woven into this annual summer pastime that prompted Lanford to call it "the perfect way to start the Fourth of July."
"I can't think of a better way," he said, "and I'll start mine that way as long as I can."
