Hello, Peachtree racers.
For a lot of us, the New Year feels like hitting the reset button. A chance to clear our heads, set some intentions and start fresh. The AJC’s Avery Newmark writes that behavioral scientists often describe this moment as a mental landmark that makes people more open to change.
That said, if you’re still working on those New Year’s resolutions and your Christmas tree is still standing proud — same here, no judgment. Use these resources to help set the tone for 2026:
A PEACHTREE VET TRIES ITS POLAR TWIN
Tim Hynes has been running The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race since 1997. On Jan. 3, the 76-year-old decided to give the Polar Opposite Peachtree Road Race a chance for the second time in a row.
As an expert running the July Fourth Peachtree, Hynes said the hills on Peachtree Road are worse going north toward Lenox Square Mall than south to Piedmont Park. The course, which is still 10K, follows the same path as the summertime Peachtree race but in reverse with the finish line at Lenox Square.
Hynes said he plans to continue running both races until his body tells him no more: “Any race I can finish at this age is a great time.” He was among 9,000 people who competed and helped sell out spots in the second annual Polar Opposite race.
Atlanta Track Club CEO Rich Kenah said they are already registering people for next year’s race and plan to “carefully grow” in 2027.
“It’s an endorsement of the interest in this community to socialize and get healthy at the same time, so our core values are community, camaraderie, competition and you saw that right here in this parking lot,” Kenah said.
❄️ PHOTOS: See who braved the cold at this year’s event
ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: AJC VIDEO PRODUCER ELLEN ROLFES
We’re not just fans of the Peachtree at the AJC, we’re runners, too. This week, I caught up with the AJC’s Ellen Rolfes, who reminded anyone panicking about race training (including me): “Time is on your side.”
With just under six months until the 57th AJC Peachtree Road Race, Rolfes cautioned against trying to do too much too soon. “Don’t think you have to run all the time. I had to run in high school every week in physical education and I hated it.”
In 2012, Rolfes downloaded a free Couch to 5K program that featured 30 minute workouts where the host told her when to run and walk. “At first I walked as much as I ran, but slowly over the course of eight weeks, my intervals where I ran got longer until I could run 20 minutes without stopping.
“This isn’t just a technique for beginners. There are people who run marathons using this technique.”
Over the past three years — while training for her first half and full marathons — Rolfes said she’s grown to love running. “Finishing those races unlocked something inside me; I did something that I never thought I was capable of doing. It taught me that I underestimate my own potential.”
More takeaways from my conversation with Rolfes:
🗺️ Mapping memories: “I’ve always been into maps. On road trips, I often sat in the passenger seat and would navigate for my mom, using MapQuest printed directions and an old school map. I love learning how to get places by memory. Running has helped me map out Atlanta.”
🛣️ Covering ground: “As an adult I’ve lived more years without owning a car than with (I’m 37 years old). Living in Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago — that has been an easier feat than here in Atlanta, but I’m making it work. Running is a way to get to places, not just exercise."
🏙️ Making moves: “I moved to Atlanta on Sept. 6 and I started working at the AJC on Sept. 8.” To get to work, Rolfes said she alternates between taking MARTA and biking, but this week — she ran to work for the first time: “From Edgewood to Midtown. A little over 4 miles.” 🫣
TRAINING TIPS FROM PEACHTREE RACERS
Despite the recent warm temps, the thought of running more than four miles outside in January still makes me shiver and reach for my weighted blanket.
To pull myself out of a holiday slump, I asked in last month’s newsletter for your go-to cold-weather workouts — the ones that keep you focused without burning out. And the Peachtree community delivered.
Here are some of the responses I was excited to receive, with tips I hope help you as much as they’ve helped me.
From Darren: “When it gets really cold outside and I dread the thought of lacing up and heading out for a run, I hop on the treadmill and warm up for about 10 minutes. Once warmed up, I layer and head out the door ready to tackle whatever Mother Nature throws at me.”
From Jerry: “Make sure to have group runs. There is more accountability.”
From Jessie (who’s running in her 26th Peachtree this year!): “I’ve done a 30-day plank challenge in the past and am currently doing one with a group of friends. I needed consistency and accountability. So what better way to do this than to grab some friends to do it with?”
From Jinnie: “I’m an enthusiastic follower of Atlanta’s own Jeff Galloway and his ‘Run-Walk-Run’ method, which has turned me into an avid runner in my 50s (after a lifetime of thinking I could never do it).”
To beat the cold, Jinnie said she signed up for an Orange Theory Fitness class, on a month-to-month basis: “It offers a one-hour high-intensity, interval workout that spends 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes on the weight floor. Since my primary sport is running, I simply stay on the treadmill and get an amazing 60-minute workout.”
From Mary: “Having a running buddy makes me get up in the morning and out in the cold to run.”
🤝 Resounding themes in these responses: To shake off the January blues, find your people, keep yourself accountable and mix things up with creative workouts.
KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING
👟 Here are some Atlanta Track Club events to add to your calendar:
- Jan. 24: Jerome Scales Southside 5M
- Feb. 7: Westside Beltline 10K-3K presented by Resurgens Orthopaedics
- Feb. 28-March 1: Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend
👟 Other local meetups to check out:
- Beltline Run/Walk Club: Super easy. Find a weekly meetup that works for you, and show up.
- Community group runs around the city: These events are hosted by organizations outside the Atlanta Track Club, and there’s bound to be an event near you.
A PEACHTREE PREDECESSOR
🍑 From page 7 in The Atlanta Journal’s July 19, 1895, edition:
Road race on Peachtree. A five mile bicycle road race will be run this afternoon out the Peachtree Road. It will be the regular monthly Peachtree road race and promises to be more interesting than its predecessors. Twelve men are already entered and others will probably line up before the starter gives the word “go!”
One of the earliest mentions of a Peachtree road race in our archives. I bet those 12 men would be in awe of the thousands of you who ran last summer’s Peachtree and braved this year’s Polar Opposite Peachtree. 🏃🏃♀️
THE ROAD AHEAD
For the next 170-plus days, I’ll be here to help you stay motivated and connected with fellow racers.
The newsletter will be back on Saturday, Feb. 7, with more advice for your fitness and wellness routine.
COOLDOWN
I haven’t forgotten about our Peachtree community Spotify playlist. 🎵 Rolfes, our featured athlete this month, said Beyoncé’s “Love on Top” is one of her go-to running songs: “Every time she changes key I feel like I start moving faster.”
Other recommendations I’ve received so far include (heads up, some tracks are marked explicit):
- Bill Withers: “Lovely Day”
- Earth, Wind & Fire: “September”
- Matthew Wilder: “Break My Stride”
- Larry June: “Coast to Coast”
- Remi Wolf: “Cinderella”
- La Roux: “Bulletproof”
- Lizzo: “About Damn Time”
- King George: “It’s Friday Night”
- A$AP Rocky & Skepta: “Praise The Lord”
- Offset & Metro Boomin: “Ric Flair Drip”
Keep sending me songs and as the new year starts, take a moment to celebrate the small wins. 💪✨
About the Author
Nicole Bennett is a producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s suite of newsletters, helping curate and edit content across topics from local and national news to food, sports, travel and wellness.
