The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race is not the only run Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid completes on July 4 each year.
After completing the 10K in Atlanta, she bolts back to Marietta and jogs into the city’s annual Fourth of July parade to join the county commissioners, just in time to wave to the crowds.
“Last year I didn’t even have time to change,” Cupid said. “I was wearing the clothes I wore in the race during the Marietta parade.”
Credit: Cobb County
Credit: Cobb County
The rush back to her home county does not deter her from signing up for the race each year, but sometimes her dread makes her procrastinate — at least until her sister reminds her enough times to finally register.
“I hate when my sister calls me and she asks me, did I sign up for the Peachtree, and every year she has to ask about five or six times because it takes that many times for me to get it together that I’m going to do it,” Cupid said. “I sign up for it, and you know there’s no looking back after that.”
Cupid’s twin sister, Venetta Smith, visits from Lexington, Kentucky, to join her and their younger sister Jessica Smith in the race.
“It seems to now be becoming a tradition with me and my two sisters that we will get together on this holiday, and we’ll do this crazy thing called the Peachtree Road Race,” Cupid said.
Q: How do you prepare for the Peachtree Road Race each year?
A: Not very well, probably. Two to four weeks out, I’ll just start increasing distance in my regular morning runs, so that I’m getting between four and six miles in at least once or twice a week prior to the race. ... I do run almost every day.
Q: Do you have any particular goals for this year’s race?
A: My goal every year, is just to finish, not to walk. ... I’m always surprised that I do as well as I do. I run 5Ks, and those are fairly decent times. But again, I never know what 10K is going to look like until I do it. My goal is not to walk, particularly on that Cardiac Hill, and since I’ve had a good running streak of placing under 60 minutes, my goal is to do that again this year.
Q: What would you say is your favorite part of the race?
A: It’s generally a fun race. I’ve never participated in any race that has all of the excitement going around the race, with people who may be representing different companies or vendors or organizations. And don’t forget the holy water that’s there. Giving high fives to those who are part of the Shepherd Center is something I look forward to.
Q: What do you think the Peachtree Road Race means to the city of Atlanta?
A: It’s a hallmark event. It puts Atlanta on more than just a metro Atlanta map, probably a national and even world map. ... A lot of runners come from all over, some to compete, and some like my sister, to come out and perhaps have their own internal competition or a friendly competition among friends, whether it’s to have the best time or just to get through.
Q: What’s it like when you finally reach the finish line?
A: It’s just a relief. I mean, it is fun when you start because the race seems to start a little bit downhill. But the last half of the race, you’re primarily going uphill, except for a few short distances. It’s an exhausting race. Exhausting. There’s no other way. So yes, there’s no other feeling other than relief. And then, when you get your bearings, getting this great feeling of accomplishment.
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: For me, I think running gives me the discipline of doing hard things and knowing that it’s hard to get to where you want to go, if you give up if something becomes challenging. So it gives me the discipline on a day-to-day basis to get through something that’s not easy. And there are a lot of people who are training and preparing for that race who know what that feels like. I think that’s part of the accomplishment I feel when I finish that race, or finish any run, is that I can overcome.
Q: Sounds like that could apply to your political career as well?
A: Bingo.
