2026 Peachtree Road Race T-shirt revealed
There are lots of reasons to run the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race, whether it’s the feeling of personal accomplishment or the sense of community one gets running alongside tens of thousands of fellow Atlantans. But there’s one thing that pushes all the runners to go the distance: the coveted Peachtree Road Race T-shirt.
Now, as runners cross the finish line in the 57th annual race, we’re getting our first look at the official race T-shirt, designed by Dyan Szall.
Titled “We the Peaches,” Szall’s design “celebrates the community we build on Peachtree Road every July 4th — the runners, the walkers, the supporters and the volunteers,” she explained. “From the start under the flag to the finish line, it champions the inclusivity of freedom and justice for all.”
A Marietta native, Szall grew up “with one foot in sports and the other in the arts, splitting her childhood between soccer fields and art clubs. In high school, she ran track and cross-country while continuing to draw and paint whenever she could, eventually heading to SCAD to continue her studies,” according to Atlanta Track Club.
“My family and I have run the Peachtree almost every year since I was 12,” Szall explained. “Now, I can’t imagine a July 4 without fighting for my life on Cardiac Hill, getting a picture in front of my alma mater, SCAD, and stopping for a few beers just to get a juicy peach and a T-shirt at the finish.”
A tradition since 1976, the official Peachtree T-shirt is a much-coveted item. Before then, during the first few years of the race, runners simply received 15 cents for bus fare back home. In 1995, the Atlanta Track Club began seeking design submissions and asking the public to select their favorite.
More than 100 designs were submitted for this year’s contest. A panel of judges from Atlanta Track Club and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution narrowed them down to five before voting began. Szall will receive a $5,700 prize for her design — and the satisfaction of knowing her work is now a piece of Atlanta history.
“There is only one Peachtree,” said Rich Kenah, CEO of the Atlanta Track Club. “And there is only one shirt. Nothing matches what this race means to the city of Atlanta.”