AJC Peachtree Road Race boasts Olympic medalist, cross country champs
The 2017 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race has attracted some of the United States’ best talent.
Most notably Bernard Lagat, who has two Olympic medals, two World Championships and three World Indoor Championships to his name. The 42-year-old is making his Peachtree debut.
“I’m very excited to be running this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race,” he said. “Since I first started in college all those years ago I’ve known it as one of the great American roads races. I’m feeling good in my training; now that I’m focusing on the roads it’s exciting to be running in the race this year.”
Chris Derrick, 26, is a three-time USA Cross Country Champion and making his first appearance in Atlanta. The same goes for Leonard Korir, 30, who was the 2017 USA Cross Country champ.
On the women’s side, Jordan Hasay, Neely Gracey and Aliphine Tuliamuk are among the big-name invites. Hasay and Tuliamuk are running the race for the first time.
Hasay, 25, finished third in the 2017 Boston Marathon with a 2:23:00 time, the fastest marathon debut in history by an American woman. The 28-year-old Tuliamuk had the best showing among Americans in the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships (15th) and is the 2017 USA Cross Country Champion.
Gracey, 27, finished fourth in last year’s Peachtree.
“I had a great time last year and so I wanted to come back this year,” Gracey said. “… My goal this year was to come back and join everyone here again and get excited about the training and the racing that’s ahead.”
Speaking at a press conference Monday, Gracey said she loves the event’s atmosphere.
“I think the energy on the course is amazing,” she said. “And, yes, there’s 60,000 people running, but there’s probably at least that many that’ll be cheering there too. So it’s a really fun event. I’m looking forward to having that energy push me up those hills.”
In the Shepherd Center wheelchair division, two familiar faces claim the top seeds: Josh George and Tatyana McFadden. There are 62 racers expected in the wheelchair competition.
George, 33, won in 2016. He’ll compete against Canada’s Josh Cassidy, who won in 2010 and 2013, as well as Krige Schabort of Rome, who’s won five times (2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 and 2014).
The 28-year-old McFadden has had unparalleled success in the Peachtree. She’s a six-time champ, having won from 2010-2012 and 2014-2016. Despite having blood clots earlier in the year, she’s returning to chase her seventh win.
“It’s been a tough year … I’m now in the recovery phase,” she said. “So it’s definitely going to be tough not having the training during the winter. But I always look forward to coming back and I’m hoping for a fast race. The (field) is looking really, really strong, as always. So it’s going to be nice to get one more race in before the World Championships in a few more weeks.”
The first race starts at 6:43 a.m. AJC Peachtree Road Race activity can be followed on social media with the #AJCPRR hashtag and through its official account, @ajcprr.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
