Atlanta duo runs two decades of AJC Peachtree Road Races

Damon Costner and Allen Kachur have run the AJC Peachtree Road Race together for the better part of two decades.

The two crossed the finish line decorated in red, white and blue. From face paintings to flag-covered T-shirts, that was one of their tamer coordinated outfits over the years

“It’s the Fourth of July, freedom, we’re just trying to be patriotic,” Costner said.

The two have been friends since 1994. Costner is an Atlanta native, while Kachur was born in Wisconsin.

They usually try to look unique, embracing more elaborate looks. They’ve been super heros, worn masks, capes, mohawks and gone all-out, but this year the imminent heat convinced them costumes weren’t the smartest route.

“It was too hot today,” Costner said. “We have to look at the weather and then see how the costumes would work together.”

92 percent of this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race participants were from Georgia. The friends were rightfully concerned about the weather, as it floated around 80 degrees, making it one of the hottest races in the event’s 48-year history.

Every year the AJC Peachtree Road Race draws 60,000 runners to the heart of Atlanta on Fourth of July. The 10 kilometer race begins near Lennox Mall in Buckhead. And it ends in the heart of Midtown, at Piedmont Park. (Erica A. Hernandez)

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