Josh George kicked off the 47th Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race by winning the men’s wheelchair division race with an official time of 20 minutes, 19 seconds. Tatyana McFadden followed by winning the women’s division with a time of 23:14.
George, a Champaign, Ill., native, pushed past leader Josh Cassidy around the four-and-a-half mile mark in the race. The race was his 10th Peachtree Road Race, but his first victory in the event.
“It feels great,” George said. “The last few years, I’ve finished second or third.”
It appeared as if it were Cassidy’s race to lose until George made his push to the front. Once he took the lead on an uphill portion of the track, he never looked back.
“I felt strong in the climbs, and I pushed a little bit harder earlier in the race than I would have just because I felt strong,” George said. “I knew I had a shot.”
George said he arrived in Atlanta after going through Paralympic trials and making the team. That was the same situation faced by McFadden, who won after coming from back trials in Charlotte, N.C.
But winning was no new feat for McFadden, who hails from Saint Petersburg, Russia. She won her sixth Peachtree in her sixth attempt in the race.
“This race is really, really tough,” McFadden said. It was pretty tough this year, especially coming off trials.”
McFadden is a mainstay in races such as the Peachtree, as she’s the only athlete to win the Grand Slam of major marathons: London, Boston, Chicago and New York. She’s pulled it off three times.
McFadden said this was her last race as she now transitions to training for the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. She has high hopes for this year’s games and is aiming to win gold in seven events.
The trip to Atlanta was one McFadden certainly didn’t regret.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” McFadden said.
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