In 1978, 7-year-old Dow Kirkpatrick asked his father, Kip, if they could run the Peachtree Road Race, and dad couldn’t think of a reason to say no. Flash forward to 2024, when father and son expect to be at the start line again, as they have been most years in between — as will Katie Kirkpatrick, who grew up in Georgia, earned her degree from Auburn University in 1995 and first ran the Peachtree in 1996 when she and Dow were dating.
The family tradition now spans three generations and two events, when you include the Microsoft Peachtree Junior that Dow and Katie’s sons did when they were little. “You can certainly be a serious runner, which for a time I was,” she said, “but it’s always been a real social event for me and my family.”
Q: What else does the Peachtree mean to you?
A: Community. Your skill level doesn’t matter, your socioeconomic level doesn’t matter. If you watch the race, it really demonstrates the way our community looks and feels. We’re all doing the same thing regardless of our backgrounds, and I think there’s something really unique about that. It says a lot about Atlanta and who we are.
Q: What’s your favorite part of the race?
A: The start line is something special. When you’re standing in your wave, I don’t care if you’re in the X wave or the A wave or in the wheelchair division, it’s usually bluebird skies, the sun’s coming up, you have the huge flag waving in the breeze and they’re doing the national anthem and you have the flyover … and you’re just standing with everybody, you’re all doing the same thing. There’s just that feeling of ‘I’m home.’
Credit: Courtesy of Katie Kirkpatrick
Credit: Courtesy of Katie Kirkpatrick
Q: How does the Peachtree relate to your job?
A: In my role, I’m constantly an advocate to make sure we don’t forget the tradition of the Peachtree as a selling point for Atlanta. We talk about the airport and the universities and the diverse talent, the parks and the green space and the tree canopy, and then the world’s largest 10K on July 4, which is an experience unlike any other. I use my position to remind folks that this isn’t something we should take for granted. It’s a part of the ethos of Atlanta that we have to treat with care. In 2026 the race will be during World Cup — thankfully not on a match day — so we’re going to have the world here.
Q: How has the race changed since you first ran it?
A: There have been innovations — timing chips, online registration, people running for charities — but you’re still running or walking, there’s cheering from people on the side, there’s beer and watermelon and music, you get the holy water, the fire hydrants are open, the tutus, people running as Uncle Sam. Not much has changed, and I say that in a positive way. That’s why it’s still so treasured and valued.
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