Kids of all ages geared up and ready, set go, they were off to the races at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Peachtree Junior! I had the opportunity to attend with my son Rudolph and I really enjoyed the day filled with lively music, an easy on-site registration, field activities and lots of friendly moms and dads and their kids geared up to run the 50m, 1/2k and 3k races at Piedmont Park.
You might have heard of Peachtree from the AJC Peachtree Road Race, where adults and kids ages 10 and older celebrate the Fourth of July with 60,000 others at the world’s largest 10K. My son was a little hesitant about running his 1/2k but after seeing all the other kids angling for a spot on the race line, he was eager to join in too and told me that he wanted to run after all. The volunteers were very helpful and warmed the kids up and put them at ease. They were ready and revving to ease on down the course and were encouraged to even walk the path to the finish line, if they couldn’t run the whole 1/2k. 1996 Olympic Gold medalist Dan O’Brien was even there to see the kids off to the races.
What I loved is at the end of the course, the kids were caged in. That might not sound too good but it really was. By the time I left the beginning of the finish line to get to the end, I saw Jojo there but he couldn’t just leave out without a volunteer acknowledging that he belonged to me. I was truly happy about that because there were lots of kids and parents there. Also every kid received a Peachtree Junior medal and a bottle of water and a banana at the end of the race to replenish them.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Peachtree Junior is an event for kids of all ages.
After completing the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Peachtree Junior, participants were invited to enjoy a post-race festival on the Active Oval. Kids participated in a kid-friendly decathlon and learned about different track and field events from special guest Dan O’Brien.
This was truly one of the best track and field events I have ever had the pleasure to go to. The Atlanta Track Club did a great job of making the who process very smooth from beginning to end. The race times were staggered for children of different ages and again the registration process was effortless. This was our first year but this is definitely an event we’ll compete in every year.
Atlanta Track Club’s mission is to create an active and healthy Atlanta through running and walking. With more than 24,000 members, it is the second largest running organization in the United States. Throughout the year, they deliver world-class events, training programs, and community outreach activities to the Metro Atlanta area, including the popular (and free) Kilometer Kids youth running program. Atlanta Track Club encourages and inspires both kids and adults to start and continue running regardless of ability or fitness level and provides outlets for all athletes to continue to grow and compete.
Check out the pics and thank you to the Peachtree Junior for allowing us to indulge in a day full of fun!
Disclosure: I was paid for this post but all opinions are mine.
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