Bad weather did not put a damper Saturday on the world’s biggest 10K, which saw a rain and lightning delay for thousands.
About 60,000 registered for the 2015 AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, which attracts people of all ages and abilities.
Now in its 46th year, the annual race stretches along one of the city’s many “Peachtree”-named thoroughfares — from the north of the city to historic Piedmont Park.
Many participants donned red, white, and blue to celebrate Independence Day, but the most common accessory was a rain coat. The first several groups of runners started on time early Saturday, but many of the subsequent waves were delayed from 30 minutes to an hour due to heavy rainfall and lightning in the area.
The awards ceremony was canceled, but that didn’t stop runners from hitting the pavement in the annual event, which celebrated several firsts.
Race organizers said this was believed to be the first year that the men’s winner came down to a photo finish. Scott Overall was declared the winner by one second.
In another first for this race this year, the Peachtree Road Race featured an elite competition called the Peachtree Cup. Four teams of six athletes raced representing regions of the world: Team USA, Team Africa, Team Asia, and Team Europe. Team Africa walked away with bragging rights.
