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Peachtree Road Race organizers taking heat safety measures ahead of 55th race

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Published  June 30, 2024 10:49pm EDT
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Peachtree Road Race 2024 heat concerns

Will it be too hot to run the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta this year? FOX 5 Atlanta spoke to organizers about their plan to beat the heat.

ATLANTA - Atlanta’s favorite road race is back and better than ever. In its 55th year, Peachtree Road Race organizers are anticipating their largest crowd since 2019.

"We’ve got more entertainment, more bands, more community engagement, community groups and volunteers than we’ve ever had," race director Rich Kenah said.

Kenah tells FOX 5 that amid high heat and humidity, keeping everyone cool is top of mind.

"The heat is part of the charm of Peachtree, but it is something for everyone to be aware of," he said. "We’re billing this as the party of the summer, and we’re gonna make sure that everyone walks away having the best possible safest time here."

High temperatures sticking around Georgia

Temperatures are expected to hover around 90 degrees this week. Here's a look at your FOX 5 Storm Team forecast.

Kenah says medics will be on standby. With nearly half of visits to medical tents being heat-related, they’ve made some additional changes this year.

"We have an army of medical professionals over my right shoulder who will be in the park to help treat and address any heat-related illnesses we may see," he told FOX 5. "Once upon a time, we just had water bottles in the meadows, but now we cool all those water bottles, and now we’ve added misters all across the meadow because it can get hot in there after you finish running."

There will also be hydration stations throughout the race route in addition to the thousands of water bottles available for participants.

What are the dangers of heat?

Recent temperatures are making going outside to do simple chores or take a walk unbearable. FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Jonathan Stacey explains the difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion at Centennial Olympic Park.

"We have 10 hydration stations on the course with, I believe, 11 misting stations…and then in the park we have the primary water for everybody, so we’ve got like 100,000 bottles of water there for everybody," he explained.

Kenah says it’s crucial for registrants to take their own heat safety measures ahead of time and look out for upcoming alerts from organizers.

"Our medical leads of the race will consult with me, and we’ll make a decision about which flag we start the race in, and we have a color-coded flag that speaks to, really, the heat and humidity," he said.

Kenah tells FOX 5 all participants, but especially those more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, will want to pay attention to the announcement they’ll make in the next few days about which flag they’ll start the race under.