Peachtree Road Race going virtual due to 'significant' COVID-19 spread
The Peachtree Road Race had already been moved to Thanksgiving Day and now it's going fully virtual.
ATLANTA - Atlanta's annual Peachtree Road Race will be held virtually because of the continuing spread of COVID-19, race officials announced Wednesday morning.
Organizers had previously postponed the 51st Peachtree Road Race from July 4th to Thanksgiving Day but say that due to the pandemic they needed to go all virtual.
The Atlanta Track Club says they deemed that the change would be the safest option for participants, volunteers and the hundreds of city and state employees are part of the event.
Know how the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting Georgia
"As coronavirus has spiked in recent weeks here in Georgia, we recognize that this decision is the best and only responsible way forward," said Rich Kenah, the executive director of the Atlanta Track Club and director of the race.
"The curve is no longer flattened and we have significant community spread of the virus here in the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia," said Dr. Jonathan Kim, the race's co-medical director. "It is true that outdoor environments are safer than indoor. That doesn't mean there is zero risk. You can't reliably maintain social distancing when you are running a race even if you limit the number of participants well below our usual 60,000."
Sign up for FOX 5 email alerts
The virtual running of the race will still be held on Thanksgiving Day with participants being able to complete the 10K all day.
The Atlanta Track Club will fill all the remaining spots for the race on a first-come, first-served basis starting on Aug. 31. All participants will have their race kit, including their number and finisher shirt, mailed to them by UPS before the day of the race.
To make the race more realistic, the club is also releasing an app where participants can listen to sounds of the race, upload their times, and share their race on social media.
Officials say the Peachtree Junior, which had been scheduled for Nov. 26 and is for children 14 and under, will also be virtual.
All individuals who already registered for the race will be automatically placed in the virtual race. The track club is not offering any additional refunds or deferrals.
Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.