Atlanta Track Club at 60: Changing Lives, Including Mine
Atlanta Track Club is celebrating its 60th anniversary - a remarkable milestone for a mission-driven nonprofit organization. As a member, frequent race participant, running enthusiast and board member, I have enjoyed an almost 28-year relationship with the Club. Summarizing or comprehending its generational impact is beyond my reach. However, certain moments and milestones illustrate how the Club has influenced me and the people I've met along the way.
My first official interaction with the Club, like many Atlantans, was through the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. I was working at an upstart technology company, Mindspring, which provided dial-up internet across the East Coast. One of my amazing colleagues, Ed Douglas, suggested during a company meeting that we run the '96 Peachtree. At that time, long before performance running gear and fueling strategies became commonplace, we wore cotton Mindspring T-shirts, answered support questions as we ran, and finished the race by way of the 14th Street entrance to Piedmont Park, drinking more beer than water.
Many things have changed since then, including my running gear. However, the individual sense of accomplishment I've gained, alongside a feeling of belonging, has permeated. We all conquered the 6.2 miles to the best of our abilities that day. After what can only be described as a mediocre high school career in track and field, that experience opened my eyes to what I was capable of and how good I felt training for and finishing the race, all while being embraced by a community. Needless to say, I was hooked. Running became a staple in my life from that point on - completing races on weekends, training for longer distances and always packing my running shoes for business or personal trips.
Fast forward to 2013, when a conversation with my friend, fellow marketer and then-board member of the Club, Hilary Silverboard, defined my next chapter. Knowing my love for running, Hilary encouraged me to get involved with the board. She specifically asked me, "What is your give-back strategy?" I sheepishly replied, "Not only do I not have a give-back strategy, but I should have known that I needed one!"
I volunteered on two committees and eventually was asked to join the board in 2015, and I quickly realized that the Club is so much more than the Peachtree. Rich Kenah, CEO, came to the organization in 2014, bringing a clear vision for how this mission-focused nonprofit would expand to reach countless individuals in Metro Atlanta. Our purpose broadened again in 2020 to specifically state that we wanted to make running and walking accessible to all ages, races, genders, abilities, and speeds. The Peachtree is, in some ways, the ultimate celebration of the organizational mission and vision.
I often find myself raving about the excellent events, community programs and initiatives that the Club delivers the other 364 days of the year, including:
- Partnering with Atlanta Public Schools to grow the cross country program from 200 finishers in the City Championships in 2023 to 530 in 2024, and hearing a student share how the program was fundamental to his high school success.
- Engaging more than 6,000 youth in 90 different Kilometer Kids chapters across Metro Atlanta and hearing the heartfelt testimony from a mother about how this program transformed her son's confidence and led to better grades.
- Including push-assist athletes in the Peachtree since 2011 and Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend since 2013 year, then witnessing athletes from the Kyle Pease Foundation experience inclusion in sport for the first time.
- In 2019, establishing prize-money parity for the elite wheelchair athletes with the footrace athletes at the Peachtree, inspiring other national races to follow suit.
- Securing the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, showcasing Atlanta's charm and cheers, and leading to Molly Seidel's bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
- Hosting the adidas Atlanta City Games, bringing world-class track and field talent to Atlanta. Experiencing this event with my niece and nephew and later watching Grant Holloway, Noah Lyles and Anna Hall shine on the world stage in Paris brought the Olympic movement to life.
- In 2015, in partnership with Publix, launching the Wingfoot XC Classic, which has since become the largest cross country meet in the Southeast, attracting more than 6,000 middle and high school athletes each fall.
- Growing membership from 27,000 in 2015 to 37,000 in 2024 - a testament to the resilience of our staff and community, even in the face of a global pandemic.
- Most importantly, the incredible efforts of our 32 full-time staff members and thousands of volunteers who deliver exceptional events and foster 1:1 connections with members, race participants and volunteers, making a difference in immeasurable and tangible ways.
An often-used mantra in long-distance running is, "We did not come this far to only come this far." I look forward to participating in whatever Atlanta Track Club has planned for the next 60 years.
We are #RunningCityUSA.
