Chasing an American Breakthrough at the Peachtree

Nico Young, U.S. Champion and Olympian in the 10,000m, is aiming to be the first American man to win the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race since Ed Eyestone broke the tape in 1991. Ahead of July 4, the two distance stars reflected on the 35-year drought of American winners in an international field, the challenge of the Peachtree and what it would take for Young to win.

Ed's Historic Win

Eyestone raced the 1991 Peachtree Road Race as he was preparing to make his second Olympic team. He trained through bronchitis in the preceding winter, ultimately developing into double pneumonia and even breaking two ribs from coughing.

"Anyone who's ever broken a rib before knows you just have to wait and hope it gets better. So after six weeks off, I was finally able to get into the swing of training again, but I'd missed my normal spring circuit," Eyestone said.

He went into the 1991 Peachtree Road Race with lower expectations, but he still found himself with the lead pack five miles into the race.

"I always liked the left turn you make at the end that takes you downhill toward the park," he said. "I was a monster on the downhill because I'm 6'2", a good bit taller than the other world-class guys. I really worked that downhill portion and made them chase me for the win."

There may be similarities between the two beyond their pursuit of history. Like Eyestone, Young stands 6-foot-2 and is known for his closing speed — including a sub-four-minute final mile that secured last year's U.S. 10,000m title.

A Dramatic Debut

Young is focused on translating his track success from 2025 into a win in his first 10K on the roads.

"It's going to be a tough course for sure, and the humidity and hills are major things that I'm thinking about," he said. "I want to make my first road 10K something challenging, and then all the ones after that will feel easier."

The competitive environment of the Peachtree is the biggest draw for Young.

"When I thought about making my 10K road debut, I wanted it to have as much hype and drama as possible," he said. "That's why I chose to come to the largest 10K in the world, aiming to be the first American winner in 35 years, all on America's 250th birthday."

Passing the Torch

Eyestone has a few simple keys for Young: Don't get pneumonia, don't break any ribs and don't underestimate your competition.

"Sometimes track athletes have an elitist mentality when it comes to the roads, but I'd just encourage Nico to bring the same respect to the roads that he brings to the track," Eyestone said. "He has a great chance to win as long as he comes in with the same type of preparation he does on the track."

While Young chases history on the roads, another generation of runners will look to him for inspiration during race weekend. In the days leading up to the Peachtree, Young will share his professional running insights with the 36 athletes in the High School Elite division, representing some of Georgia's top high school distance runners.

As a former high school standout, Young shared some advice for the High School Elite division: "This will probably feel like cross country, where there are waves of difficulty within the race. There might be waves where it feels really horrible, and you might question how you're even going to finish the race, but ride that wave. You'll get to the end of it, it will get better and you can finish strong."