Hidden Peaches: Volunteers Behind the Scenes at the Peachtree

April brings warmer days, blooming flowers and a flurry of activity at Atlanta Track Club. In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month, we're shining a light on the unsung heroes who make our races run smoothly: the volunteers.

Volunteers are essential to the Club's mission of providing safe and memorable experiences for the running and walking community. They take on various roles, from handing out race numbers and providing hydration to cheering at the finish line and distributing medals.

But what about the work that happens beyond the smiling faces and yellow volunteer vests we see on race day?

With the 56th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race on the horizon, we caught up with a few of the behind-the-scenes heroes—volunteer crew chiefs—who shared what keeps them coming back, what they have learned and the memories that stick with them most.

We begin at the finish line with Bob Delorme, a Finish Line Ambassador volunteer since 1990. Amid the sea of sweat and celebration, Delorme and his crew manage crowd control, assist runners in need and help keep the area secure. Engulfed in waves of excitement and exhaustion, he says he's learned to expect the unexpected—and how to rally "total strangers to work hard and do a great job."

While our finish line volunteers interact closely with participants, our Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) volunteers, known as HAM Operators, serve as the "eyes and ears" of the race, according to crew chief Michael Gartner. Alongside longtime colleagues Elliot Dennis and Elliot Fried, Gartner coordinates around 50 FCC-licensed radio operators who monitor communications and coordinate emergency responses throughout the course.

Gartner said they are either "building a mental image of events through radio chatter" out on the course or at the command center. But one of his favorite memories came not from race day, but from a city planning meeting with over 100 safety officials. "I was struck by the depth of planning and how many organizations get involved with making this a safe event so everybody running it can just have fun," he said.

While the HAM operators ensure communication, another group works to prevent medical emergencies by keeping participants hydrated. That's where Mike Idacavage has made his mark at the Peachtree since 1997.

As the Hydration Delivery Lead, Idacavage coordinates the delivery and cleanup of supplies to all hydration stations along the Peachtree course. It's a massive job—one that ensures more than 55,000 runners, walkers and wheelers stay hydrated on a hot Atlanta morning. He also helps facilitate communication between hydration station volunteers and crew chiefs.

"Whether it's Rich Kenah [Atlanta Track Club's CEO] and the senior staff at Atlanta Track Club or race course monitors, everyone is important," he said. "And when everybody works together it's so beautiful."

He recalls one particularly tense year when a supply truck broke down on race morning. Without hesitation, Idacavage worked with volunteers and the Club's staff to develop a new plan and managed to complete drop-offs to each station.

"At the end of the day, when the last runner goes by, it's not that you just did this [but] you we're a small part of something that was a big success," he said while reflecting on his time volunteering for Peachtree each year.

From the roads to the vehicles that monitor them, Jack Hullings has a unique view. After first experiencing the Peachtree as a runner in the 1970s, Hullings was recruited by the late Bill Royston in 1984 to help oversee the event's vehicles.

Since then, he's managed the volunteers who safely drive all the trucks, pace cars and sweep vehicles on and off the course. But no race is the same.

In 1996, weeks before the Summer Olympics, Hullings traded in his usual role for a seat on a press truck. Hullings assumed he would assist the journalists to secure the best view of the race. To his surprise, he had a bird's-eye view of Joseph Kamani's record-breaking win. Hullings recalls the view near mile 5: "As you head uphill toward the Art Center, [Kamani] was so far ahead of second place, it looked like he was running a race of his own."

Hulling's fondest memories are rooted in honoring the late Tim Singleton, founder of the Peachtree but also a dear friend. In Singleton's final days at Piedmont Hospital, runners and volunteers passed to wave and cheer toward the window, honoring him with the same red, white and blue energy that built the Peachtree tradition.

Like the participants they support, each volunteer has a story, a memory and a reason they return. For many, the Peachtree is more than just race day—it is a homecoming.

As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month, we honor not only the crew chiefs and specialists, but every individual who shows up early, stays late, hands out bibs, passes out water, picks up recyclables, greets runners or quietly works to make this event seamless and special. No Atlanta Track Club event would be the same without their commitment, positivity and uplifting spirit. Whether it's your first year or your thirtieth, your impact is felt—and deeply appreciated.

Volunteer registration is now open for the 56th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. Learn more and sign up here.