Running with the Home Teams: The ATL Fit Fan Series Experience
Before 2024, Lindsay Lopez never considered herself a runner. She was content cheering from the sidelines as her boyfriend ran races, never imagining that she'd one day be at the starting line herself. That all changed when he convinced her to sign up for the Hawks Fast Break 5K presented by Sharecare, the first event in the ATL Fit Fan Series.
From the moment she stepped onto the course, the race-day energy was contagious. By the time she crossed the finish line, she was hooked. When she learned that completing all three races in the series would earn her a medal, she knew she had to go all in.
What started as a one-time challenge led Lopez running 10 different 5Ks in 2024, after having completed just one race in her entire life before that year.
"At first, I really thought to myself, 'There's no way I'm doing this,'" Lopez said. "But after one race, the ball started rolling and it was so fun to watch myself get better each time. It really helped me build my confidence to take on other races as well."
Now in its third year, the ATL Fit Fan Series brings together all three of Atlanta Track Club's sports-themed races: the Hawks Fast Break 5K presented by Sharecare, the Braves Country 5K presented by Southwire and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium 5K/Walk Like MADD.
Participants who complete all three races earn a commemorative medal, but the experience itself is what keeps runners coming back. Each race is designed to offer a one-of-a-kind fan experience, from crossing the finish line on the field of their favorite teams to seeing themselves on the jumbotron screens.
Before the ATL Fit Fan Series became an official challenge, dedicated participants were already taking on the three races as a personal tradition. One of those runners is Thomas Chambless, an Atlanta sports fan and avid runner for more than eight years.
After completing the Mercedes-Benz Stadium 5K/Walk Like MADD for the first time in 2018, he was hooked on the thrill of running through the stadium tunnel and crossing the finish line onto the field . He made it his mission to run every Atlanta sports race and when the ATL Fit Fan Series was introduced in 2022, he was already doing it.
"All of the races just give you a different perspective," Chambless said. "You can't find that energy anywhere else. You really feel like a celebrity."
After hearing from participants like Chambless for years, Atlanta Track Club saw the opportunity to make it official. In 2022, George Leach, Digital Marketing Manager of Events and Merchandise, helped bring the idea to life.
"The ATL Fit Fan Series came to be as a result of wanting to come up with a way to pay tribute to all of our sports races in a unique way," Leach said. "I'm a big sports fan and a lot of our race participants are too, so combining these races to make the sports race equivalent of the Triple Peach Race Series gives those participants a rewarding challenge."
Since its launch, hundreds of runners and walkers have made it their goal to complete the series, inspiring others to join along the way. Chambless even convinced his wife to take on the challenge, and she has now completed the series twice.
From racing onto the field to taking photos with cheerleaders, mascots and drumlines, each race offers something special. For Lopez, the Hawks Fast Break 5K gave her a whole new appreciation for State Farm Arena.
"At the Hawks race, the chance to take photos on the court was really special," Lopez said. "And I appreciate the magnets they gave us with our pictures right after. My boyfriend and I each have those magnets on our fridges as a reminder of how much fun we had there."
For many participants, the ATL Fit Fan Series is about more than earning a medal - it's about personal growth.
Lopez credits the series with not only helping her complete multiple 5K races in her first year of running but also pushing her toward distance goals. Now, she is training for a 10K, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race on July 4.
"Because of what it has done for me, I will probably live the rest of my life remembering this series," Lopez said.
Registration is still open for the Hawks Fast Break 5K presented by Sharecare, which takes place on Saturday, March 8. Registration for the Braves Country 5K is now available here and registration for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium 5K/Walk Like MADD will open at a later date.
