The People of Peachtree: What Brings Runners Back Every Fourth of July

On July 4, tens of thousands of runners, walkers and wheelers will toe the start line to take on the iconic Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race—the world's largest 10K.

Some will explore the 6.2-mile course for the first time, others for their 50th.

Each participant brings their own "why" to mind— why they signed up for the race, pushed through training challenges or got out of bed that morning to take on the course.

Meet four participants, each with a different reason for returning on July 4.

50 Years Later, Larry Kuglar's Still Going Strong

On the morning of July 4, 1976, Larry Kuglar started a tradition he didn't expect to last 50 years. He traveled from Cedartown to Atlanta and registered at the start line, back when race-day registration was common.

His feet were blistered, and he was sore from running six miles the day before to "make sure [he] could do it," but Kuglar, now 79, was determined to finish, and he did.

His running began in the military and during his service in the Vietnam War. He heard of the Peachtree after returning home and, though untrained for his first year, now runs it each year to honor the veterans and those who did not return.

The Peachtree was only his debut. In 2023, he ran three marathons and since then, numerous half marathons throughout the years. Still, the Peachtree is always on his race calendar.

His family has embraced the tradition, and some have even started their own. This year, Kuglar looks forward to watching his 11-year-old grandson join other family members for the first time.

The Kuglar family tradition continues even after the finish line, with everyone enjoying local barbeque at his in-law's house. This year, they'll take the party up a notch to commemorate his 50-year milestone with a party.

"It's a great way to spend the Fourth of July," he said. "There's no better way to celebrate our country, the state of Georgia and our city, and I'm looking forward to coming back for another great race."

Yvonne McDaniel: "The Lady with the Heart Pillow"

Since 2011, Yvonne McDaniel, 62, has viewed running as her vice, a way to bring her family together and her opportunity to overcome challenges. To her, the Peachtree is a way to experience the best parts of running and her chance to meet participants from all walks of life. That's why she's been coming to Atlanta from Palm Bay, Florida, since 2014.

One year after her first Peachtree, she collapsed while out for a run with friends during a trip to Atlanta. She rushed to a nearby doctor, where doctors discovered a blockage in her heart vessels that her doctors called a "widowmaker."

She had surgery at Piedmont Hospital, located just before mile four on the Peachtree course and "Cardiac Hill." While in recovery, the medical staff gave her a heart-shaped pillow to hold close to her chest when coughing to minimize the pain, a common practice for heart surgery patients at Piedmont.

She spent the next few weeks in recovery. She held tight to that heart pillow signed by her medical staff. One day, while talking to her brother, a lightbulb went off. McDaniel was determined to run the Peachtree again, but this time to thank the medical team for saving her life, and to honor those that had a similar heart condition but did not survive.

"It just made the most sense," she said. "I just thought, since I've been blessed enough to have a second chance, I should run the race again, run past the place that saved my life and I'm going to carry my pillow with me."

Since then, McDaniel has made a name for herself as the "Lady with the Heart Pillow." Each year, she takes a commemorative photo with her heart pillow in front of Piedmont Hospital, and thanks the medical professionals along the course that day.

"Carrying that pillow with me past Piedmont each year is my way of saying thank you, and letting the world know that I'm still here— I'm still putting one foot in front of the other," she said.

Rewriting His Peachtree Story: Roscoe Griffin

Roscoe Griffin didn't run growing up and wondered if he'd live long enough to see his children. When his father died from a heart attack at 39, the idea stayed with him.

His running journey actually began when his daughter's pediatrician asked how he was staying fit and suggested exercise to boost his heart health. He then started running and biking in the 1980s.

Griffin, now 75, was eventually introduced to the Peachtree in 1992 by another fellow runner. He collected his first coveted finisher's T-shirt, then made it his goal to travel to Atlanta from South Carolina for every race.

But in 2003, he had a heart attack on the course.

"During the race, I had two motivations: one, get the T-shirt, and two, meet my brother up ahead of me," Griffin said. "But when my brother asked me how I felt after the race, I told him, 'You know what, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm having a heart attack.'"

His family immediately rushed him to the hospital. There, doctors discovered seven blockages, which required six bypasses.

The experience served as a wake-up call for Griffin. During rehab, he set new goals - walking, then running again.

The next summer, he returned to Atlanta for the Peachtree with a fresh outlook on life, calling that year's race a "religious experience" because of the joy he felt being back on the course. He's since run 10 marathons, including the Boston Marathon three times.

"Running has kept me alive, and, without question, the Peachtree has been a big part of that," he said.

This July 4, Griffin will run his 25th consecutive Peachtree and 27th overall.

Nothing Gets Between Andrea Hershatter and the Peachtree

Andrea Hershatter met her husband at Tulane University and didn't consider herself a runner at the time. He was a marathoner, so she gave it a try.

After being introduced to the Peachtree through friends, they made it their mission to experience the race no matter how far they had to travel.

Her first Peachtree experience required a road trip from North Carolina, but she called it "the best thing [she'd] ever done or seen." This year she'll run her 40th Peachtree (although not consecutive).

Now 65 and living in Atlanta, she refuses to let any life event get in the way of her Fourth of July tradition.

"I'm a very consistent person," she said. "I won't miss it for anything."

After the race, she makes it a goal to experience as much race-day energy as possible, visiting public spaces where she would see other finisher's T-shirts, such as Lenox Square, Braves games and local fireworks shows.

The Peachtree is also a long-standing family tradition for Hershatter. Her daughter has been part of it since before she was born. When Hershatter realized how important the race had become, she ran it while six months pregnant, and early in a later pregnancy with her son.

This Mother's Day, her family surprised her with a customized Peachtree singlet to commemorate her 40th run. "I'm very glad to have done it all these years," she said. "It's such a wonderful tradition we've built."