Why Chase the Triple Peach? We Asked Members of Running City USA
On Sunday, more than 4,700 runners and walkers will tackle the PNC Atlanta 10 Miler. For at least 1,000 of them, it will be the second step in their quest to become a "Triple Peacher."
To participate in the Triple Peach Series, athletes must complete the in-person Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race on July 4, the PNC Atlanta 10 Miler in October, and the Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon. On Thanksgiving, everyone who completes the series will receive a Triple Peach medal and special recognition throughout the day. Volunteers who help at all three races will be rewarded with a commemorative Triple Peach adidas tote bag.
With the PNC Atlanta 10 Miler coming up, we checked in with members of Running City USA to ask what motivates them to chase the Triple Peach.
Megan Faulkner
"I always love signing up for the Triple Peach because I appreciate the extra medal, and the Peachtree and 10 Miler are two of my favorite races. This year will be my third year doing the series. Going into the 10 Miler, I'm feeling really strong because I've been training with the In-Training for Fall Marathons program for a separate race, so it works out that it's preparing me for Triple Peach."Fabiola Hoyo
"This will be my first Triple Peach, and I'm so excited. I'm thrilled that this is race two of three, and I can't believe I'm even saying these words. A few months ago, I was shocked to even say that I was training for a 10K, never mind a 10 Miler. I've been doing the In-Training for Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon program, so I feel really prepared, and I'm so excited to just go out and have fun with all the other runners and my friends and family next weekend."Raghava (RJ) Jalaparthi
"I'm feeling great and confident going into next weekend. This will be my fifth Triple Peach, and I keep coming back because I love all the races, especially Thanksgiving when I meet some cool people. [The series] is challenging and fun, which is why I think everyone should try it out at some point."Luke Butler
"This year, I'm considering myself as a Triple Peach Volunteer. I started by volunteering at the Peachtree with Shepherd Center at the mile three water stop, and since I couldn't run all three, I decided I'd continue the series by volunteering instead. For the 10 Miler, I volunteer with setup or corral start, and at Thanksgiving, I'll be a pacer, so I get to experience a little bit of both sides."Sue Landa
"I haven't done the Triple Peach in the past two years because of some conflicts, so I am excited to jump back into it - I'm feeling good to go. I've done the series maybe five or six times, and I love the fact that it includes a 10-mile race because I can use it to train for the half marathon at the end, or a marathon that I might be training for. I turn 75 this year, so I'm feeling really grateful to be able to do this challenge again."Erika Ambrocio-Vasquez
"This will be my third Triple Peach - these are my three favorite Atlanta Track Club races, so it just makes sense to do the series. I feel good going into the 10 Miler because I feel great speed-wise, and I'm excited to see how I'll do compared to the previous times I've done this race."Click here for more information on the Triple Peach Series.
