The Atlanta Track Club (ATC), organizer of the AJC Peachtree Road Race and the Atlanta Half Marathon and Thanksgiving Day 5K, announced today that the 2011 Atlanta Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 30, 2011. In addition to the marathon, the event will also feature a four-person marathon relay with relay leg distances ranging from four to eight miles. In 2010, the ATC made the decision to remove the Atlanta Marathon from Thanksgiving Day, where it had been a part of the Atlanta Half Marathon festivities, in order to find a date that would allow for the course time limit to be extended from five to six and a half hours.
“Completing a marathon continues to be a ‘must’ on many runners’ lists as proven by the 10 percent increase in marathon finishers here in the US in 2009,” commented Tracey Russell, Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club. “By moving the Atlanta Marathon off of Thanksgiving and extending the course limit to six and a half hours, we are excited to open up the field to runners of all abilities.”
The Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay will start and finish at Atlantic Station and features a new, loop course entirely within the City of Atlanta that takes participants on a tour of the city going past well-known sites and neighborhoods such as Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Institute of Technology, CNN Center, Philips Arena, Georgia Aquarium, Turner Field, The King Center, Grant Park, Virginia-Highlands, Piedmont Park, Buckhead and along stretches of the famous Peachtree Road. The official course for the Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay will be released in early 2011.
“The Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay course will truly showcase all that the City of Atlanta has to offer. Whether participants are traveling in from out of town, or live right here in Atlanta, runners are guaranteed to discover Atlanta one mile at a time,” stated Russell.
Online registration for the 2011 Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay is now open at atlantamarathon.org. Participants who sign up for the Atlanta Marathon by Friday, December 31, 2010 can take advantage of the special $55 registration fee. Online registration for the 2011 Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay will remain open through Wednesday, October 26, 2011. All Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay participants receive a long-sleeve performance shirt as well as a commemorative finisher’s medal.