July 4: American 10K Record Holder Shalane Flanagan to Return to the Roads at the 2017 AJC Peachtree Road Race
Press Release
May 26, 2017
ATLANTA – Olympic Silver Medalist Shalane Flanagan will race for the first time since the 2016 Olympic Games at the 2017 AJC Peachtree Road Race. Flanagan, whose time of 30:52 at the 2016 BAA 10K is the fastest road 10K ever run by an American woman, will compete in the USA 10K Championships at Peachtree after recovering from a fracture in her lower back while training for the Boston Marathon.
“I am excited to return to the AJC Peachtree Road Race to run for the national title,” said Flanagan, a four-time Olympian who placed sixth in the marathon at Rio (2:25:26). “There is no better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than with the best distance runners in the country at the world’s largest 10K.” Flanagan last raced at Peachtree in 2015 and was the first woman across the finish line in 32:05.
Flanagan and whole-foods chef Elyse Kopecky will also make a special appearance at the 2017 AJC Peachtree Road Race for a good cause. The co-authors of “Run Fast, Eat Slow,” will discuss their New York Times Bestseller and participate in a meet and greet on July 2 at the Georgia World Congress Center. The event will be presented by Whole Foods Markets, and a portion of the proceeds will go to Atlanta Track Club’s youth running program, Kilometer Kids.
“Run Fast, Eat Slow” is a cookbook for runners that aims to provide nourishing meals that feel indulgent. Along with more than 100 recipes for meals, snacks and drinks, the book also contains stories from both women.
“I’m looking forward to inspiring Peachtree runners to spend more time in the kitchen. Learning to cook nourishing meals from scratch is the single greatest thing a runner can do for their long-term health and happiness,” said Kopecky, who, in addition to being a chef, is a nutrition coach and runner.
The book talk and meet and greet will take place on July 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center. Tickets are $100 and include a signed copy of Run Fast, Eat Slow, an Atlanta Track Club T-shirt, a donation to Kilometer Kids and the chance to win $100 gift cards from Whole Foods Market, the perfect place to stock up on many of the fresh, local ingredients used to make the recipes in the book, as well as other prizes from Atlanta Track Club partners.
Atlanta Track Club’s Kilometer Kids is a free, incentive-based running program designed to promote a healthy and active lifestyle to area youth ages 7 to 14. Launched in 2007, Kilometer Kids now impacts more than 8,000 children each year in metro Atlanta and beyond. The program is funded by Atlanta Track Club, private donations and partners.
The 48th running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race will take place on Tuesday, July 4, 2017. The 2017 AJC Peachtree Road Race is capped at 60,000 entrants and is the world’s largest 10K.
To purchase a ticket to the “Run Fast, Eat Slow” meet and greet event, visit atlantatrackclub.org.