When the tutus settled on the first Divas Half Marathon and 5k series races in Peachtree City Saturday, a total of 3,486 runners streamed pinkly through the cart paths and a hometown girl took home the top award of the day. Angie Hinkle, 34, of Tyrone came in first overall among females in the half-marathon, crossing the finish line in 1:35:52 at 7:18 minutes per mile.
Whew!
Hinkle wasn’t the first person to cross the finish line, though. Matthew Beucker, 28, of Sandy Springs, one of 48 men who participated in the event, broke the finish line banner about eight minutes earlier. Race results show he finished in 1:27:18, a 6:30 minute per mile pace. Men are allowed to participate in the event, according to the race series website, but they can’t win awards in the half marathon and they don’t get a t-shirt.
Two other Fayette residents, Danielle Pick and Karen Trayer, both of Peachtree City, finished second and third place overall in the 5K, respectively.
Below, left, Nina Harvey, Mary Stevenson and Emma Harvey of Tyrone, Ga., smiled while strolling along the path during the 5k. Some runners opted to dress up while others stuck with typical running gear during the Run Like a Diva 5k and half-marathon Sept. 6.
Peachtree City Mayor Vanessa Fleisch was thrilled with the event, praising local residents who warmly welcomed more than 2,400 out of town runners and even more family members and friends to Fayette County.
“The whole weekend was a wonderful experience for the city,” Fleisch said. “Women from 40 states, who would never have thought of coming here before, spent the weekend at our hotels and enjoyed our restaurants and the hospitality of our beautiful city. It is my hope that they will go home and have great stories to tell their friends and families about the weekend they spent in Peachtree City.”
Race officials reported last week that 63 percent, about 2,443 of participants registered at that time, were coming from an hour or more outside the Atlanta area, with 28 percent coming from outside Georgia.
The only hitch in the process seemed to be the challenges of parking on Saturday morning. Shuttles were available at the parking lots at Eaton (Cooper Lighting) and Sany, and the larger hotels provided shuttle service to the race, but as one participant described the scene, “the car lights stretched forever.”
“Since we have never hosted an event this large before there were some logistical challenges with the shuttles to the race Saturday morning,” Fleisch admitted. “Overall the challenges were not insurmountable, and were relatively minor given that we have never put on a citywide event of this magnitude.”
Local merchants were major beneficiaries of the event, the mayor pointed out.
“All of our hotels and restaurants enjoyed a very prosperous weekend,” she said.
Monday before the event, only 14 of Peachtree City’s 837 hotel rooms were available for Friday night. Both the Wyndham and the Dolce were completely booked.
Byron Perryman, general manager of the Wyndham, said more than 500 runners stayed at their facility. He said it was a “very encouraging first year” and that the group is “a perfect fit for Peachtree City.”
The owner of Paschal’s restaurant in Peachtree City, Pascal LeCorre, reported many patrons from the race.
“Most of them ate twice,” he said. “They came both Friday and Saturday.”
Runners were thrilled with the event. Many used the opportunity to create a girls’ weekend with family and friends.
“I thought it was a great race,” Peachtree City resident Pam Scott Adams said. “I loved running the half. It was inspiring to see folks out with signs cheering us on. While out riding the course Friday night on the golf cart we came across a nice family writing inspiring sayings on the path. As I ran past those it kept me going. Our community really pulled together.”
Inspiring messages encouraged runners all along the route.
“The volunteers and spectators were awesome,” said Jessie Babcock Williams of Atlanta. “It was so encouraging to see strangers cheering you on. Signs randomly placed along the course and even written in chalk on the course. They may not have been directed at me, but it was encouraging all the same. Well done, PTC!”
Another local runner, Laura Furman Soper, had praise for the race organizers and the community on Monday.
“I have run quite a few big races, and I thought this one was fantastic,” Soper said. “Well-organized and a festive atmosphere. Most of the race (half marathon) was shaded which helped tremendously because the heat and humidity were brutal. One PTC homeowner even held a sprinkler for runners to help cool us off. Near the end of the race another man sat on a stool and played the guitar for us as we ran by.”
Weather for the event was clear but temps climbed into the high 80s with near-100 percent humidity as the morning wore on, presenting challenges to all participants.
The Peachtree City Fire Department reported assisting two people who were transported to the hospital for medical treatment, one for heat exhaustion and another with a broken femur. The department travelled along the route in ATVs, treating about 30 runners for things like cramps and dehydration. Officials reported treating and releasing three for dehydration and three for arrhythmia and cramping. About 100 people lay down or received ice pack treatments at a medical triage tent at the finish line.
More than 400 members of the group Moms Run This Town travelled from across the country and Canada to participate in the race. Members reported one of their group was hit by a large doe that ran out of the woods into a crowded area on the path.
“The deer hit her in the hip and she is fine, but it knocked the deer down,” Melissa Schmidt Conti reported.
The director of the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, Nancy Price, said Monday it was “an amazing weekend.”
“I can’t explain to you how it makes me feel to have been a part of something that affected so many women in a positive way,” Price said. “I love the fact that Divas is empowering to women, but let’s them express their femininity. I guess that was a huge part of the draw for me as it is the way I have lived my life.”
Fleisch praised the many city employees and departments that worked together to make this event successful.
“We now have an organizational structure within the city that meets regularly that emphasizes working together on events,” Fleisch said. “Having a huge success like this gives us momentum and confidence going into our next event. It is safe to say that three years ago we would not have been able to successfully hold the Diva Marathon. The race organizers even commented upon how well all of the city departments worked so well together.“
Mayor Fleisch said the positive feedback from participants about the city was “just incredible.”
“Over and over again people remarked upon how friendly the locals were,” the mayor said. “It was a wonderful way to showcase our city, and I am incredibly proud of how everyone worked together to make it a success.“
