Wow! Almost 700 runners, walkers, volunteers, and sponsors gathered enthusiastically in Gordon White Park last Saturday for our second annual Atlanta BeltLine Running Series Southwest 5k. This is the first Running Series event to completely sell out with over 640 participants – a 50 percent increase over last year’s Southwest 5k!
With radio station Wild 105.7’s Checka Cee energizing the crowd with music and commentary, race participants lined up to get their bib numbers and to start warming up. Midtown Wellness Center led the official group warm-up to get everyone loosened up and ready for a fast-paced race.
A week of rain, soft ground, mud, and a small pond added to the off-road running adventure on the old railroad corridor, but runners and walkers took it all in stride.
Runners lined up in the old railroad corridor facing the tunnel under Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. After a short jaunt on the interim hiking trail, the course turned onto the West End Trail and then through the historic West End and Westview neighborhoods.
Incorporated into the race was a scavenger hunt alongside Art on the Atlanta BeltLine sculptures and murals. Runners dropped two tags from their race bib number into buckets that entered them into a drawing for prizes from the Wren’s Nest, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Ballet, Midtown Wellness Center, and more.
Congratulations to all the runners and walkers who completed the Atlanta BeltLine Southwest 5k! The overall winners were:
Male:
1st – Wil Cramer – 16:23
2nd – Woody Dover – 17.28
3rd – Jeff Moore – 18:02Female:
1st – Lauren Blankenship – 18:47
2nd – Lina Ngyuyen – 19:21
3rd – Lisa Dillman – 20:03Team Winners:
Fastest Team – Team CDC – $150 cash prize
Largest Team – Back on My Feet – $200 cash prize
Most Spirited Team – Team St. Anthony – $150 cash prize
You’ll find the age-group and overall results here! View photos of the race on the Atlanta BeltLine Running Series facebook page and on our Running Series website.
Stay tuned for when we open up registration for the Eastside 10k with a new course along the Eastside Trail and the return of the tailgate challenge!
A special thanks goes out to our twitter team, too! To see photos on twitter and instagram, look for the hashtags #atlantabeltlinesw5k and #runatlbeltline. Follow the Atlanta BeltLine Running Series @runatlbeltline.
