Hi, Atlanta!

Growing up, July 4 meant one thing in my household: the Peachtree Road Race. My father ran it every year for 37 years in a row. He’d start early on race morning, collecting friends and neighbors in his pick-up truck and dropping us at the start line. His enthusiasm for running brought people from all walks of life together for finish-line beers and water.

This year, my brother and I will be carrying the family tradition forward, albeit at slightly different paces. To my father, your time never mattered: The most important thing was the joy of moving with friends and strangers-who-would-become-friends in what has become the world’s largest 10K.

To the Atlanta Track Club, movement – whether running, walking, or wheeling – is a road to better public health.

“We’re on a mission to make Atlanta the healthiest city in the country,” said Natalie Cabanas, the club’s director of marketing and communications. “Exercise … reduces the risk of chronic disease, improves mental health, fights isolation, and helps people reconnect with themselves and their communities. And when we move together, we heal together.”

Cabanas reiterated my father’s inclusive spirit: “To anyone who’s had a fitness lapse or doesn’t know where to begin: This race is for you. You don’t need to be fast or experienced. You just need to start.”

The track club refers to the Peachtree as a “gateway race,” an event that can help people take their first steps back into movement. It’s been that for me this year, as I get back into running as a way to connect with my late father.

“We have walkers, runners, and first-timers from age 11 to 96,” Cabanas said. “They cheer each other on, high-five strangers, and celebrate together. …It’s about showing up. That kind of unity is rare — and deeply needed.”

See you at the starting line!