I was wondering the best way to run the course with the downhill and then uphills. How are the hills? Like long gradual inclines or super steep & long?
It's a good day for a fun run and not a PR/POT. I did manage to set a 10K PR in 2017, but I would not recommend it. I'm planning on running about 10% slower than what I could do a 10K in under more favorable conditions. With the hills, heat, and humidity (and hangover), 10% slower will still be a medium hard effort, but not near death.
Here are my splits from last year. So anywhere from 30-60 seconds faster than average on miles 1-3, and 20-70 seconds slower on miles 4-6.
Even starting in B, it will be pretty congested for the first 2-3 miles. After that, it's still crowded, but the runners are more sorted by pace.
The course is wide so pay attention to the tangents. It's so crowded, you can't really run the exact tangent, it's more like 'politely running the shortest distance possible'.
Here's an elevation chart (not from ATC):
Here's from my FR235:
And here's how I would describe it:
The first 3 miles are pleasantly rolling downhill. Not the kind of hills that really pound your quads; the kind of hills you can just put it in neutral and coast.
Starting a little before mile 3 is Cardiac Hill. It's a bear. It's also tricky in that you hit that little flat spot and you think you're done. The good news is that it's only about a half mile.
If you need a little boost after CH (or maybe it's the tail end of the hill), move to the right of the course and say hi to the patients from Shepherd Center.
https://www.shepherd.org/
You get a little downhill (which I've never noticed) after CH. But don't let your guard down.
To me, mile 4-5 is the toughest. It's a mile long hill. Not as steep as CH, but longer, plus you're tired.
At about 5.3, it's all (most) all down hill. Somewhere around 5.3-5.5 you make a sharp left turn off of Peachtree. Photographers will be soon after with the finish not far after that.
There are a couple of places on the course where they have sprinklers set up. I try to avoid them to avoid wet shoes.
Make sure and grab a Delta iced towel at the finish. Feels great and makes a handy workout towel. The are generally to the left of the alphabet balloons after you finish.
Some MARTA info that you or others might find useful:
MARTA is the way to go. Round-trip fare is $5.00, but there is a $1.00 charge for the ticket. Seems like we've paid $6.25 or $6.50 in the past. I don't know if all transit systems are like this, but you will need your ticket to get
out of the station. It's a paper ticket and ours have been almost unusable by the finish, so a small zip-loc bag may not be a bad idea.
We like parking at Lindbergh. It has several advantages:
Easy access from the interstate
Plenty of covered parking. The MARTA parking deck entrance is in the rear of the parking deck. Don't mistake the AT&T parking for it.
One stop to Lenox on the northbound gold line.
On the way back, you don't have to worry about which northbound to catch. Both red and gold trains stop at Lindbergh.
This year, it appears there will also be bus service from Piedmont Park to Lindbergh.
Chick-fil-a is handy for a post race coffee/snack/bathroom stop.
LMK if you have questions.
. However i should finish around 8 and we don't leave for the vet till 1 pm. I should have time for 1 beer.
