Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race

The organiser describes the course in two sentences. The 10K starts in Buckhead, heads south on Peachtree Road and turns left at 10th Street; the finish line is at 10th Street and Charles Allen Drive. In its words the 6.2 miles take runners “from the streets of Buckhead to the corners of Midtown, finishing in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park”.

In 2026 there were mile marker signs on both sides of the road, water, first aid and portable toilets at five aid stations (electrolytes only at the finish), and more than a dozen bands, DJs and dance crews along the way.

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The Peachtree starts high and runs downhill. The road reaches its highest point, 310 m, at km 1.3, and from there it falls 56 m to 254 m at km 4.4. That is where the organiser puts Cardiac Hill: “the famous hill near Peachtree Battle just before Mile 3”, which is km 4.8. From there the road climbs about 26 m in 1.2 km, to 281 m at km 6.0. After a short dip it rises again to 295 m at km 8.6 and then runs down to the finish at 282 m, about 18 m below the start.

The organiser’s own course map prints 347 ft (106 m) of ascent and 413 ft (126 m) of descent, and a profile that runs from 806 ft (246 m) to 1,017 ft (310 m). The road itself climbs about 54 m in all; a watch adds up every short rise and reads higher. Both agree on the shape: net downhill, and one hill that matters.

Measured

The 2026 race was the 57th running, and the organiser expected more than 55,000 runners and walkers. It ran a rolling start: the first seeded wave left at 6:50 a.m., waves followed about every five minutes, and the start line closed at 8:30 a.m. The finish line closed at 10:30 a.m., which is a 21-minute-mile pace from the start-line closing time.

Waves were performance-based. A 5K or 10K result from a USATF-certified course since 1 January 2024, submitted at registration, set the wave; runners who sent no time were placed in later waves.

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The race is run on 4 July, so the weather is the variable. The organiser’s FAQ says that before the 2026 race “forecasts called for high temperatures and humidity”, and that as part of its Event Alert System, participants at increased risk for heat-related illness, or worried about finishing safely, were encouraged to consider the virtual option. Runners who stayed home could still send in a virtual time afterwards and receive an official result and the finisher’s shirt.

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