Peachtree Road Race communications

On July 4, 2026, more than 50 ARES amateur radio operators from around the metro Atlanta area turned out to support the 2026 Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race, the largest 10K in the United States. DeKalb ARES members were part of that team, staffing positions along the race course and at the finish area alongside operators from neighboring counties.

ARES worked side by side with the Atlanta Track Club, Grady EMS, Emory CEPAR, Atlanta Fire Rescue, the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency (AFCEMA), and the U.S. National Weather Service office in Peachtree City. Together the group provided race communications and took Wet Bulb readings along the course and at the finish area, the Meadow in Piedmont Park, helping to improve the safety of everyone taking part.

Why the Wet Bulb readings matter

Wet Bulb Globe Temperature combines heat, humidity, sun, and wind into a single heat-stress index. Race medical teams use it to decide when to raise the event’s heat-risk flags and adjust operations. On a July 4 morning in Atlanta, feeding those readings to the Medical Branch in real time helps organizers protect runners and volunteers from heat illness before it becomes an emergency. The same job is done at the Atlanta Marathon in March, where medical stations log Wet Bulb readings every 15 minutes throughout the event.

Thanks

A job well done by everyone in the Medical Branch. A big thank you to the Atlanta Radio Club and the Georgia Tech Radio Club for the use of their repeaters to support the event.

Metro Atlanta ARES shared photos and a recap of the day on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HMdy9Pqku/

For a closer look at what race-day communications involves operationally, from Net Control and SAG, PACE, and MOTO units to aid stations and voice-plus-APRS dispatch, see the Atlanta Marathon after-action from earlier this year.