1 A common golfer cannot play in the Masters or British Open with the world’s best-known golfers, nor can the average tennis player play against the world’s best at Wimbledon. No teenager just learning to drive can bank the turns with professional drivers at the Daytona 500. However, in the sport of road racing, common people and novice joggers can lace up and be in the same race as the world-class runners competing to win it all. The Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA is the world’s largest 10K, boasting 55,000 runners who line up for blocks at 7:30am to run down Atlanta’s most famous street. Only a handful, however, really have a legitimate chance to win the prestigious crystal peach and the $15,000 first place prize that comes with it. The Peachtree Road Race is unique as a road race in three distinctive ways: it is run on the 4th of July, it has a rich tradition, and it is the most competitive 10K in the world. 2 One thing that makes the Peachtree Road Race special is that it takes place each year on Independence Day. (1) American flags are waved down Peachtree Street, and nearly everywhere red, white, and blue is seen. Many runners choose to wear stars-and-stripes as a part of their racing outfit, but no one is allowed to wear costumes in this serious race. That means no Statues of Liberty are officially allowed running down the road, as with other large festive races such as the Bay-to-Breakers 12K in San Francisco. (2) Because the Peachtree is run on a holiday, most people have the day off. (3) They either run the race or cheer on the runners from either side of the street. There are tens of thousands of spectators all along the course. 3 Not only is the race special because it takes place on a special day, but it also has a rich, over three-decade tradition. While the Boston Marathon can declare it is the oldest road race in America, few 10K’s can claim they’ve been around longer than the Peachtree Road Race. (4) The race began modestly in 1970. (5) There were only 110 people in the race. By 1980, just