A throng of runners and their supporters had gathered outside the entrance of SRP Park by 7:30 Saturday morning, for the seventh annual Palmetto Peach trio of marathon runs.
Coordinated by Fleet Feet of Augusta and North Augusta, the Palmetto Peach entails three races, each with their own paths, traversing both South Carolina and Georgia: the Half Marathon, the 5k and the 10k. Some 700 participants registered this year, noted marathon founder and North Augusta Councilwoman Jenafer McCauley, the greatest number of runners in the event’s history.
Undeterred by the cold morning weather, the racers, many of whom had walked downhill from the Medac Parking Deck, congregated at the starting line outside the gates of the stadium, and would run their respective courses through North Augusta, downtown Augusta and eventually to the finish line in the stadium’s outfield.
The half marathon, which started at 8 a.m., took runners through the North Augusta Greenway, across the river onto Reynolds and back around along the Riverwalk before taking them back to the ballpark. The first half marathon runner to reach the finish line was Taylor Myers of Grovetown.
The 5K began at 8:20 a.m., its route guiding racers around the Hammond’s Ferry neighborhood, as did the 10K, launching at 8:15, while also bringing runners across the river, around the Riverwalk and through downtown North Augusta. The first to reach the finish line in the 5K and 10K were Maddox Smith of Evans and Brooks Johnson of Augusta, respectively.
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
