Volunteers Keep Peachtree Road Race on Track

Peachtree Road Race volunteer Elaine Wynn of East Point always works at the pre-start water station at Phipps Plaza.

A race volunteer for eight years, Wynn says, "I enjoy the people, I enjoy getting them water. I give them a big 'ol smile and say, have a great race."

She says she was watching the 6 o'clock news one night when she heard an announcement that the Atlanta Track Club was seeking volunteers and thought "That's something that I'd like to do."

Wynn is among a group of 3,400 volunteers who keep the Peachtree Road Race going, handing out water, organizing runners at the starting line and helping with the media. While runners talk about their "runner's high," volunteers receive a special satisfaction from their contribution to the world's largest 10K.

Some volunteers have been doing it for years, also running the race after their volunteer stint is done. Steve Henson of Atlanta has been a volunteer for 18 or 19 years and a runner for 20. He likes the early morning scene at the start area and watching the wheelchair runners take off.

In contrast, Scott Rosenberg, working at the Phipps water station, said this was his first year as a volunteer. "I love it," he said. "I've had a great time today."

Volunteering had a special significance for Rosenberg, who recovered from brain surgery last year and has just returned to Atlanta after getting his law degree at Syracuse.

"I've always wanted to be a part of the race, but I was never conditioned to be a runner," he said. "Then it occurred to me that I would volunteer."

In so doing, he joins a special group that keeps the Peachtree going smoothly.