Atlanta Galleria Now

US 10K Classic Family Festival

The US 10k Classic Family Festival is just 3 days away! At the Atlanta Galleria, we are excited to host the official race expo for the US 10k Classic in the Galleria Gardens. This event is free and open to the public so we invite you to come out this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m.

The Family Festival is the last chance for registered runners to pick up their race packets and timing chips. Registration also is available for those who want to sign up. (There will be no race-day registration or packet pick-up.)

In addition to serving as a one-stop-shop for all of your race needs, the festival also features the Kid’s Classic Races  (starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday), an artists market, huge kids’ area, interactive displays, prizes and bargains on apparel and fitness gear from local sponsors and vendors.

The US 10K Classic and the Family Festival raise awareness and funds for children’s charities in Georgia and for the future development of the World Children’s Center.

The title sponsor of the Family Festival is Infinite Energy, a Florida-based natural gas supplier with a local office in Marietta. This is the first year IE has sponsored the Family Festival and 10K Classic, but the company has worked with the World Children’s Center in the past and is passionate giving back to its Georgia customer base.

“Infinite Energy is proud to be a sponsor of the Family Festival and US 10K Classic to help the World Children’s Center raise funds and build homes for children who are orphaned, homeless or neglected,” said Carlos Guzman, marketing manager for Infinite Energy. “All children need a loving home, education and good health to become a productive part of the community and grow to be the leaders of our next generation. We are happy to be a part of such a great cause.”

We are getting excited at the Atlanta Galleria for this weekend’s festivities and we hope to see you there!

 

Love the Run You're With

The US 10K Classic was the first race Donna Leach ever attended with her now fiancé Bill Zaryski, a running enthusiast with 20 marathons and 22 half marathons under his belt. The couple connected online, then met in person in August of last year.  They were engaged (on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, where they were getting ready to run together) in December. They’ll be running the Classic together this year—and likely many more races in the future. They plan to marry November 20.

At Atlanta Galleria, we’re excited about the US 10 K Classic on Labor Day!  It is great to have the premier race in our backyard, and the Family Festival will take place at the Galleria Gardens on the Saturday and Sunday before the race. This outdoor entertainment festival is the last chance for registered runners to pick up their race packets and timing chips.

Registration for the race is open online at www.us10k.org until today. Mail-in registration forms are available at Chick-fil-A, Publix and Big Peach Running Company. There also will be registration during the Family Festival, but there is no registration on race morning.

The story of Donna and Bill warmed our hearts, and Donna graciously agreed to share her story with us.

What is your running background?

I was a runner when I was younger, but suffered from bad knees and inadequate training. I ran the Peachtree Road Race in 1985 and had to be carried to the medical tent at the end. That experience steered me toward lower impact sports, but I kept walking for exercise, and have now been testing the roads again with running under the guidance of my fiancé’s training. Inspired by his daughter running cross-country in high school, Bill started running about nine years ago at the ripe age of 50. Since then he has run more than 12,000 miles and completed more than 150 races including 20 marathons and 22 half marathons.

Have you run the U.S. 10K Classic before?

This will be Bill's seventh 10K Classic. It is one of his favorite races and was the very first race that I attended with him. I did not run it then, but the festive spirit of the race encouraged me to seriously consider training properly so I could participate this year.

How do you train for races?

Bill follows the Hanson Brothers marathon training plan with many races sprinkled in through out the year. He has followed a few other plans through the years but likes this one best.  I just follow Bill’s advice, which seems to be working well for me so far. We have run several 5Ks together and the Peachtree Road Race. We run and walk together as much as time allows, usually along the Chattahoochee River. Running is a blessing for both of us because it keeps us active and it’s something we enjoy doing together. We plan to do it for a long, long time!

The US 10K Classic and Family Festival

At Atlanta Galleria, we’re excited about the upcoming US 10K Classic, the premier multi-event race in the country. The Labor Day race brings runners, walkers, inline skaters, professional cyclists and wheelchair athletes together for a single cause: to raise awareness and funds for children’s charities in Georgia and for the future development of the World Children’s Center. The race begins on US-41 in front of Cumberland Mall, continues northbound on US-41 and ends at Six Flags White Water Park.

The Family Festival —on the Saturday and Sunday before the race—will be held in Galleria Gardens. On those days, runners can pick up their packets, kids can participate in races just for them and there will be other fun family activities.

If you want to participate, register now! The last day of online registration is August 30. Mail-in registration forms are available at Chick-fil-A, Publix and Big Peach Running Company. There also will be registration during the Family Festival, but there is no registration on race morning.

Because we are so proud of our connection to this phenomenal event, we are planning to blog about a number of race topics over the next couple weeks (race is 10 days away), so stay tuned. Also check us out on Facebook and Twitter. If you are training and plan to participate in the race, we’d love to hear from you.

Check out the  Classic's  "Don't be a Dan" commercial that airs on Comcast and WXIA.