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More than 500 people are expected to participate in the 18th Annual Atlanta Front Runners Pride Run/Walk on June 28, an event that benefits the Jerusalem House. (Photo by Sher Pruitt)
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HOME > COMMUNITY > SPORTS
By: MATT HENNIE
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IF THERE’S ONE constant concerning sports events unofficially tied to the Atlanta Pride Festival this year, it can be summed up this way: change.
Changes to event lineups, changes to dates and changes to locations.
A year ago, hundreds of gay rugby players, golfers and runners were preparing for a weekend of events. There was the Southern Fried 7’s Rugby Tournament, the 4th Annual Best Ball Scramble Golf Tournament and the 17th Annual Atlanta Front Runners Pride Run/Walk.
But earlier this year, the city of Atlanta put in place new restrictions on where large-scale events could be held, setting off a series of events that ultimately moved Pride to the civic center and shifted it to the July 4th weekend. It also prompted organizers of the sporting events to consider changes as well.
Golf organizers opted to break the event from Pride and move it to early June. The rugby event was put on hold so the Atlanta Bucks Rugby Football Club could take part in the Bingham Cup, gay rugby’s international championships held every other year.
ORGANIZERS OF THE run kept its traditional late June date, but moved it to Ansley Park and away from Grant Park, its home for most of the event’s 18-year history. Shifting it to Pride weekend would put the run a day after the popular Peachtree Road Race on July 4, a conflict they wanted to avoid.
“We think the change to Ansley will be well received,” said Bernie Colligan, president of Front Runners Atlanta. “It’s a beautiful course and it’s just a good spot to start it from.”
Some 500 participants, about the same as 2007, are expected for the 3.1 mile run, which also features a slower-paced walk. But organizers are braced for fluctuations in the number as the date of the run conflicts with Pride celebrations in other cities, it’s not directly tied to Atlanta’s Pride celebration and the route was revamped.
“Either way, you are probably going to lose some people, but we thought it would be good to keep it the traditional weekend,” Colligan said.
The race kicks off from Ansley Mall, winds through the historic neighborhood surrounding the retail center and includes long stretches on Peachtree Circle and the Prado while passing by several small parks. The new route is as hilly as the one around Grant Park, though the hills come earlier and the end provides stretches of down hill and flat runs, according to Mike Spencer, the event’s sponsorship director and a former Front Runners president.
“Ansley is a good change for us,” Spencer said. “The route is beautiful. We are working at creating a bit of festival in the finish area and we have received good support from the merchants at Ansley Mall.”
THE EVENT ALSO serves as a fundraiser for the Jerusalem House, which provides housing for people with HIV/AIDS. Organizers hope to raise $10,000 for the non-profit organization, part of the more than $150,000 the run has raised for charities since its inception in 1990. Sponsors help cover the fixed costs of staging the event, so more of the $20 registration fee goes to the beneficiary, he said.
Front Runners narrowed its beneficiary list from its more typical two groups to one this year to increase the impact of the group’s donation, Colligan said.
“This is taking part in an Atlanta tradition in a beautiful neighborhood and supporting a great cause. It’s a real fun atmosphere to be part of,” he said.
The race also benefits from a crew of volunteers that staff water stations, mile markers, the registration table and finish line.
“Logistically because it is a new route, we have some challenges but we are using extra volunteers to keep people on course,” Spencer said.
Matt Hennie blogs on Atlanta’s gay sports scene at www.gaytlsports.com.
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