ATLANTA - December 14, 2023 - When is a T-shirt not just a T-shirt? When it's the one awarded to finishers of the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Piedmont Park on July 4.
And when is a contest not just a contest? When it's the one to choose the winning design for that T-shirt, which will be worn by more than 50,000 finishers of Atlanta's iconic Fourth of July tradition.
Atlanta Track Club is now accepting submissions for the 2024 AJC Peachtree Road Race T-Shirt Contest. Artists have until February 9 to submit up to three designs that could appear on the coveted shirt. Submissions can be made via the Club's website.
For the first time, the contest features a prize purse of $11,500. In addition to having their artwork displayed on a T-shirt that is prized not only in the moment but over the decades, the winning designer will also take home $5,500 in honor of the Peachtree's 55th running and have their achievement memorialized in a commemorative Atlanta Journal-Constitution front page. The second- and third-place vote-getters will receive $3,500 and $2,500, respectively.
"AJC Peachtree Road Race winners go down in history, and so do the artists who come up with the winning T-shirt design," said Rich Kenah, race director and CEO of Atlanta Track Club. "The contest winner earns a unique claim to fame that's multiplied by 50,000 runners and walkers, all proudly displaying their design for years to come."
A panel of judges from Atlanta Track Club, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Atlanta running and walking community will narrow the hundreds of expected submissions down to five. Artists will be judged on rules and requirements that include the number of colors allowed, how well the history of the event is portrayed and how the design will print on technical fabric.
The public will be invited to cast their vote for the finalists throughout March at ajc.com/Peachtree. Following tradition, the winning design won't be revealed until the morning of July 4, after the first race finisher has crossed the line.
The 55th Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race will be held on Thursday, July 4, 2024, starting at Lenox Square and finishing in Piedmont Park. Guaranteed registration for Atlanta Track Club members opens March 1, with members receiving the lowest price as well as placement in Start Waves A-M. Registration for non-members will open on March 8 and will be on a first-come, first-served basis until the event reaches capacity.