Typical race-weekend conditions
Hot & showery- High / Low
- 30° / 21°
- Humidity
- 77%
- Rainy days
- 63%
Expect real heat. Plan your hydration and pacing.
Averages from ~10 years of history around race day.
Know before you go
- Distance
- 10 km (6.2 miles)
- ✈️ From London
- ~9h30
- 🕐 Time
- -5h vs UK
- 💷 Money
- £1 ≈ $1.34
- 🗣 Language
- English
- 🌫 Air quality
- Fair
- 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+
- Welcoming
- 🛡 Safety
- Caution
Country-level indices: LGBTQ+ via Equaldex · safety via Global Peace Index 2025 . Air quality is recent PM2.5; money is indicative.
The route
The race runs down Peachtree Street from Buckhead to Piedmont Park, taking in the notorious uphill Cardiac Hill past Piedmont Hospital. It finishes in Piedmont Park amid a huge Independence Day party for 60,000 finishers.
Course elevation
Cardiac Hill is the named climb: Atlanta Track Club describes it as rising about 12 storeys over less than a mile, near mile 3 between Peachtree Battle and Collier Road, by Piedmont Hospital. The course has a net drop overall, but this hill is the one that counts. Confirm the current elevation map on the official course page.
Entry fee
Indicative entry is £45 per runner. Confirm the current bib price on the official site; ballot, charity, and tour prices can differ. The weekend total (hotel, travel, extras) sits in the estimator, not in the bib price.
Where to stay
Midtown puts you near the Piedmont Park finish and MARTA; Buckhead is handy for the start line.
Getting there
Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) connects to Midtown on the MARTA rail line in about 25 minutes; race morning, most runners ride MARTA to the start.
That weekend
A big two-day expo at the Georgia World Congress Center hands out the coveted finisher's T-shirt; the weekend caps off with Fourth of July fireworks across the city.
Who it's for
America's Fourth of July 10K: 10 km (6.2 miles), tens of thousands on Peachtree Street, Cardiac Hill, Piedmont Park finish. Built for runners who want a festival more than a time trial, and who will fly long-haul for it. Midtown and MARTA are straightforward; July heat is not. Skip it if you need a fast, cool, cheap European 10K. Non-runners get the fireworks weekend without standing on Peachtree Street at dawn.
Sample 4-day trip
Arrive, explore, race, then head home. A proper weekend, not a rushed fly-by.
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Day 1: Arrive
Fly into Atlanta (ATL). MARTA rail reaches Midtown in about 25 minutes. Public transport works well. Book a private transfer for late arrivals.
Check into Midtown near Piedmont Park . July 4th weekend means book early.
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Day 2: Shakedown Run and Explore the City
Collect your bib and finisher T-shirt at the Peachtree expo at Georgia World Congress Center . The shirt is part of the ritual.
Jog an easy shakeout in Piedmont Park. Afternoon for Georgia Aquarium or World of Coca-Cola . Early dinner: race morning starts early on July 4th.
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Day 3: Race Day
Sixty thousand runners down Peachtree Street from Buckhead to Piedmont Park. MARTA to the start is the usual move. Cardiac Hill past Piedmont Hospital is the famous sting.
Finish in the park amid a huge Independence Day party. Fireworks cap the weekend. Keep celebrating local.
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Day 4: Final Day
Recovery brunch and a slow Midtown wander. MARTA back to ATL works, but leave margin after a humid 10K.
Three nights covers expo, race, and fireworks without a same-day flight.
What drives the cost
The flight to ATL is the line that dominates a UK trip; entry is cheap. Fourth of July Midtown hotels are the second lever. Three nights covers expo, race-morning MARTA, and fireworks without a same-day transatlantic. Stay in Midtown for the finish or Buckhead for the start. Aquarium and Coca-Cola tours are optional; heat and hotel dates are what blow the estimate.
