Ahead of 2024 AJC Peachtree Road Race, here’s how doctors recommend staying safe in extreme heat

ATLANTA — As people finish getting ready for this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race, temperatures will be high and the 10K will require more than just endurance.

Channel 2′s Jorge Estevez spoke to a doctor from Piedmont Hostpial who said there are thing runners and walkers need to do before and after the race to stay safe in the heat.

While she said she’s not so much a runner as a walker, Dr. Jayne Morgan, the Executive Director of Health and Community Education at Piedmont said when she walks the Peachtree Road Race, she makes sure to have a strategy.

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“Yes. I’ve been in the Peachtree Road Race for the last two years. And listen, you have to have a strategy and prepare in this type of heat. So make certain that not only are you drinking plenty of fluids, but you are getting electrolytes,” Morgan said.

While normally Morgan said she wouldn’t recommend drinks with so much sugar, the electrolytes in drinks like Powerade or Gatorade are necessary in this type of heat, and with this type of activity.

“Oftentimes I don’t really recommend these types of drinks with the electrolytes because they have so much sugar. But in this case you need to have electrolytes. Make sure you acclimate. Meaning don’t just show up in Georgia to run the race and you’ve never been in this type of heat,” she said.

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Morgan also recommended training and practicing in the heat early to adjust before the race, and to make sure to wear lightweight clothes to help stay cool longer.

After the race, Morgan told Channel 2 Action News that participants should make sure to immediately go to a shaded area and if you’re feeling really warm, dunk some water on yourself or hose yourself down to get cool.

“You can have ice packs under your arms, in your groin, on your neck, on your torso and really make an effort to get into a cool, shady area and cool your body down,” Morgan continued.

Running or walking 6.2 miles for the 2024 AJC Peachtree Road Race can be incredibly taxing and it can take a lot out of you, so Morgan also said to make sure to eat and recharge.

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