The Fulton County Marathon is one of the oldest running competitions in the Southeast, having been first held in 1963 at the North Fulton Golf Course. Initially celebrated the weekend before Christmas, it was changed in the mid-1970s to be after the holidays. From 1992 to 1996, it began and ended near the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, and ran north along Piedmont Road (Georgia) 23 to Peachtree Street, before heading south again. The half-marathon course is a continuation of the original Atlanta marathon. It starts on Capitol Avenue, with a turn to Decatur Street, Marietta Street, passing through Centennial Olympic Park, Atlantic Station and Piedmont Park.
Runners then run the last kilometer of the Peachtree in the opposite direction, before jumping to Courtland Street, Irwin Street, and then returning to Decatur Street before running to Capitol Avenue and ending up inside Center Parc Stadium. If you're considering taking part in this marathon, you should be aware that it's a challenging course. I ran it for the third weekend in a row and my legs gave up about 12 miles in. A Little Debbie Honey bun I bought the night before was all that kept me from breaking down!If you're looking for a shorter distance to complement your weekend, there are also 5 km races available. However, these are not mandatory if you can't include them in your travel plans.
