Spring is Here! Atlanta Races to Run in April

I grew up in Florida, so I’ve never been fond of winter weather. While Mother Nature is inching her way to spring (enough already with the rain and gloomy skies), the calendar is showing lots of road races for runners. Here’s a list of intown events to check out:

Run for Success – April 3
The women’s engineering and technical sciences sorority, Alpha Omega Epsilon, is hosting this inaugural 5K at the Georgia Tech campus. The race benefits Dress for Success which helps low-income women dress professionally for job interviews. The race course starts and ends at the intersection of Atlantic and Ferst.

Run Before You Crawl – April 10
Running + Pub Crawl = Great Fun. Yes, the businesses of East Atlanta have created a truly unique event. The 5K race begins at 9:00 a.m. and the pub crawl starts at 10:30. As the event site states, why not replenish the calories you burned on the run with a beer (or more).

Sweetwater 420 Fest 5K – April 17
The annual Sweetwater 420 Festival delivers a weekend of music, good beer, and environmental activism. The race starts at a weekend-friendly time of 11:00 a.m. and the course travels through the Candler Park neighborhood. Proceeds benefit the Candler Park Neighborhood Organization.

Dow Live Earth Run for Water – April 18
Pemberton Place (next to the World of Coke) plays host to this global 6K event – road races, music and water education activities will take place in a 192 countries. Why a 6K? According to the event site, women and children in Africa walk on average 6 kilometers to access safe drinking water. The big draw to this event may be the post-race concert featuring Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas. A portion of the registration fees will support Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Global Water Challenge.

Take Back the Night – April 24
This Decatur event raises funds for the Dekalb Rape Crisis Center. The 1-mile run starts at 5:00 p.m. and the 5K kicks-off at 5:30 p.m. The race takes place at Agnes Scott College (ASC) and the course runs through the neighborhoods of Oakhurst and East Lake before ending back at ASC. Sign-up online or at Big Peach Running Company.

The Green Dash: Atlanta’s Earth Day 5K – April 24
Head to Piedmont Park to join fellow Atlantans celebrating Earth Day. Runners can register at Phidippides’ Ansley Park store or online at Active.com. The race is limited to the first 1,000 runners. Proceeds benefit the Piedmont Park Conservancy.