You can’t ride the Atlanta Streetcar yet. But you can run a 5K along the track

Check out the route during this weekend’s Run the Rails event.
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If everything had gone according to schedule, we’d all have been riding the Atlanta Streetcar for months now. While the start date for the light rail system is still uncertain, the track, stops, and other infrastructural elements are in place. To promote the (eventual) launch of the system, the City of Atlanta and Central Atlanta Progress are hosting a 5K race along the route this Saturday. The race is sponsored by Siemens, the manufacturer of the streetcars that will (eventually) glide through downtown Atlanta.

Register for the June 21 Run the Rails 5K to track your time and aim for an award. If you prefer to explore the route at a more leisurely pace, you can participate in the Streetcar Stroll, a non-timed tour. Whether running or walking, participants will get a chance to see various sites along the route, from historical landmarks to brand new attractions.

The tour of the route will provide “an up close and personal view of the Center for Civil and Human Rights as well as our 14 new pop-up shops,” points out Wilma Sothern, vice president of marketing at Central Atlanta Progress.

The race will include the Siemens “Baton Pass,” a company-wide project to raise funds for cancer research. Through the program, Siemens makes a $1 donation for every baton pass—done through a special digital baton at events like this weekend’s 5K or virtually through a Facebook app.

The race will start at 8 a.m. at Woodruff Park. Online registration ends at midnight tonight. Registration fees range from $20 to $35. You can register in person at Big Peach Midtown on Thursday, at Woodruff Park on Friday, and at Woodruff Park on the morning of the race. For details see theatlantastreetcarrace.com

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