Every year on July 4, nearly 60,000 people toe the starting line of the AJC Peachtree Road Race beside the Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta, Georgia. Battling hot weather, humidity and sometimes rain, race participants make a 6.2-mile journey through the streets of Atlanta along the famous Peachtree Street for the privilege of saying they competed in the largest 10K in the world – the AJC Peachtree Road Race.
Unlike other run events in the U.S., runners not only experience the sweet relief of completing the course but also are presented with the coveted race t-shirt at the finish line. In order to receive the race t-shirt, one must complete the race. The performance t-shirts made by Mizuno feature a unique design submitted by artist and chosen by a consumer vote. An open call resulted in hundreds of design submissions, and now, the contest has been whittled down to five finalists.
The winning design will not be revealed until race day, after the first person crosses the finish line. There is still time to place your vote. Click here to vote for your favorite design. Voting closes on March 22.
Cheryl Totty (Duluth, GA) – “Rubber Stamp”
Barry Nation (Atlanta, GA) – “Parade”
Shay Harbaugh (Cumming, GA) – “Heart & Sole”
Bart Sasso (Atlanta, GA) – “The Hustle”
Yu Li Choe (Pearl City, HI) – “Footrace”
So, how does one create a top T-shirt design for such a monumental race? We asked all five finalists about the inspiration for their outstanding work – and a little bit about their personal experience in the running scene.
What was your inspiration for your t-shirt design?
Cheryl Totty: I was a finalist for last year’s contest as well, and that design was unlike a lot of others in that it did not have a peach image nor a running image of any sort. I thought it was a strong design, but as I read people’s comments on the Atlanta Track Club Facebook page, it seemed at least having one of those elements was important to people as they are considering what appeals to them in a design for Peachtree. I took that into account this year … try to give the people what they want. As I was scrolling through the different fonts, I found one that had an old-fashioned/traditional feel that I liked. Since I was trying to continue the “tradition” of having a peach in the design, I decided to make it look a little distressed and vintage, like an old rubber stamp … the kind they used to mark warehouses boxes.
Barry Nation: My design “Parade” was inspired by the “parade” of humanity that exemplifies the race, along with the traditional July 4th themes of bunting and flags lining the streets.
Shay Harbaugh: I was inspired by the words “pride,” “heart” and “soul.” The colors I used symbolize pride, not only for our great country, but for the pride we share for our state. To illustrate heart and soul, I did a play on words. The peach representing “heart” and, naturally, the sole of the shoe representing “soul.” With every step the runners take in the race, they are putting their heart and soul into getting closer to the finish line. I also added a grunge texture to give the design a slight edgy element that can also resemble the texture of the road that the runners will be running on.
Bart Sasso: I’m an illustrator by trade, so, naturally, I wanted to create a completely hand-drawn design. Running the race itself is a lot of fun, too; I wanted to capture that sentiment with a whimsical graphic.
Yu Li Choe: My inspiration was the basic idea of what a race was. I didn’t want to include a figure because that would exclude people, so I thought instead what everyone had in common: feet!
Have you ever run in the AJC Peachtree Road Race? If so, can you describe the experience?
Cheryl Totty: Last year was my first time to run it. I only started running in August of 2014. I found out quickly that I struggle greatly in the high humidity of the south. Honestly, I was dreading running it because of how hot and humid it can be on July 4. Of course, it poured down rain almost the entire race, so at least it kept things cooler. I have to admit, it is a bit overwhelming to run alongside that many people, but it was well-organized, even with the rain and mud pit at the finish.
Bart Sasso: Yes, I’ve run the race several times, and it’s by far my favorite yearly Atlanta event. Running down the middle of Peachtree Road with 60,000 other people is a pretty surreal experience. The energy is just incredible, and after you finish, you have a whole day of 4th of July festivities ahead of you.
If you win, what will it be like to have 60,000 people wearing your t-shirt design?
Cheryl Totty: Of course, it would be amazingly awesome, but I have a feeling I’d want to stop everyone I saw wearing one to tell them I designed that!
Barry Nation: If I win, I won’t believe it. I’m sure I’ll be proud if the design wins, but I haven’t thought that far ahead. I still can’t believe my design is a finalist.
Shay Harbaugh: The thought of 60,000 people wearing my design is insane and would be such a huge honor!
Bart Sasso: I honestly can’t imagine seeing that many people wearing a shirt I designed. Winning this contest has been on my “design bucket list” as long as I’ve known about it, so I’m guessing the whole experience would be pretty amazing.
Yu Li Choe: All I can say is that if I did win, it’d be pretty cool to see my design running around.
If you win, your t-shirt design will be featured on a Mizuno shirt. Do you have a favorite Mizuno product?
Cheryl Totty: I am a runner, but my favorite Mizuno product is a softball glove I had a few years ago. I can assure you that if my design wins, this year’s Mizuno race shirt will definitely become my favorite.
Bart Sasso: I played baseball growing up and still have and use my Mizuno first baseman’s mitt. Best glove I ever owned.