Snellville Opens Georgia Cup Running Series

It didn't take long for Georgia Cup organizers to decide on Snellville.

Race organizer James Lowe had known Joe Burnett, executive director of Snellville Tourism and Trade Association, for some time. They'd worked together in other events in other cities.

So, when Burnett came over to Snellville to lead the burgeoning tourism and trade group in 2010, the two men kept in touch. In January, they began working to pull Snellville into a new venture for Georgia Cup: its first half-marathon race series.

"We're on the ground floor of something that we hope will grow," Burnett said. "It's a great way to promote ourselves into the larger metro area, getting people used to driving out this way for our events and for fun and recreation."

Snellville is already host to one other half-marathon, held in February. That race brought nearly 3,000 participants this year. The new Georgia Cup race is expected to bring at least 2,000 participants, according to Snellville city and tourism officials. It will begin and end at on June 18.

"With the successful Run on the Reagan, Snellville was perfect for another half (marathon)," said Lowe, a Peachtree Corners resident and father of four girls.

Georgia Cup is most known for its preeminent bike racing series that has attracted thousands of riders since starting in 2003. It is now considered the nation's largest bike race series. Lowe said it made sense to branch out to other events.

"After reviewing the landscape of running in metro Atlanta, half-marathons with a 5K option was the biggest opportunity," he said. "Creating a cohesive series of professionally managed half marathons and 5Ks under one brand gives runners consistency and convenience from online communication to race day operations."

Snellville leads a four-city tour of the new half-marathon series, which will bring two other races to Gwinnett County in October. Those two venues have not been finalized, but a Sept. 24 race will be in Grantville, Ga., Lowe said.

Burnett said that the event is different from other races that have come through Snellville. One of the biggest difference being that this new race is not so much a spectator race. It begins at 7:30 a.m.

Racers will also be treated to custom technical T-shirts, finisher pins, awards and a professional announcer at the finish arch at Bricoe Park.

"I think the runners that are enticed to come out to Snellville to run this race will be impressed and pass that on to their friends," Burnett said.

"For a small city to have a park like Briscoe is just very unusual," he added.

Lowe believes the Georgia Cup-Snellville marriage will be a good one. While bringing attention to Snellville, the race will promote healthy lifestyles and help fight cancer with donations to the American Cancer Society, he said.

"As many of us, cancer has hit my family hard, and I respectfully appreciate all those in the fight," Lowe said, "in particular the strong families of those affected."

Online registration closes June 11. Information on the race, including the course, can be found here. In addition, there is a mail-in form for the event.

Snellville Tourism and Trade Association is also looking for event sponsors and volunteers for this and other upcoming events. Contact the association, via its website.