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Annual PTC Classic set for Saturday morning

Clarence Hartley is on a roll. Since he turned 75 this year, he has been setting Georgia state age group records at various distances around the state. He plans to continue his record-setting ways at the upcoming Peachtree City Classic 15K scheduled for this Saturday. The course is conducive to fast times as shown by the fact that so many Georgia state age group records have been set on it. In fact, of the 34 records spanning 17 age groups at the 15 kilometer distance for Georgia state residents, a full 24 of them have been set on the Classic course. The oldest standing record was set in 1986, the most current in 2002.

Hartley began his quest this year when he ran the 24th Cave Spring 5K in 23:36 where he was first in the Age Group 75 and up category and broke the old mark by 1:35. His second record came at the Possum Trot 10K in 49:56 where he was first in the Age Group 75-79 and broke the old mark by over six minutes. Finally, he took another 24 seconds off his own 10K record on the much more difficult and hotter Peachtree Road Race. He intends to go after the current 15K Age group record set on the Classic course in 1999 by Robert Darden from LaGrange with a time of 1:50:38.

Race Director Rose Kempton is quick to point out, “You don’t need to be after a course record or even a personal record to enjoy this event. You just need to be ready to take part in a relaxed fitness event where everyone is encouraged to enjoy themselves and have a good time. The courses are especially conducive to those who prefer to walk as they are very scenic. In fact, the Georgia Athlete magazine has consistently voted the Classic as the best course in the state.”

The race is actually three races, the 15K and a men’s and women’s 5K race. The first race will be the men’s race at 8:50 a.m, followed by the women’s race at 9 a.m. and the 15K at 9:10 a.m. The 15K race also serves as the RRCA National Championship and the USATF State Championship. New to the event this year is the Peachtree City Fitness Challenge, a competition to find the “most fit company,” the “most fit organization” and the “most fit church.” The definition of “most fit” will be the group that has the highest percentage of their employees or members that can finish either of the 5K races or the 15K.

For more information on this year’s races or for detailed results afterwards, visit www.ptcrc.com or e-mail ptcclassic@bellsouth.net. There may be a few last entry spots available. Visit the Pre-Race Expo at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center, Friday, Oct. 15 from 5-9 p.m. for more information.