Registration closes on February 22, 2024 at 2:59 AM (EST).
The 2024 USATF Masters 5 km Championships, hosted by Atlanta Track Club at the Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend, will take place Saturday morning, February 24, 2024 in Atlanta, GA. This will be the third consecutive year, and the 5th year since 2017, that the fastest Masters Long Distance Runners in the country head to Atlanta's Home Depot Backyard! You can be sure that the fastest runners from the Atlanta Track Club will turn out to defend their home roads! In 2023, 95 Atlanta Track Club athletes ages 40 to 98 entered the Championship. Don’t miss your chance to compete for a National Championship on this ‘Atlanta Flat’ 5 km course! Atlanta, known as Running City USA, is steeped in athletics tradition. Visit sites from the 1996 Olympic Games and the 2020 Olympic Trials - Marathon. The Atlanta Track Club organizes a first-class championship event. Masters athletes have special access to an improved front starting corral and enjoy a separate start before the larger community race. A large tent specifically for competitors provides a place for athletes to stow gear during warmups and the race, and it serves double duty as the site of post-race awards and breakfast. Enjoy the convenience of flying into Atlanta, taking the MARTA (Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit) to the city center, walk to your hotel, packet pickup, and race start/finish. While visiting Atlanta, consider exploring some of these attractions:
If racing on Saturday isn’t enough for you, there are both the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon and Marathon on Sunday morning. Register and compete again or spectate. Events are not just limited to adults. Perhaps your family can join you on the trip? Youth events and activities take place on Saturday as part of the Publix Atlanta Kids Marathon and its accompanying track and field zone. The Atlanta Children’s Museum, the fountains of Centennial Olympic Park, and multiple playgrounds are also within walking distance of the host hotel.
Hyatt Place Atlanta, Centennial Park 300 Luckie St. NW Atlanta, GA 30313 404.521.0008 $219 for double queen $199 for king https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/ATLZT/G-MST Cut-off is February 2, 2024
Signia by Hilton Atlanta World Congress Center 159 Northside Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30313 Rate - $229 Link: https://book.passkey.com/e/50754176 Located start/finish Cut-off is February 12, 2024 and select "attendee" on the drop down menu.
Packet Pick-up will be on Friday, February 23, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. Noon to 6:00 p.m. ET at the event expo inside the Home Depot Backyard. Parking information will be provided as we get closer to the event. Packets may also be picked up on race day, Saturday, February 24, 2024 from 6:00 a.m. until 6:45 a.m. ET. Details to follow. There is a new staging area for a new course that starts and finishes just down the street at the Home Depot Backyard at Mercedes Benz Stadium. We strongly discourage runners from waiting until Saturday morning to pick up their bib numbers. It is very hectic right before the race. The USATF Clerks will verify team uniforms in the Masters Tent packet pick-up area from 6:30 a.m. until 7:15 a.m. Do not wait until the last minute to verify team uniforms. All team members must be present for team uniform verification. RACE START TIME: 7:30 AM ET 5 km Start Line information is forthcoming. All competitors are responsible for being at the starting line no later than 7:20 am with their competition bib number and age/gender “back” number properly affixed. All USATF Masters Championship runners will start together exactly at 7:30 am. Awards Ceremony: On site after the one-hour Protest Period
We encourage all participants to take MARTA on race morning to avoid traffic delays due to race related street closures. Rail service start times for Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend are as follows:
The frequency will be as follows: both days and both lines (N/S & E/W) will be on a 20 minute headway. Trains will run every 10 minutes between Lindbergh and the Airport. Extra trains will be inserted as needed The extra trains will decrease the headways from 20 to 12 minutes (and 6 minutes between Lindbergh and Airport) during peak periods. The Vine City Station is directly across Northside Drive from the Home Depot Backyard and allows for worry free travel to the event. Be sure to look for FREE Parking at any of the 23 MARTA rail stations.
If MARTA is not an option, there is ample parking in and around the Home Depot Backyard area. Pre-purchased parking is available in the Red, Orange and Silver Decks and the Blue Lot for $10.00 plus fees. All of these decks and lots are adjacent to the Home Depot Backyard:
If you do not pre-purchase parking, we recommend you research parking options and have backup options in mind for race day should your first choice be filled or closed.
Based on USATF 2020 Age-Grading Tables
Starting at Division 40-44 & continuing to the 5-year age division of the oldest finisher.
Divisions: 40+, 50+, 60+, 70+ and 80+.
All Masters athletes must be citizens of the United States and eligible to represent the United States in international competition to be eligible for team scoring and for USATF medals and prize money. Prize money will be awarded to member USATF Masters runners who have appropriately entered the Championship competition. Non-citizens who are USATF members are welcome to compete but may not score for a team nor win USATF medals and prize money. Non-citizens can qualify for Elite Performance Medals. All prize money will be mailed to clubs or individuals following the race. Double and triple dipping is the rule in Master LDR Championships. Winning prize money in one category, such as Age Grading, does not disqualify the athlete from winning in another category, such as Overall or Age Division. Drug Testing: All competitors entered in the USATF Masters 5 km Championships are eligible for “in-competition” drug testing. Any questions regarding prescriptions or other over-the-counter medication should be directed to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) at 1-888-233-0393. If the 2023 USATF Masters 5 km Championships is selected for drug testing, prize money checks will be mailed following our receipt of the drug testing results. The race has no control over when the results of the drug tests are released, and we cannot release the prize money until we have official results as it can directly affect the distribution amounts. Additional Drug Testing information is available here. Additional Information will be posted as it becomes available. Please check back prior to the race.