Atlanta Track Club announced that hip hop legend Darryl “DMC” McDaniels is slated to perform on the eve of the upcoming Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race on Friday, July 3.
The appearance by the Run-DMC founding member, presented through a partnership between Atlanta Track Club and adidas, is part of a series of pre-race events (which also includes the Peachtree Health & Fitness Expo and the Northside Hospital Peachtree Junior race) that registered runners can check out before the annual 10K marathon.
McDaniels, along with his groupmates Joseph Simmons and Jason Mizell, established Run-DMC back in 1983, becoming one of the most renowned acts in hip hop history with popular tracks like “It’s Tricky” and “It’s Like That.”
“The Peachtree has always been more than just the race,” said Rich Kenah, chief executive officer of Atlanta Track Club and race director of the Peachtree. “Welcoming DMC — an artist whose influence on music, style and culture continues to resonate across generations — into this moment makes it especially meaningful.”
DMC’s set (which is free for road race participants) is scheduled to take place at Lenox Square at 8:30 p.m. and will be followed by a fireworks show.
For the event, Atlanta Track Club is closing down the stretch of Peachtree Road that extends between Lenox Parkway and Lenox Road, a decision that the running club says will will create a “walkable, festival-like environment leading into race day” — in addition to giving organizers the opportunity to set up the road race’s starting line.
Prior to the race, participants will also get the chance to gather under the truss of the start line and take photos, said Atlanta Track Club.
The 57th running of the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race is happening on Saturday, July 4, with registration available on the Atlanta Track Club website.
