The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
TriPATHlon goal is to raise awareness
The sixth annual race brings attention to cost of maintaining trails.
In 1991, the PATH Foundation, a nonprofit organization, started building a system of scenic greenways in metro Atlanta.
As the PATH celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, a system of linear parks is starting to link the entire city, providing a way to travel, exercise and enjoy the outdoors — on foot, bikes or skates.
The PATH Foundation has developed more than 230 miles of trails throughout Georgia.
The trails include the quiet countryside of the Silver Comet Trail, as well as the South Peachtree Creek Trail with a boardwalk connecting the ballfields of Medlock Park to the historic Decatur Waterworks and the Tennis Center at Mason Mill Park. The PATH Foundation is also one of the key partners of the Atlanta Beltline, a popular loop of parks and trails in the middle of a bustling metropolis.
“The most exciting part for me as someone who lives in the city is the level of connectivity that is coming and coming quickly,” said Brian Cosgray, a board member of the PATH Foundation. “The idea that I will be able to leave my neighborhood in Buckhead and take the PATH to Dunwoody or Centennial Park is very cool.”
Steps are being taken to integrate popular multiuse trails in Buckhead and Sandy Springs into the PATH 400 network.
The Sandy Springs City Council recently greenlighted an agreement with Livable Buckhead and the PATH Foundation to start designing a segment of trail between Loridans Drive and the Glenridge Connector. The 2.1-mile stretch is a critical link between the terminus of the greenway as currently planned and the point where PATH 400 will cross under the soon-to-be-redesigned I-285/Ga. 400 interchange. (Construction on the interchange is projected to start this year and be completed in 2020.) Ultimately, this will allow the PATH 400 to link to the Beltline, the Silver Comet Trail and other regional trails.
On May 1, close to 400 exercise enthusiasts are expected to participate in the sixth annual triPATHlon at Chastain Park. Participants will include a mix of first-time triathletes and those more experienced who will use this intown event as a warmup for a long season of races. Cox Media Group, parent company of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is one of the title sponsors for the race.
Like other races with a common cause, this event brings together a group of athletes of all levels — eager to put a spotlight on the PATH Foundation, which has become a nationally recognized model for trail-building success.
The triPATHlon, considered a sprint event, begins with a 400yard swim in Chastain Park Pool, which is appealing to many firsttime triathletes who may be intimidated by swimming in a lake or river. It is followed by a 15-mile bike course around west Buckhead. It ends with a 5K run on a paved PATH trail that loops around pretty, well-kept Chastain Park. The route along Lake Forest Drive is dotted with benches and has a stream with landscaped banks.
The larger goal of the event is to raise awareness about the PATH Foundation’s mission and the costs involved with building and maintaining the trails. The race is expected to raise between $15,000 and $20,000 — which will be split three ways (among the PATH Foundation, the Chastain Park Conservancy and the Chastain Park Athletic Club).
The triPATHlon will also serve as a grand opening of a PATH trail extension at Chastain Park. Already about 4 miles of trails, the extension will stretch 1 mile on the west side of the park, according to Ed McBrayer, executive director of the PATH Foundation.
When McBrayer first moved back to his hometown of Atlanta about three decades ago after living in Denver, the avid cyclist was so discouraged by the lack of options here for cycling that he parked his bike in the garage and left it there for a few years. But over the years, he has been dedicated to making Atlanta the most connected city in the country, a goal he now sees within reach over the next five years.
McBrayer said his favorite PATH trail is the one at Arabia Mountain, but he also cycles along many other PATH trails including the Silver Comet. (See box on four trails to check out.)