Cedartown’s Wheelchair Race to make return in summer 2017

The 2017 Cedartown Wheelchair 5K and Camp traditionally held prior to the Peachtree Road Race is returning in 2017 after taking a year off for the Rio Paralympics held this past September.

Dave Grove, pastor of Cedartown First Presbyterian Church and lead organizer for the race, said one important change is being made to the race schedule this year: instead of holding it on a Tuesday night, he said organizers are making preliminary plans to move it closer to Atlanta’s annual road race.

“With Peachtree Road Race being on Tuesday this coming year, it doesn’t make sense for us to have our traditional Tuesday night race the week before,” he said.

Though nothing has been set in stone yet, Grove said his annual tradition of having something unique for each year’s race will continue. He said he’s still working out the details before he wants to make any announcements, but ultimately the main portion of the camp and race schedule will

remain in place, if not moved around on the calendar a bit.

Grove said that the 2017 race is hopeful for a good turnout from the track and field paralympic athletes who competed more than a month ago for medals in Brazil. He said those who traditionally come to the race, like area racer Krige Schabort and others from the U.S. Track and Field team will be on hand.

He also expects a larger group of international athletes to participate as well.

And for those who do traditionally compete in Cedartown, they took home some 52 perecnt of the medals in gold, silver and bronze combined in the Paralympic track and field events.

“It really speaks to the quality of the athletes we have coming to visit us here,” he said.

Grove said that fans should expect to hear more about the 2017 local race plans in the spring months ahead of the Atlanta race weekend, which will be held on Tuesday, July 4, 2017.

He also presented initial plans to the Cedartown City Commission on their Oct. 10, 2016 regular session.

Those interested in participating in the camp can e-mail Grove for more information at cedartown5k@aol.com.