Tony Kim, 31, of Johns Creek crossed the finish line first at the 2nd Annual Old Peachtree Blaze 5K on Sept. 12 at Suwanee Town Center Park.
Kim completed the course in 19 minutes and 55 seconds, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post. Anneke Dekker, a first-year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine student at PCOM Georgia from Durham, N.C., led the women's field with a time of 21:22.
The race drew 299 runners and walkers, according to PCOM Georgia, the Suwanee-based medical school that organized the event. That total nearly doubled the 169 participants who showed up for the inaugural race.
Runners warmed up with a yoga session led by Sathya Yoga Wellness before the starting gun. They ran in the rain.
"The energy was incredible, even in the rain," said Kim Lucier, director of campus operations at PCOM Georgia and race committee chair. Lucier said 30 students, faculty and staff members volunteered at the event, and organizers let the campus community vote on this year's race shirt design as a way to get involved early.
Beyond the race itself, the event offered blood pressure checks, wellness resources, healthy snacks and a visit from the campus's simulated ambulance. PCOM Georgia said friends, family and pets came out to cheer on participants.
Proceeds support the PCOM Georgia Community Wellness Initiative, known as CWI. The program provides free health screenings and wellness education across Gwinnett County and surrounding communities. It also gives PCOM Georgia's medical students hands-on clinical experience outside the classroom.
Race sponsors included Georgia Power, Fifth Third Bank, Coca-Cola, Piedmont Eastside and the City of Suwanee, among others.
PCOM Georgia has not announced a date for a third annual race.
