We actually stay in Buckhead for PRR and walk down to the start and then take MARTA back to the Buckhead station. MARTA is pretty easy because most of 60,000 runners are on it, so it's not so sketchy. For us, the worst part of riding back to the hotel afterward is the sweaty runner smell! LOL When DH started running Peachtree and our boys were young (25-30? years ago), we always stayed two nights and went to the party and fireworks at Lenox Square Mall on July 4. I think the fireworks now are now only at Centennial Park. Also, if you are not in a rush to leave Piedmont Park, I always meet DH at The Tavern (because he is faster and in an earlier "wave" than I am), but it is extremely crowed and hard to find people. He has time to have a beer or two before I get there!
I really like the Atlanta 10 miler. It runs from Atlantic station, up/down Peachtree Street, through Botanical Gardens/Piedmont park area and back into Atlantic Station. Some group "adopts" each mile, and has some theme with a "chear squad" in costumes/ with music or signs/ high fiving/ etc. It's hilly because it's in Atlanta, but for the last two years, we ran DOWN cardiac hill instead of up it like PTRR does, so don't look at maps from more than 2 years ago. And it's longer than 10k so it's challenging enough to make the travel worth it, but not a half, so, well, not too taxing. The smaller crowd makes a big difference too. I think it was between 45-49* this October, so we stayed in the lobby of the hotel until just before start time, we got in our wave (C?) and I said something about time for the national anthem, but discovered we had already missed it! Anyway, there was only about 5-10 minutes of waiting before we started. Lots of people were waiting in the lobby -- and there is a Starbucks right there! So if you drive in that morning and park in the parking deck, you can still go in to get your coffee. Shirts are Mizuno and are usually pretty nice.
