The Cedartown Wheelchair Training Camp & 5K Road Race is coming up just ahead of the July 4 holiday, and despite it being a paralympics year the big event is still set to draw dozens of athletes from around the globe.

Mark that calendar for July 2 and make your way to College Street for one of the toughest, fastest courses for wheelchair athletes around the globe. Race time is set for around 6 p.m. (weather permitting. Past races have been delayed due to fast-moving summer rain showers.)

The wheelchair 5K is part of a trio of races on the calendar: the Cedartown Wheelchair 5K, the 10K Peachtree Road Race, and the 15K at the Boilermaker in Utica, New York. The races in the Rolling Thunder Triple Crown series are some of the biggest wheelchair races attracting athletes from around the globe.

Commissioner Matt Foster – a longtime volunteer and board member – was out on this week hanging up flags from countries around the world where athletes have come from past and present to the training camp in Cedartown. He had help from Fire Chief Kyle Watters who drove the truck while Driver Engineer Jerry Jackson went up with the flags in a bucket truck to put them on poles lining the North College Street corridor.

It’s one of the annual traditions since the race began in 2000 to complete ahead of the big event, and one Foster has done in the past on ladders with the help of family members in a time consuming move from pole to pole.

This year’s July 2 race comes ahead of the Peachtree Road Race, and is one of the fastest (and most challenging) races for wheelchair athletes to run.

Racers will have a grueling experience before they reach the finish line at Peek Park in front of the playground on North College Street. They’ll traverse the twists and turns neighborhood for the 5K, taking a fast start down North College at Victoria before they make a turn at Lakeside Drive, continue briefly on John Phillips Road, turn back onto Lakeview Drive, cruise onward on West John Hand Road before ultimately ending up again for a sprint to the finish on College Circle to North College Street and the finish line in front of Peek Park.

Local residents are encouraged to come out and support the athletes during the race, bring bells to ring their success and enjoy meeting the athletes prior and following the race.

Check back for additional details on the free race as they become available ahead of the 21st running of the Cedartown Wheelchair Training Camp & 5K Road Race.

Photos were provided by Jenny Camacho.