A few weeks ago I started training for the 2008 ING Georgia Marathon, which will take place on March 30. On their website, they have posted the new route, which is similar to the 2007 route, but has a few changes, especially in Midtown and Downtown Atlanta. In my training so far, I've run some of the new sections. I list my thoughts on the changes below.

• The start/finish area is moved to Centennial Olympic Park instead of Five Points. I think this will be better: runners and spectators will be able to spread out more. Also, the area around the park has experienced a lot of growth in the last few years, with the aquarium, the new World of Coca Cola, and improvements on Marietta Street.
• The starting line is on Marietta St. between Andrew Young International Blvd. and Centennial Olympic Park Dr. (or for you old timers, between International and Techwood -- why does Atlanta insist on renaming streets to ridiculously-long names?). The course heads southeast on Marietta, turns east on Edgewood, turns north on Piedmont, and then turns east on Baker.
• From Piedmont & Baker, the course looks the same as 2007 until you get close to the Virginia-Highland neighborhood (mile 20-ish?). That means that they have left things in that I wish they would change, namely, all the switchbacks in Druid Hills! I wish instead that they would have extended the course further east, maybe into Avondale Estates. They also kept the out-and-back portion on Freedom Parkway, which many of my friends hated last year. That part did not bother me so much, and I understand why they are keeping it: it's a convenient place to set up aid stations, bleachers, stages, or anything else.
• After Freedom Parkway, the course turns east on North Ave. instead of Ponce de Leon, and then turns north on Highland. That may make it a little easier--at least, there are fewer turns in that section of the course compared to last year. The course continues on the same route as 2007 through Virginia-Highland to Piedmont Park.
• After exiting Piedmont Park on 10th Street, the course turns south on Juniper Street instead of going north on Piedmont. I will not miss last year's hill up Piedmont and continuing up 14th Street.
• Peachtree Street is no longer part of the course (other than to cross it). The only thing I will miss about that is running by the Fox Theatre: it made a great photograph!
• The Georgia Tech campus is now part of the route. From Juniper, the course turns west on 5th Street, going through Technology Square, across the interstate on the new 5th Street bridge/park, turning south on Techwood past the stadium, turning west on North Ave., then north/west on Tech Parkway, to Means St., and back to Marietta Street southbound, which will be roughly the 25 mile marker. It's nice that Tech is added to the course, but I've run this section a few times on my training runs: starting at Techwood, the course is basically a long, gradual, uphill climb, all the way to Means St. This is roughly 1 mile of almost continuous uphill climbing, and what makes it worse is that it is in the 24-25th mile of the course.
• The finish line is on Baker Street, just west of Marietta Street. From Means Street, the course heads south on Marietta Street, turning left on Baker Street to the finish. This final mile of the course is mostly flat (for Atlanta), with the last few hundred yards to the finish line actually downhill.

Overall, even with the changes or lack of them, this is still a great course, and I am looking forward to the race. I really enjoyed running it last year, despite the inaugural difficulties with water stations (which will be corrected, according to Jenny Schmitt, public relations coordinator for this year's race). In my training, I intend to run through the Georgia Tech portion of the course as many times as possible so that I can be prepared for it. My 15-mile run last Saturday included it, as will my 17-mile run tomorrow.