Paying the last toll

I got to run today on a stretch of an Atlanta freeway that was anything but free, and often nerve-wracking to negotiate in a car.
Today was the Georgia 400 - Pay the Last Toll 4 miler.
Georgia 400 is a toll road that gets many motorists to the northern suburbs of Atlanta -- 50 cents each way. Until Nov. 22, when the toll, after 20 years, finally goes away.
Race organizers shut down the highway this morning to allow runners to run 4 miles and throw in the final toll, with all of the cash going to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
It was a cool, misty morning. Very gray, but that wasn't too bad for a road race in mid November!

Erin and I at the start

 The race started on Glenridge Drive, then went down the ramp on the northbound side of the freeway.

View down Georgia 400

It was fun that every time a MARTA train went by it would sound its horn and we'd wave to the passengers on board, and we could see them wave back!

Approaching the toll plaza

Erin paying her final toll

Me paying my final toll

What's funny is I started collecting all of this found money around the toll plaza! I was like a kid in a candy store. Dimes, nickels and pennies. I did find a quarter further up the road, but it was likely someone's toll money that fell out of their pocket during the race. I did scoop up some coins, but they all went into the bucket. This was one time when the found money should have gone to charity, and not the pig, although I had found a couple of pennies on the freeway earlier and they ended up in the pig because I couldn't dig them out in time for the bucket.

Photos at the former toll plaza signs

Being silly on the route

Taking heed

Sign of the times

As you can see, Erin and I weren't serious runners on this race, which was fine, but sort of made me regret I'd paid extra to be a timed runner! Oh well. We had fun, and in the end, if you are not having fun on these races, why do them?
I will say this race exacted a bit of a toll on my right knee, though. I could tell I was still sore from last weekend's half marathon. But it was the kind of toll I was willing to pay.