Pi Mile 5K Road Race: A Tradition Measured in Miles
By: Sharita Hanley | Categories: Alumni Interest
For more than half a century, the Dean George C. Griffin Pi Mile 5K Road Race has been woven into the rhythm of Georgia Tech life. What began in 1973 as a 3‑mile campus run became a 3.14‑mile race in 1975 and is now a full Peachtree Qualifier 5K that brings Yellow Jackets together each spring, whether they’re participating on campus or virtually. The 2026 race took place on March 28.
In 2025, more than 700 members of the Georgia Tech community participated in the Pi Mile 5K Road Race. Runners averaged a 34:06 finish time and maintained a steady 10:58 pace per mile. Although the average participant’s age was 35, the Pi Mile 5K Road Race bridges generations, and includes students running their first race, alumni returning after decades, and longtime participants who’ve logged dozens of laps around campus.
Regents’ Professor Thomas K. Gaylord has run the race 20 times alongside his students and placed first in his age category of 80+. Rick Egan, IE 87, has participated 17 times, totaling more than 50 cumulative Pi Mile 5K Road Race miles, and proudly says he will keep the tradition going.
These stats are proof of how far the tradition reaches, which even includes countless four-legged furry friends clocking miles alongside their human companions. In 2025, the Georgia Tech Alumni Association gave out 250 dog bandanas at the race.
At its core, the Dean George C. Griffin Pi Mile 5K Road Race is a family-friendly Tech tradition that’s measured in miles and rooted in campus memories.
