ATLANTA -- Sunday featured another of the myriad special events conducted by the Braves and Major League Baseball as part of 2025 All-Star Week.
Center Parc Stadium (formerly known as Turner Field and previous home of the Braves) was the site of the All-Star 4.4 Miler -- a 4.4-mile race honoring the late Hank Aaron, who wore No. 44 for 22 of his 23 MLB seasons.
The race began at Center Parc Stadium, went up Georgia Ave. SE, around Grant Park, back down Georgia Ave. SE and finished back at Center Parc Stadium.
After the race, the Braves and MLB unveiled a mural dedicated to Aaron, Atlanta and Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood where the Braves used to play.
“This has been an amazing morning,” said April Brown, MLB senior vice president of social responsibility. “We get to do so much for our All-Star Week. It’s really special when we’re out here in the community. To be here this morning at the old stadium was really important to us. It was just a great morning and great fandom. [There were] tons of neighborhood residents coming out.”
Brown explained why the Braves and MLB decided to run the race at the old stadium, which is also near the site of old Fulton County Stadium, where Aaron hit his iconic 715th home run.
“We wanted to make sure we hit all of the parts of Atlanta [during All-Star Week],” Brown said. “Hank having his historic moment right here made it really easy to start a 4.4 miler in his honor that starts and finishes right outside his statue at Center Parc.”
Despite hot Atlanta summer temperatures, thousands of runners participated.
“I was so impressed with the turnout and I give credit and kudos to every last runner who crossed that finish line,” Brown said. “It was not an easy course. It was very hot and they came out here and just had fun.”
One of the runners was Maria Kedge of Warner Robins, Ga. With her time of 27:46, she was the top female finisher and won two tickets to the All-Star Game.
“I’m very, very excited,” Kedge said. “We’re looking forward to it. We were hoping [to win tickets] today. That was the goal. It’s gonna be a great experience.”
Former players such as Kenny Lofton and Adam Jones, among others, were on hand to present top finishers with their awards on a stage just outside the Center Parc gates.
“You always have to honor Hank,” Lofton said. “He was big for Atlanta and just being part of supporting anything that happens with Hank Aaron’s name behind it, I love to be a supporter.”
Brown said MLB partnered with local running clubs in order to design the course and host the event.
“We had partners,” Brown said. “Atlanta Track Club is an amazing track club here in Atlanta that puts on many races. We have the beauty of also partnering with runningnerds, which is a community-based organization. Between the two of them we chose the course and kind of guided on what we knew would be fun for a runner as well as historic. Every mile we had a quote from Hank Aaron to get the runners through those miles.”
The mural unveiling took place across the street from the stadium and right off Hank Aaron Boulevard.
The mural is mostly blue with sayings like “Forever I love ATL,” “Always a thrill in Summerhill” and a large, dominant “ATL" written in bubble lettering. There are plenty of subtle tributes to Atlanta history such as the flame from the 1996 Olympics, the state capitol building, depiction of players such as Aaron swinging a bat and the 404 Atlanta area code.
The mural was painted by Summerhill resident, longtime Atlantan and local artist George F. Baker III.
“For the mural I wanted to really showcase the beauty and vibrant energy that we have in Atlanta but also specifically in Summerhill,” Baker said. “Summerhill has had its attachments to baseball for a very long time. I just wanted to make sure that I was showcasing that and honoring that -- giving some love to Hank Aaron. But also giving something that the community can find a lot of joy and pride in.”
Baker, who is a former Georgia State University student, was honored to be selected by MLB to paint a mural near part of Georgia State’s campus and near where Aaron hit his 715th home run.
“It is such an honor to have a mural over here,” Baker said. “I’ve lived over here and seen this community grow. Having something that lets people know I came from here and I’m from this community, I’m so happy I was able to bring that art that’s always been here. Even to honor a legend like Hank Aaron, I’m happy I can be attached to his name in some way.”