Friends turn AJC Peachtree Roadrace into a memorial run [Video]

ATLANTA — The 55th running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race will bring reminiscing and grief for a group of friends who have graced the Fourth of July with colorful costumes for 20 years.

Shawn Matthews was the driving force behind the many clever outfits worn by as many as 20 people as they traversed the 10,000-meter Peachtree. This year, many of those same people will run in memory of their friend.

“Coming out and really showing support for someone we all loved and cared tremendously about,” said friend Danny Wiley.

A hit-and-run driver killed the 36-year-old Matthews in Boca Raton, Florida. Friends said Matthews loved taking part in Atlanta’s Fourth of July tradition and led the process of choosing costumes for him and his friends.

“Shawn was the brains behind everything,” Kenny Bishop, a friend, said. “He took pride in all of us …