20-Mile Walkers
Packing
All-Crew Kick-Off
Day One
The Route
Sweep Vans
Meals and Snacks
Safety
Weather
Medical
Alcohol Restrictions
Cheering Stations
Camp Life
Merchandise
Day Three
Important Policies
Top Tips video
View a Map of the Route
Route Card
If you are registered as a 20-mile walker, you’ll notice that some of this information will not apply to you. However, we encourage you to read it over anyway to give you a full picture of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® experience.
You may choose to tent overnight at camp on Saturday evening with the rest of the 3-Day participants. If you are spending the night at camp, please plan to arrive between 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. and check in at the Command Center, so that you have ample time to set up your tent and enjoy camp festivities.
If you are not staying overnight with us at camp, please check in at the Command Center at camp at Georgia World Congress Center between 7:15 a.m. - 7:45 a.m. Breakfast will be served at camp Sunday morning between 5:45 a.m. - 7:45 a.m. The route will open at 7:45 a.m. and all walkers must be on the route by 8:00 a.m. There is no parking available at the 3-Day camp.
If you are staying at a host hotel under the 3-Day rate, you can take the 3-Day shuttle to camp at Georgia World Congress Center in the morning and back to the hotel on Sunday after the Closing Ceremony. If you are not staying at a 3-Day host hotel, plan to get dropped off at camp and picked up at the Closing Ceremony at Atlanta International School.
Your gear bag should weigh no more than 35 pounds, including your sleeping bag. Keep in mind that you will need to carry this bag a total of four times during the course of the event, and crew members will carry your bag several times as they pack and unpack the gear and tent trucks. Easily toted bags with wheels are the best choice.
Pack your sleeping bag inside of your gear bag. If that is not possible, you can strap your sleeping bag to the outside of the bag, but please don’t use bungee cords, which can snap and injure crew members. And don’t forget to bring something to make your tent fun and festive if you’d like to earn a Tent Flair legacy pin.
Please avoid bringing any valuables with you. The 3-Day assumes no liability for the replacement of lost items. So mark your bag clearly with your name and Participant ID number ( Please log in to see your participant ID number).
We will provide water and sports drink in large dispensers, not in individual bottles, so you must bring your own water bottle to the event. Thank you for helping to make our event gentler on the environment.
Packing Checklist - Walkers & Crew
Packing Checklist - 20-Mile Walkers
Here are some miscellaneous items that many people forget:
The following items should be carried with you while you’re on the route:
Do Not Bring:
Stay Informed and Connected
If you haven’t already, please subscribe to 3-Day Text Alerts. In case we need to announce important information during the event, 3-Day Text Alerts will be the best way for you to get the information you need quickly, so if you are planning on having your cell phone with you on the 3-Day, we recommend that you subscribe. Additionally, if you subscribe to text alerts, you’ll receive a link to the next day’s online route card each night.
Also, follow the 3-Day on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and post your own updates and photos using the hashtag #The3Day and #ATL3DAY.
All crew members must attend the All-Crew Kick-Off on Thursday at Atlanta Evergreen Marriott at Stone Mountain, 4021 Lakeview Dr., Stone Mountain, GA 30083.
Schedule for the Day:
2:00 p.m. — Youth Corp members arrive
2:15 p.m. — Assigned drivers arrive
2:30 p.m. — Drivers Training
2:45 p.m. — Crew members arrive
3:00 p.m. — All-Crew Huddle
3:30 p.m. — Crew Team Meetings
Please bring:
Here’s the play-by-play of how the day will go.
There will not be an official 3-Day long-term parking lot. This option was discontinued in 2017 due to lack of use and the increase in ride share options like Lyft and Uber. Because of this, fewer participants have been using the long-term parking option. Contact your coach if you have questions about parking.
The day’s mileage will vary, from 14.5 to 21.9 miles. You should aim for a pace of about 3 mph, spending approximately 10-15 minutes at each pit stop and 30 minutes at the lunch stop.
Every 3-4 miles along the route, you will have an opportunity to stop, stretch, use the toilet, grab a snack and refill your water bottle. It’s important that you drink as much as you need along the way, to avoid dehydration. The Medical Crew will be available at pit stops to help you with any medical problems you may encounter during the day. A grab & go is a smaller pit stop, which has toilets and drinks only. The midday pit stop will be your lunch stop. You can rest, relax, eat a healthy bag lunch and visit the Medical Crew, if necessary.
All pit stops have designated opening and closing hours, timed to keep you moving along the route at a safe pace and to ensure that you complete your walking while it is still light out. If you reach a pit stop before it opens, you will be asked to stop and wait. If you reach a pit stop after it closes, you will be transported to the lunch stop (or camp, if you have already passed the lunch stop). A “caboose” will be following the last walker on the route. If you are falling behind schedule, you will be given the option to take a sweep van to the next pit stop if you cannot increase your pace. Read more about cabooses, sweeps and route hours on our blog.
Remember, it’s not a race. If your pace has slowed to the point where you are not making it to the pit stops before they close, you will be transported to lunch or camp (depending on the time of day) for your own safety. We don’t want to leave anyone on the route after crew support and signage have been removed. There will be a staff member on a bicycle (who we lovingly call the “caboose”) at the back of the pack making sure that no one gets left behind or ends up on the route after it has closed.
The route is well marked with arrows and instructional signage so all you need to do is follow the signs and the walkers in front of you!
The route will open at 7:45 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m., other conditions permitting. Exact mileage per event varies according to a number of factors such as pit stops, camp, as well as Opening and Closing site locations. The amount of daylight hours also impacts the total event mileage as it dictates the amount of time the route can be kept open safely.
Here's a general description of what you will experience along the way below.
Friday: Approximately 21.9 miles
The Atlanta 3-Day will begin with an emotional Opening Ceremony at Stone Mountain Park before we head out along a paved walking path. We continue to utilize PATH trails as we walk through the smaller towns of Clarkston and Avondale Estates. While there is abundant shade, so are there plenty of hills. In the afternoon, we'll continue into downtown Decatur and the hilly, scenic neighborhoods of North Decatur, Emory Village and Virginia Highland. We'll finish our day by taking to the urban sidewalks of downtown Atlanta before arriving at the Georgia World Congress Center, our home away from home for the weekend.
Saturday: Approximately 20.3 miles
On Saturday morning, we'll rise and shine, ready to hit the trail. Saturday's route continues to provide us with plenty of shade and hills as we walk northeast towards Buckhead. The hills will level off slightly through the neighborhoods surrounding Buckhead and we'll make our way on the paved sidewalks of Woodfield and Springlake. Atlanta's Northside Beltline Trail will surely be an afternoon highlight with its old-fashioned train trestle. And as we make our way back into the city via W. Peachtree St. NW, we are once again walking in urban Midtown before returning to downtown's Georgia World Congress Center for another night of community, camaraderie and fun.
Sunday: Approximately 14.5 miles
The final day of our journey we will head east through downtown Atlanta, past Martin Luther King Jr's National Historic Park and his birth home, and then through charming Inman Park. Trails will take us through Freedom Park before stopping for lunch in Druid Hills. From there, we will head north through Virginia-Highland and then west through the gorgeous neighborhoods of Ansley Park before completing the final 3 mile steady climb along Peachtree Rd. The route will end with a celebratory Closing Ceremony at Atlanta International School.
On some portions of the route you may find areas that are deemed “quiet zones” which will be indicated by signage on the route. Please be respectful of the neighborhoods and communities we walk through during this time to help ensure we are invited back.
Please be courteous and follow instructions of safety monitors, crew and staff at all times. They are here to make sure you have a safe and enjoyable experience. Abusive behavior towards fellow participants, crew and staff will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
If you get injured, or are too exhausted to finish the day’s mileage, one of our “sweep vans” can pick you up and take you to the next pit stop, where you can get medical attention, if you need it. If you are still unable to walk, a Lunch & Camp Shuttle will take you to camp. As the day comes to a close, sweep vans will pick up any walkers who are still on the road and take them to the next pit stop to catch a Lunch & Camp Shuttle to camp. Please note: Sweep vans do not pick up from pit stops and do not drop off at grab & gos. If you are at a pit stop and unable to continue walking, get on a Lunch & Camp shuttle van. If you board a Lunch & Camp shuttle van prior to lunch you will be taken directly to lunch. If you board a Lunch & Camp shuttle van after lunch, you will be taken directly to camp.
At each pit stop there will be an assortment of snacks including mandarins, bananas, potato chips, carrots, peanuts, pretzels and more (as supplies last). To drink, there will be water and sports drink provided (you must bring your own water bottle to fill). About halfway through each day’s mileage, you will have a nutritious lunch. Each morning and evening at camp you will enjoy a hot catered meal.
Friday night we'll have an Italian pasta dinner, and Saturday night's meal will be BBQ chicken (or black bean burger) with mac & cheese.
You must show your 3-Day credential in order to receive all meals and services. If you prefer a vegetarian meal, please update your profile when you go through online check-in, and then let us know when you select your meal on the event. (If you have other special dietary needs, give your coach a call in advance at 800-996-3DAY so we can discuss your options.)
Our first priority is always a safe event. To keep it safe, we need your cooperation. You must take responsibility for your own safety. In the spirit of kindness, please keep an eye out for the safety of others as well. Walking in a group is different than walking alone—you must be particularly aware of your movement and behavior in order to ensure that you are not endangering yourself or others.
Please observe the following safety policies on the event and on all of your training walks.
You should be drinking about 4-5 oz. of fluid per mile while on the event. Drink a bottle of water AND a bottle of sports drink between each pit stop to maintain your sodium levels. Re-read the information on nutrition and hydration on the Training page. This will help you to know the symptoms of dehydration and hyponatremia to watch for in your body. Please note: you must bring your own water bottle on the event. We will not be providing individual bottles of water, but will provide water to refill your own. Please assist us in making our event gentler on the environment.
Stretch! Make sure you stretch five minutes every hour. It’s an easy way to stay injury-free and comfortable on the route. Visit the Training page for more information on stretching.
Safety monitors will be present on the route to help enforce safe walking practices. These are walkers—just like you!—who have volunteered to help keep everyone safe. You will be able to identify them by their distinctive orange safety monitor badges.
Whatever the weather, the 3-Day generally continues. So please be prepared for walking and camping in inclement weather. If the weather gets too severe, we always have a back-up plan for evacuating camp and relocating to make sure that everyone is housed safely.
We will make every effort to hold the 3-Day events at the times, dates and locations specified. However, Susan G. Komen® holds the right to cancel or change the date or location of any 3-Day event, in its sole discretion, due to circumstances that may compromise the health or safety of the participants, including without limitation, unusually severe or extreme weather, fire, natural disaster, epidemic or riot. In the event that a 3-Day event is cancelled or changed, we will take active steps to inform registered participants of such cancellation or change as soon as possible by email and/or text message and posting announcements online in the Participant Center at The3Day.org. All registration fees and donations submitted to the 3-Day are non-transferable and non-refundable, even if the event is cancelled or changed. That means that once a donation is posted to a participant’s account it cannot be moved to another participant’s account for any reason, regardless of whether or not you’re able to participate in the event. Your donations will go directly to the cause, and we hope your donors will appreciate supporting Komen regardless of the cancellation or modification of the event.
As with any emergency, call 911 first, if possible. Then, immediately report any medical emergencies to 3-Day staff (the 3-Day event hotline phone number will be clearly marked on your credential). We have a full crew of volunteer medical professionals along the route and at camp to assist you as well as access to local emergency facilities for more serious injuries.
Medical Insurance
All registered walkers and crew members must have personal health insurance during the time the event takes place in order to participate. Although the 3-Day provides certain emergency medical services, personal health insurance may be necessary to cover costs of other medical care, including care received away from the event. For example: if emergency room care or ambulance transport is needed, insurance coverage may be necessary. Check with your insurance company for the terms of your individual policy. If you currently do not have health insurance, either purchase a temporary policy that covers you for the duration of the 3-Day or contact your coach for an insurance waiver.
The 3-Day and all of the cities we travel through work together to help create a safe and enjoyable experience for 3-Day participants and supporters. As the 3-Day route is on public property, it is subject to local laws. Local jurisdictions will be enforcing open-liquor laws in neighborhoods along the route and in camp. While local officials understand and respect the cause for our celebration, we ask that you and your supporters help keep the 3-Day a family-friendly event and alcohol-free. The safety of our participants is our number one priority and the consumption of alcohol at any time during the 3-Day is not permitted.
Please discourage your family and friends from driving along the route, as it can create a safety hazard. Instead, encourage them to show their support at a Cheering Station. The following Cheering Stations are safe, recommended places for your supporters to cheer you on along the route.
Friday, October 12
7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Opening Ceremony
Stone Mountain Park
Crossroads Lot
1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd.
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
10:35 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., mile marker 11
Sycamore Park
729 Sycamore Street
Decatur, GA 30030
11:40 a.m. - 3:25 p.m., mile marker 14.6
Emory Village Plaza
1405 Oxford Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
Saturday, October 13
9:05 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., mile marker 6.5
Lindbergh City Center
575 Morosgo Drive NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
11:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., mile marker 16.5
Pershing Point Park
Peachtree Street NE from West Peachtree Street NW to 17th Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
Sunday, October 14
9:00 a.m. - 10:20 a.m., mile marker 5.3
Freedom Park Trail between Euclid and Oakdale
1384 North Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
10:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., mile marker 7.8
North Highland Park
North Highland Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
11:20 a.m. - 3:10 p.m., mile marker 11.2
1531 Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30309
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Closing Ceremony
Atlanta International School
33 Peachtree Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
If you choose to stay in camp for the two nights of the event, you will share a two-person, 6.5’ x 6.5’ tent, which we provide. You can designate who your tentmate will be during the online check-in process, if you complete check-in more than nine days prior to the event. If you do not select your tentmate, you will be automatically paired up with someone of the same gender. There can be no changes to tent assignments once you complete online check-in.
You and your tentmate will be assigned a tent address, which will tell you the spot where you’ll pitch your tent at camp. This tent address will be printed on your credential. Your tent address also tells you which gear truck will carry your luggage. You may want to bring an identifying sign or flag to help you find your tent amidst a sea of tents!
Crew members will be assigned tents near their crew team. Walkers and crew members can tent together, but they will be placed in the crew tent section.
Team Tenting: You will be assigned neighboring tents with your team members if (and only if):
At the end of the day, most participants will spend the night at the 3-Day camp at Georgia World Congress Center. Trust us, you haven’t seen anything like it! Don’t be worried about “roughing it”—it’s like a home away from home, with hot showers, hot meals, entertainment, a relaxing lounge, massage chairs, medical care and other services to meet your needs.
Spending the night in camp with your fellow 3-Day participants is part of the whole experience. However, if you can’t stay there for medical or any other reasons, you will be responsible for making your own travel arrangements. On the Travel Information webpage, we provide you with the name of a local hotel convenient to the camp location. If you stay at another hotel or your room is not booked through the travel information webpage link, you will not receive a shuttle pass and are not guaranteed weekend parking at the hotel.
Personal vehicles are not allowed at any 3-Day site due to space limitations. If you do stay at a hotel, you’ll need to check out of camp in the evening. We need to keep track of all our participants, for safety reasons. In the morning when you arrive at camp, we will scan your credential and check you in as you head out on to the route for the day.
When you arrive at camp on Friday afternoon, pick up your tent and luggage from the tent address location you are assigned to. Even if you’ve never set up a tent before, you’ll find it’s easy. When in doubt, a fellow walker or crew member will be able to show you how. You’ll be bringing your own sleeping bag, and you may want to pack some additional padding. Mohawk Flooring is partnering with the 3-Day to provide SmartCushion carpet padding for 3-Day walkers and crew to place under their sleeping bags at camp for added cushion and comfort! Your SmartCushion carpet padding will be distributed at camp on Friday in the sleeping tent area.
Camp features the 3-Day Lounge, where you can put your feet up and relax, a Bank of America tent, medical services and a Remembrance Tent, where you can spend a quiet moment in reflection.
Friday night, you’ll enjoy an Italian pasta dinner and entertainment with your fellow participants.
Then Saturday night (4:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m.), you can invite your friends and family (but please, leave the pets at home). We’ll have games, community entertainment and a dance party to end the night. Saturday night’s dinner (BBQ chicken with mac & cheese, or black bean burgers) is for participants only and seating for visitors will be limited, so ask your friends and family to bring a picnic blanket and dinner. All visitors must depart camp by 8:30 p.m.
Visitor Parking: Parking for visitors is available on the Red Deck at Georgia World Congress Center.
Camp Recycling: On average, the 3-Day creates approximately 100 cubic yards of trash and 70 cubic yards of recyclables. We’re asking for your help in making pink the new green by making our recycling more effective. Please make sure your garbage, food waste and recyclables are placed in the proper containers. Also, if you bring along items that you plan to dispose of after the event, please take those items home to throw out - don't leave them behind for the crew members to haul away. Thanks for joining us in this effort!
Camp Hours: Camp opens at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, and all camp services (except dinner) are available from 1:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Dinner is served from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and our camp program will be presented at 7:00 p.m. “Lights out” in camp is at 8:30 p.m. By then you’ll be plenty tired and you’ll want to get enough rest for the next morning! Please, no radios, cell phone chatter or excessive noise after 9:00 p.m.
On Saturday, breakfast will be served between 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. (breakfast for early crew begins at 5:30 a.m.). All camp services will be open from 6:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. Morning Camp closes and all walkers must be on the route by 8:15 a.m. Afternoon camp opens at 12:00 p.m. On Sunday, breakfast will be served between 5:45 a.m. - 7:45 a.m. (breakfast for early crew begins at 5:15 a.m.). All camp services will be open from 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. Morning Camp closes and all walkers must be on the route by 8:00 a.m.
There are no personal vehicles allowed at camp. Friends and family visiting for Saturday night’s camp party will be able to park on the Red Deck at Georgia World Congress Center. All visitors must depart camp by 8:30 p.m. Leaving Camp: When you arrive at camp each afternoon, the Check-In team will scan the bar code on your credential to indicate that you have checked in to camp. If you plan to leave camp for the evening, please check out at the pink Information Tent near the entrance to camp. When you return to camp in the morning, we will scan you back in as you step onto the route for the day. If you plan to leave the event permanently, please check out with the Support Services team at the Command Center.
3-Day Lounge: Kick back and relax! Enjoy special treats and drinks while socializing with your new friends, visit the trail mix bar (Friday only), read a magazine in a comfy chair, take a picture with friends, check the 3-Day Post Office to see if you’ve received mail from a loved one at home and pick up a Sweet Treat if you see the icon on your credential. The Lounge is also where you can pick up any legacy pins or fundraising rewards you’ve earned, or your thank you gift if you’re an official training walk leader.
If you meet any of the following criteria, please stop by the 3-Day Lounge to pick up the legacy pins you have earned:
Fundraising rewards are also available for the following fundraising achievements. Please stop by the 3-Day Lounge to pick up what you have earned:
Bank of America looks forward to seeing you at the 3-Day! We have truly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Susan G. Komen® during the past eight years and look forward to our continued partnership in 2018.
At the 3-Day, we invite you to stop by our tent on Main Street for some pampering in our popular massage chairs. It’s our way of helping you reach 60 miles! New for this year, a fun photo booth for you and your fellow participants to capture your experience and share with yourself and your donors. Pink Ribbon Banking cardholders will receive a special premium as an extra thank you for being a loyal customer.
Also new for this year, Bank of America is honored to present each participant with a completion medal as you arrive at the Participant Finish Area.
Bank of America would like to thank you for taking part in such an incredible and important cause. We are thrilled to be part of these events with you and look forward to an amazing 2018 3-Day season with Komen!
There will be limited quantities of 3-Day merchandise for sale in camp. Sales will be with credit cards only no cash. Only Affiliates of Susan G. Komen® and national sponsors with written agreements in place will be permitted to sell merchandise on the 3-Day event. No other individuals or organizations may sell merchandise at the 3-Day campsites, ceremony sites, pit stops or any other location for which the 3-Day has obtained a permit.
Kindness Rocks
One of the great things about the 3-Day is the spirit of kindness that we create for three days while on the event. It's like living in a bubble—the world the way we wish it would be. It's a world where every walker, from the first to the last, gets a cheer as she or he enters camp. Where a stranger may help you set up your tent, or carry your bag. Where a long line to wait in becomes another opportunity to make a great new friend. One of the most popular phrases around the 3-Day is “No whining!” So carry on that legacy of kindness. Be kind, smile, and lend a hand when you see someone who needs it.
As the sun comes up on the third day, you will re-pack your bag, fold up your tent, load it on the gear truck and begin the final day. The crew will transport your gear to the Closing Ceremony location for you while you’re walking.
At the end of our 60 miles together, we’ll gather together in the Participant Finish Area by 4:00 p.m. and line up for our final Victory Walk. The Participant Finish Area is where you will receive your Victory T-shirt, cheer on your fellow walkers and crew members, and gather together before the emotional Victory Walk into the Closing Ceremony. If you haven’t made it to the Participant Finish Area in time, we will pick you up and transport you, so you won’t miss the final victory walk into the Closing Ceremony.
Your gear bag can be picked up at the Closing Ceremony (Atlanta International School). If you would like a loved one to pick up your gear bag for you, please print out your event check-in confirmation page and give it to them before the event. (A link to your confirmation page can be found on your Participant Center home page if you have completed online check-in.) They must present a copy of this in order to claim your bag.
Friends and family are welcome to join their loved ones at the Participant Finish Area.
The Closing Ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. at:
Atlanta International School 33 Peachtree Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
Your friends, family and supporters should arrive at the Closing Ceremony site at least one hour early to secure a space by the stage that will give them the best view. They should be prepared for traffic congestion at the site, both before and after the ceremony.
Taxi Services
Yellow Cab Co. 404-521-0200
Atlanta Checker Cab 404-351-1111
Pick-Up Location for Taxi/Uber/Lyft: 33 Peachtree Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
For information about rates, fees, other costs and benefits associated with the use of this card or to apply, visit BankofAmerica.com/komen.
MasterCard and World MasterCard are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated, and are used by the issuer pursuant to license. BankAmericard CashRewards is a trademark and Bank of America and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC.
PLEASE NOTE: IN CONSIDERATION FOR BEING PERMITTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SUSAN G. KOMEN 3-DAY, YOU HAVE AGREED TO BE SUBJECT TO, AND ABIDE BY, THE KOMEN 3-DAY POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND INSTRUCTIONS. THE LIST OF POLICIES SET FORTH HERE IS A SUMMARY AND NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OR EXPLANATION OF THE POLICIES APPLICABLE TO YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE 3-DAY. FURTHER, THE POLICIES OF THE 3-DAY MAY CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME AND, AS SUCH, THE POLICIES INCLUDED IN THE LIST TO THE RIGHT ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY 3-DAY POLICY, PLEASE VISIT THE3DAY.ORG OR CALL YOUR COACH AT 800-996-3DAY.