Cedartown residents who began their Fourth of July celebration by watching the Wheelchair Division of the Peachtree Road Race early Monday morning probably recognized a few names and faces.

All of the first through third place winners in the Open Men’s, Open Women’s and Open Quad division were in Cedartown just one week ago, getting ready for the big Atlanta race by training on local city streets.

By the time first place winners Kelly Smith, Edith Hunkeler and Santiago Sanz crossed the Piedmont Park finish line they were in pain.

But the pain was easier to tolerate knowing that they had captured a first place win in one of the most touted 6.2 mile races in the nation.

Kelly Smith, a 40-year-old Canadian, clocked in a first place win in the Men’s Open Division with a time of 19:19:22.

The Vancouver resident was a member of the Canadian Paralympic Team in 2000 and in 2004. That same year, Smith won a silver medal in Athens. He also came in third in 2004’s Boston Marathon.

Smith had the fifth fastest time in the Cedartown 5K last Tuesday, clocking in at 9:42:6.

Hometown favorite Krige Schabort had a good showing at the Peachtree this year, taking fifth place with a 20:14.92.

Schabort is a previous two-time winner (2002 and 2003) of the Peachtree Wheelchair division.

It was all smiles as Switzerland’s Edith Hunkeler breezed across the finish line at 23:20:59, just shy of the 1994 record of 23:13 set by Jean Driscoll.

With her speedy victory, Hunkeler captured the first place title in the Women’s Open Division in the Peachtree.

Hunkeler had the second fastest time in the Cedartown 5K, coming in at 11:34:1.

Spain’s Santiago Sanz captured a Peachtree first place win in the Open Quad’s Division with a time of 24:14:11.

Sanz was also a first place winner in the Cedartown 5K, clocking in at 11:55:8.