Aaliyah Butler, a Paris Olympics gold medalist in Track & Field, will serve as Grand Marshal of the 27th Annual Motul Petit Le Mans, which runs Oct. 9-12.

The 27th Annual Motul Petit Le Mans is an international sportscar endurance race featuring the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with this event serving as the season finale and championship decider for all four classes of the series.

As the summer Olympics in Paris recently concluded, Aaliyah Butler was selected as Motul Petit Le Mans Grand Marshal to celebrate her accomplishments in the country where Motul Petit Le Mans claims it’s roots. Le Mans, France, which is a little over 130 miles southwest of the Stade de France where the Track & Field portions of the Paris Olympics were held, is where the origins of Motul Petit Le Mans come from. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a 24-hour sportscar endurance race that began in 1923 in the town of Le Mans, where the roads are closed for this famous round-the-clock enduro. The original idea for Motul Petit Le Mans was modeled after this historic race, and although it’s less than half the run length of this iconic event, the French connection runs strong between the two races.

Butler has significant ties to the state of Georgia, as she is currently a junior at the University of Georgia in Athens, studying International Affairs. She hails from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and is a member of the Georgia Bulldogs Track & Field team as a sprinter. She holds the 400m school record at the University of Georgia and the 400m state record for Florida. Her Olympic gold medal was won as part of Team USA's women's 4x400-meter relay team, where she posted the top time of the event’s first round.

Butler, as a way of preparing herself for any competition, lives by the rule of always fighting until the end, which is exactly what the teams and drivers are preparing for as they get settled in for 10 hours of battle at Motul Petit Le Mans on Oct. 12.

“Aaliyah represented Team USA exceptionally at the Paris Olympics, and we’re proud to now have the opportunity to honor her accomplishments as the Grand Marshal at Motul Petit Le Mans,” said Rick Humphrey, president and general manager at Michelin Raceway. “Her tremendous efforts in Paris brought home another gold for Team USA, and we know that her incredible Olympic performance will further motivate these IMSA driver athletes as they prepare for a grueling 10 hours of competition at Motul Petit Le Mans.”

The 27th Annual Motul Petit Le Mans weekend kicks off on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and culminates with the 10-hour IMSA WeatherTech Championship season finale endurance race on Saturday, Oct. 12. This four-day event also features competition from the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in the FOX Factory 120, the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. Tickets are on sale at www.roadatlanta.com.