Cycling & running events in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, 2026

Athens Training Notes

Running: Locals run Athens through parks, greenways, and neighborhood meetups. Athens Road Runners keeps the week honest with Wednesday Speed Work at 5:30 AM at Clarke Central High School track. Wednesday SOCIAL RUN brings casual 1-3 mile routes at 6:30 PM, alternating locations in Normaltown. SATURDAY LONG RUN meets at 7:15 AM at Hendershot’s in the Bottleworks parking lot on Meigs for longer efforts with 3-6 mile routes. Fleet Feet Athens starts Monday Night Group Runs at 6:00 p.m. for 3 to 5 miles. AthHalf Half Marathon and AthFest Educates 5K, Fleet Feet Firefly Five-Miler, Old Folks 4K, and Have A Heart 5K give the calendar real anchors.

Cycling: Locals ride a Bicycle Friendly Community with nearly 20 miles of bike lanes and plenty of park-to-park options. Firefly Trail and North Oconee River Greenway handle Z2, errands, and easy spins near downtown. Walker Park has singletrack for mountain bikers, BikeAthens runs monthly group rides, and The Hub runs the Ladies Ride and Five Points Fun Ride. Georgia Cycle Sport and The Hub Bicycles keep the shop talk close. 5 mi. The climbs stay Piedmont-style, with no named hills in the brief. Twilight Criterium is the crit anchor, and Athens-to-Savannah Ride is the October endurance pull.

Season: The brief does not name the best months, so locals build the season around known dates and steady routes. Joshua Sampson Memorial 5k and Lake Chapman Trail Race put runners at Sandy Creek Park early in the year, while Twilight Criterium gives riders an April anchor and Athens-to-Savannah Ride gives October a bigger target. Summer specifics are not listed, so runners and riders keep the plan simple with Firefly Trail, North Oconee River Greenway, Walker Park, and Sandy Creek Nature Center. Winter changes are not listed either, but Athens Road Runners still has Wednesday Speed Work, Wednesday SOCIAL RUN, and Saturday long-run structure for base miles and intervals.