About cycling & running in PeterboroughPeterborough Training Notes
Running: Locals run Jackson Park when they want woods close to town, and Harold Town CA when they want singletrack, repeats, and a proper mess of trails. Harold Town CA is basically a big hill, and the Runway trail sits on the southwest side while Screaming Trees runs near a steep drop. The Runway trail is 59 km and gains 107 m. Screaming Trees is 0.9 km and gains 82 m. Locals use Monarch Ultra 10km, Riverview Park & Zoo Fun Run and Walk, Middle Path Trail Race, and Run The Caves as anchor races.
Cycling: Peterborough Cycling Club is the hub, and PCC has road, gravel, time-trialling, cyclocross, Dirt Squad, and the Thursday Nighter. Locals ride Z2 out of town fast, because country roads show up within 10 minutes. The Lakes, Rivers and Cafes route rolls 60 km from Peterborough through Bridgenorth, Selwyn, and Lakefield with Otonabee River time past Trent University. The gravel roads between Peterborough and Warsaw are some of the quietest roads anywhere. The 8 km gravel route gains 472 m and keeps 51% unpaved. The climbs sit south, where drumlin hills run 400-800 metres long through farm country.
Season: Summer gives the cleanest base miles, long rides, and race sharpness, while fall brings PCC cyclocross and rougher trail rhythm. PCC starts its 2026 season launch on March 30 at Wild Rock at 6:30 PM, then the calendar rolls through Spring Classic, Women's Day Ride, Road Worlds, TT Worlds, The HunTer Fondo, and President's Cup. The HunTer Fondo gives riders a 30 km anchor event, and the 100 Acre Gravel Race keeps gravel legs honest in the hills. Winter changes the work. Trails at Harold Town CA can get very slippery after rain, and cold snaps push both runners and cyclists toward shorter intervals, steadier Z2, and smarter route choices.
