Cycling & running events in Atlanta, 2026

Atlanta Base Miles And Big Climbs

Running: Locals use the Atlanta BeltLine as the everyday spine, with the 22-mile loop tying together Eastside, Westside, Northside, Southside, and Southeast trail miles. The Eastside Trail gives runners a 4-mile loop from Piedmont Park through Historic Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park. Piedmont Park handles speed work on the Active Oval and easy base miles on shady paths. Chastain Park gives steady loops, with two marked 5K routes and a 3K yellow loop. Atlanta Track Club and Atlanta Beltline Partnership run Thursday groups at 6:15 p.m. Peachtree Road Race and Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon sit as the anchor races.

Cycling: Riders use the BeltLine, Stone Mountain Trail, Silver Comet Trail, and weekday group rides. Dunwoody Cycling, NARC, Goat Riders, Bikes and Friends, Brookhaven Bike Alliance, Bonafide Riders Cycle Club, Roswell Recovery Ride, and Cycle Alpharetta all give locals a wheel to follow. The Silver Comet Trail runs 61.5 miles from Smyrna to Esom Hill on paved path. Silk Sheets gives smooth hills for road miles, and Dirty Sheets gives Chattahoochee Hills gravel with a 60/40 split of gravel and tarmac. North Georgia mountains hold the real climbs, and Six Gap Century stacks more than 11,200 feet of vertical.

Season: Spring and Fall give runners and cyclists the cleanest training rhythm, with cool starts, long Z2 days, and enough daylight for intervals after work. Summer brings heat and humidity, with average temperatures from the mid-70s to low-90s Fahrenheit, so locals start early and avoid afternoon thunderstorms. The BeltLine gets lively on weekends, so runners pick calmer windows and riders save tempo for open routes. Winter stays mild, with average temperatures in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit. Freezing mornings and occasional light snow can happen, but locals still keep base miles, crit prep, cyclocross legs, and singletrack rides moving.