Cycling & running events in Johnstown, 2026

Johnstown Training Notes

Running: Johnstown locals run from the city centre toward Central Park, Peoples Natural Gas Park, Stackhouse Park, and the river trails when they want easy miles. The Ghost Town Trail runs 75 km with 344 m of gain, so locals use it when Z2 needs a little bite. The Conemaugh River Lake Loop Trail runs 63 km with 72 m of gain when the legs need flatter base miles. The Johnstown Running Club keeps the Greater Johnstown race scene moving. Path of the Flood Historic Races, Worth the Weight Race, and On the Dam Trail race are the anchor days locals circle first.

Cycling: The Ghost Town Trail is the obvious bike line east of town, and its 54-mile system includes a full 32-mile continuous loop. The Jim Mayer Trail, Path of the Flood Trail, Staple Bend Tunnel Trail, and Great Allegheny Passage give locals steady rail-trail miles. Laurel Highlands On and Off Road Bicycling Association brings the weekly rides, monthly picnic rides, and trail work. Johnstown Ridgebacks gives the younger crowd a real PICL path, with the PICL Race at Highland Park on the calendar. The Laurel Highlands routes stack at least 1,000 feet of gain per 10 miles, and Aukerman, Skyview, and Fowl Hill Road are where climbs get honest.

Season: Spring gives Johnstown runners and riders wildflowers, fresh greenery, and trails that still feel open. Fall gives changing leaves across the Laurel Mountains, and locals treat it like prime gran fondo, cyclocross, long-run, and singletrack season. Summer puts the Great Allegheny Passage in full motion, Ohiopyle State Park keeps the mountain biking sharp, and the Johnstown Ridgebacks season runs from July 1 through the end of October. Winter puts snow on some trails, but locals still find quiet rides, steady runs, and peaceful miles through snow-covered landscapes.