Athens is located 70 miles northeast of Atlanta. With a population of 250,000, Athens has a major college town & music culture, owing to the presence of the University of Georgia campus and its 40,000 students. There’s also a strong music culture. There are some nice options for running in Athens, with most of the best routes centrally located, making for good mix & match opportunities.
The signature run in Athens is the North Oconee River Greenway, a 6-0mile path along the namesake river. The Firefly Trail is a good add-on. Another favorite run is the UGA campus, with its extensive pedestrian paths, impressive buildings, and trails in Oconee Forest Park at the south end. This can be combined with our Athens Historic District tour, which explores some gorgeous residential districts with leafy streets & historic homes. South of town, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia has 5 miles of running trails. Trail runners will enjoy the mainly forested trails at Sandy Creek State Park, including a loop around Lake Chapman.
Runner Notes: Athens is a fairly hilly city, so most of our routes have some elevation. Also, June-September is hot & humid — take the right precautions!
