Show up curious
A criterium is a bike race on a short loop of closed streets. The riders come past every couple of minutes, lap after lap, so you don't have to know anything going in. Watch a few laps and you'll start recognizing jerseys. Watch a few more and you'll probably have picked someone to root for.
The breakaways, the sprint and why the rider in front isn't always winning are all in our piece on watching criteriums.
Why criteriums are so much fun to watch →
Make it part of your day
You don't need to stay all day. In the most recent edition racing ran from 7:30 a.m. into the evening, with the women's top race at 4:00 p.m. and the men's Pro/1/2 and Collegiate Pro/1/2 race at 5:05 p.m.. Come for an hour, walk the outside of the course, sit in Ohlone Park for a bit, and then go get lunch.
Downtown Berkeley is about half a mile away, with cafés, restaurants, bookshops and the campus within walking distance. Our visitor guide has places we've checked.
Eat, explore and experience Berkeley →
Bringing kids? They'll see the riders every couple of minutes, which suits short attention spans. In 2026 Sunday also had a free skills clinic and a free kids race, aimed at kids about 5 to 10, with check-in at registration before 11:30 a.m. and a parent or guardian signing the waiver. Details for the next edition will be posted on the kids page.
Cheer for people you don't know
You don't need to know a racer to cheer for them. Clap for the rider at the front, and for the one hanging on at the back of the group, and for the one who's been chasing alone for five laps. Riders pass close to the fence, and they can hear you.
A crowd along the fence changes how the day feels, for the racers and for everyone else standing there.
There's a person behind every jersey
Most of the people racing aren't professionals. The fields include juniors, college riders from Cal Cycling and other schools, masters racers, women's fields and a Novice field for people new to racing. Most of them fit training around school, work and family.
The Berkeley Streets Criterium →
The people around the race
The Berkeley Bicycle Club organizes the Omnium with an organizing team from several Northern California clubs, and Cal Cycling students have led the criterium. Volunteers hold the corners and crossings and run check-in. In 2026 Trek Berkeley hosted the kids clinic and Mr. Dewie's brought ice cream for the kids race.
Other ways to be part of it
Watching is enough. If you'd like to do more, there are volunteer jobs on race day that need no cycling experience, from check-in to marshaling a crossing. You can also tell a friend the race is happening, or spend your lunch at a business near the course.
Getting there
The course is beside Ohlone Park, with the start/finish on Hearst Avenue and registration at Hearst Avenue and McGee Avenue. Downtown Berkeley BART is about half a mile away; BART starts at 8 a.m. on Sundays. Street parking is free on Sundays but very limited, so carpool, take BART or ride over and lock your bike where it's allowed. Portable toilets are near the registration area.
A few ground rules
Stay behind the barriers and keep the course clear. Keep children with you. Cross only at the marked crossings, when a marshal or race staff tell you it's clear; the riders come back sooner than you'd think.