Spectator Guide · Berkeley Streets Criterium
Where to watch the Berkeley Streets Criterium: a spectator guide
Where to watch, where the portable toilets are, how to get there without a parking hunt, and how to follow a criterium like a racer.
Race day at a glance
- Best place to start
- The start/finish on Hearst Avenue and the registration area beside Ohlone Park
- Registration
- Hearst Avenue at McGee AvenueHearst and McGee in Google Maps
- Portable toilets
- Near the registration area
- Where to stand
- Behind the barriers, outside the course. Cross only where a marshal says.
- Parking
- Very limited street parking. Take BART, walk, bike or carpool.
- BART
- Downtown Berkeley BART is about half a mile away. BART parking is free on weekends.
- Good for families
- Yes. The racers come past every couple of minutes.
- Kids clinic and kids race
- Free skills clinic at 11:00 a.m., free kids race at 11:45 a.m.Kids race guide for families
- Food and vendors
- Details will be updated as race weekend approaches
- Race schedule
- Published with registration for each editionGet schedule and registration updates
The short answer
The Berkeley Streets Criterium is the Sunday race of the Berkeley Omnium, raced on a short, four-corner circuit beside Ohlone Park in Berkeley, California. Start at the start/finish on Hearst Avenue and the registration area at Hearst and McGee, where the portable toilets are, then walk around the outside of the course: because racers complete lap after lap, you can watch the race develop from several places. Stay behind the barriers, and take BART or carpool, because parking nearby is very limited.
Where is the best place to watch the Berkeley Streets Criterium?
Start at the start/finish on Hearst Avenue, by the registration area at Hearst and McGee beside Ohlone Park. Then walk. A criterium is one of the easiest and most exciting bike races to watch because the racers come past you again and again: each lap of the Berkeley course is about 0.6 miles, so you can see attacks, corners, breakaways and the finish from more than one place.
That's the big difference from Saturday's Berkeley Hills Road Race, where you wait for one pass of the field each lap. At Berkeley Streets, the whole race happens in front of you.
Watch safely
On a short circuit, a field comes back much sooner than most people expect. A gap between groups isn't an invitation to cross: a chase group, lapped riders or a race vehicle can be right behind it.
Restrooms and portable toilets
Portable toilets are near the registration area at Ohlone Park, around Hearst Avenue and McGee Avenue. If you're watching from elsewhere on the course, use a marshaled crossing to get there.
Where to watch around the course
The course is a four-corner rectangle on closed streets: the start/finish straight on Hearst Avenue along Ohlone Park, a parallel straight on Berkeley Way, and a corner at each end of both.
Start/finish on Hearst Avenue
Best for race starts, the final sprint, the announcing and the results atmosphere, and for cheering your racer. It's also closest to registration and the portable toilets.
The corners
Corners show you positioning, braking, acceleration and bike handling up close, as riders fight for the best line every lap. Watch from behind the barriers on the outside of the course, away from where a rider who misjudges the turn would run wide, and move if a marshal asks you to.
The straightaways
Hearst Avenue and Berkeley Way show you the speed: breakaways trying to hold their gap, attacks, lead-outs forming and sprints winding up.
Registration and Ohlone Park
If you've never been, start here. It's the event's hub, with registration and the portable toilets, and the park gives you room to spread out between races.
Walk the course
Don't watch the whole race from one spot. Watch a few laps at the start/finish, walk the outside of the course to a corner, watch a straightaway, and come back toward the finish for the last laps. Stay on the sidewalks outside the barriers. Part of the race-day area is inside the loop, so getting in or out means crossing the course: only cross at a marshaled crossing, and only when a marshal says it's clear.
When does my racer race?
Fields race one after another through the day, each for a set time rather than a set distance. In the most recent race information, races ran from 30 minutes for the Novice and younger junior fields to 60 minutes for the women's Pro/1/2/3 and Pro/1/2 races, starting with the Novice race early in the morning and ending with Pro/1/2 in the late afternoon. Check the current schedule for your racer's start time when it's published.
Parking and getting there
Parking near the course is very limited. Street parking is free on Sundays but fills up, and the race information strongly encourages carpooling or public transportation. Plan before you leave:
- BART: Downtown Berkeley BART is about half a mile from the start/finish, and North Berkeley BART is also within walking distance. BART parking is free on weekends.
- Walk or bike if you're nearby.
- Carpool if you're driving, and plan where you'll park before you arrive.
- Public lots: the City of Berkeley lists its public garages and lots.
Check BART's parking page for station details before you go.
Driving in? Look up a public garage or lot first.
Riding your bike to the race
Riding is a good way to skip the parking hunt. No official bike parking or bike valet has been announced, so lock your bike only where it's allowed and where it won't block sidewalks, pedestrian paths, course crossings, race operations or local businesses. Don't ride on the course, and walk your bike through crowds.
Watching with children
Berkeley Streets is a great race for kids: instead of waiting a long time for one pass, they see the riders every couple of minutes, with the park close by.
Ages, demo bikes, what to bring and the morning's timeline are in the family guide.
- Keep kids away from barriers and openings in the course.
- Don't let children cross without a marshal.
- Watch for racers warming up nearby, and for race and support vehicles.
Never watched a criterium before?
A criterium, or crit, is a race of many laps on a short circuit closed to traffic. Fields race for a set time, so you watch the race develop instead of seeing riders once. Here's what you're looking at:
- The peloton: the main group of riders.
- A breakaway: one or more riders who've escaped ahead of the peloton.
- An attack: a sudden acceleration to get away from the group.
- A prime (pronounced "preem"): a prize for winning a particular lap, announced during the race, when the race offers one.
- A lead-out: teammates riding hard at the front to deliver their sprinter to the finish.
- Lap cards and the bell: lap cards at the finish show how many laps are left, and under USA Cycling rules the last lap starts with a bell and a 1 on the lap card.
- The final sprint: often the most exciting moment of a criterium.
What happens when a prime is called, and what to watch for afterward:
How to watch like a bike racer
The rider on the front isn't necessarily the one controlling the race. Look deeper into the field:
- Teams moving riders toward the front, especially in the last laps.
- One rider trying again and again to get away.
- Riders tucked in the draft, saving energy.
- Teams deciding whether to chase a breakaway, or waiting for someone else to.
- Riders moving up before the corners, not in them.
- Riders fighting for the wheel they want to follow.
- Lead-outs forming in the final laps.
Photography
Criteriums are great for photos because the same riders pass every lap, so you get many chances. Shoot from behind the barriers. Never stand inside the course, lean through barriers, step into a corner or cross for a shot, and stay out of the official photographers' way. A great photo isn't worth causing a crash.
Food and the neighborhood
Food and vendor information will be updated as race weekend approaches. The most recent edition had a food truck near registration, and downtown Berkeley's cafes and shops are a short walk away.
What to bring
- Water and snacks.
- Sunscreen.
- Layers: Berkeley weather can change, so check the forecast shortly before you leave.
- Comfortable walking shoes.
- A phone or camera, and a portable battery.
- Hearing protection for very young children near the announcer's speakers.
Make a day of it
Berkeley Streets isn't just for your friend's 40-minute race. Racing has run from morning to late afternoon: newer racers and juniors early, collegiate and masters fields through the day, the kids race around midday, and the elite women's and men's races to close the day. The race has had live announcing, so you can follow what's happening between your friends' races.
About the Berkeley Streets Criterium →
Watching Saturday too?
The Berkeley Omnium is the Berkeley Hills Road Race on Saturday and the Berkeley Streets Criterium on Sunday. The road race is a very different day out, on open roads in the hills, with one best place to watch.
Where to watch the Berkeley Hills Road Race →
New to the weekend? Start with the Berkeley Omnium.
Questions
Where to watch the Berkeley Streets Criterium: a spectator guide: FAQ
Where is the best place to watch the Berkeley Streets Criterium?
Start at the start/finish on Hearst Avenue and the registration area beside Ohlone Park, then walk around the outside of the course to watch corners and straightaways. Stay behind the barriers.
Where is Berkeley Streets Criterium registration?
At Hearst Avenue and McGee Avenue, beside Ohlone Park in Berkeley. Race-day check-in has closed 15 minutes before each race.
Hearst and McGee in Google Maps →Are there bathrooms at the Berkeley Streets Criterium?
Yes. Portable toilets are near the registration area at Ohlone Park, around Hearst Avenue and McGee Avenue.
Is the Berkeley Streets Criterium good for spectators?
Very. Racers complete short laps of about 0.6 miles, so they pass every couple of minutes, and you can watch the start, corners, attacks and the sprint from different spots. It's free to watch.
Can I bring kids to the Berkeley Streets Criterium?
Yes. Kids can ride too: a free skills clinic at 11:00 a.m. and a free kids race at 11:45 a.m. Keep children outside the barriers and cross only with a marshal.
Kids race guide for families →Where should I park for the Berkeley Streets Criterium?
Street parking is free on Sundays but very limited, so take BART, walk, bike or carpool. Downtown Berkeley BART is about half a mile from the start/finish, and BART parking is free on weekends.
Can I walk around the criterium course?
Yes, on the sidewalks outside the barriers. Never walk on the course, and cross only at a designated crossing when a marshal says it's safe.
How long is a criterium?
Criteriums are raced for a set time. At Berkeley Streets, fields have raced from 30 to 60 minutes; check the current schedule for your racer's field when it's published.
Get Berkeley Streets schedule updates →