Traveling racers
Race Berkeley. Make a weekend of it.
Two races, one destination. The Berkeley Hills Road Race over the Three Bears on Saturday, the Berkeley Streets Criterium downtown on Sunday, and the East Bay in between.
- Dates
- April 17–18, 2027
- Saturday
- Berkeley Hills Road Race, Orinda
- Registration
- Opens on BikeReg March 1
- First Berkeley Hills Road Race
- 1957
- Races, two venues, one Omnium score
- 2
- Riders started the road race in 2026
- 404
- Race starts at the criterium in 2026
- 283
01 Why Berkeley
Two races that ask different things.
Saturday is a road race on hills riders have raced since 1957: three climbs a lap, attacks on Papa Bear, a field that thins out every time around. Sunday is short laps, four corners and a crowd on closed downtown streets.
Race both and you get an Omnium score. Race one and you've still raced somewhere with seven decades of winners, put on by Berkeley Bicycle Club volunteers who race it too.
02 · Two races, one weekend
A road race and a crit.
Saturday, April 17
Berkeley Hills Road Race
Out of Orinda BART, over the Three Bears
- Raced since 1957
- An 18.76-mile loop with 759 feet of climbing every lap
- 16 to 90 miles, depending on your field (2026)
- Baby Bear, Mama Bear, Papa Bear on Bear Creek Road; Papa Bear's back side usually decides it
Sunday, April 18
Berkeley Streets Criterium
Closed streets in downtown Berkeley, by Ohlone Park
- A 0.61-mile, four-corner course
- 12 races from 7:30 a.m. to the 5:05 p.m. Pro/1/2 (2026)
- Free to watch, with a kids race in the middle of the day
- Race both days for an Omnium score
03 Who's come before
Teams that traveled, and won.
Riders have come from Los Angeles, the Central Coast, the Pacific Northwest and New York to race Berkeley. A few of them:
Coalition Cycling
Five P/1/2 riders in 2026, with podiums in both races and the Omnium. Rachel Urban won the women's road race in 2025 and 2026.
L39ION of Los Angeles
Tyler Williams won the 2023 Berkeley Hills Road Race.
Voler Factory Racing
Ryan Gorman won the 2024 Berkeley Hills Road Race.
Good Guys Racing
Raced the 2025 Pro/1/2/3 road race.
Who should come
Is there a field for me?
Yes, from Pro/1/2 to Novice, both days. These are the fields as raced in 2026; the next edition's fields are confirmed with its race information.
Every field and start time →Women's racing →Collegiate racing →
New racers
Never raced? Start here. Novice fields race both days, and the crit has a Beginner Race Program first.
Women
Both days, from Women's 4/Novice up to Women's Pro/1/2/3, with a short and a long road race on Saturday.
Juniors
Under 19, grouped by age, from 10 and under to 17-18. Find yours by birth year.
Masters
Racers 35 and older, grouped by age and experience.
Collegiate
Students racing for their school, from Collegiate Novice to Collegiate Pro/1/2.
Experienced racers
Elite 4, Elite 3 and Pro/1/2: riders who've moved up from Novice by racing.
Plan your trip
What to sort out before you go
The two races are on opposite sides of the Berkeley Hills, so plan the weekend around both venues. The travel guide covers each piece in detail.
Flying
OAK is closest to Berkeley; SFO often has more flights; SJC is farther south. OAK and SFO connect to BART.
Driving
Saturday's Race HQ is Orinda BART, through the Caldecott Tunnel on Highway 24. Sunday is downtown Berkeley, where parking is very limited.
Staying
Downtown Berkeley for the full Omnium; Lafayette or Walnut Creek if the road race comes first.
Your bike
Pack it in a proper case, check your airline's bike policy, and rebuild and test-ride it the day you arrive.
Getting around
A car makes the weekend easier for a team. BART works for parts of it, but Sunday service starts at 8 a.m., after the first crit fields.
Team weekend
Make it a team weekend
Every level has fields on both days, so a whole team can race: Pro/1/2 and Cat 3 riders, masters, women and new racers on one weekend.
Two starts each
Everyone races twice, and the Omnium gives the weekend one scoreboard.
A second crit
Already pinned up on Sunday? Another field you're eligible for cost $20 in 2026.
One house
Downtown Berkeley lodging with a kitchen works for both venues.
One person on logistics
Lodging, cars, start times and food for everyone, in one shared plan.
04 Explore Berkeley and the East Bay
Between the races.
Sunday's crit is in downtown Berkeley, a short walk from coffee, food, bike shops and the UC Berkeley campus. Saturday's loop over the Three Bears is on public roads the rest of the year, so arrive a day early and you can pre-ride it. And Saturday afternoon, after the road race, is for recovering: you race again tomorrow.
Before and after the crit in Berkeley
Coffee, food and the UC Berkeley campus, a short walk from Sunday's course.
Bike shops near Berkeley
For spares, a tune-up or a last-minute fix before the start.
Ride the road race loop on Strava
The Three Bears loop is on public roads, so you can pre-ride it the day before.
05 Race weekend checklist
Before you leave home.
Eight things to settle before the weekend, each linked to the guide that covers it.
Registration
BikeReg opens March 1. Registration guide.
USA Cycling license
Annual, or a one-day license for each race day. License guide.
Category
The field that matches your license, both days. Cycling categories explained.
Courses
The Three Bears loop and the four-corner crit. Course recon.
Schedule
Your staging and start times, both days. Weekend schedule.
Travel
Flights or the drive, lodging, a car. Travel guide.
Equipment
A checked bike, spares, layers, race food. Packing list.
Race-day check-in
Orinda BART on Saturday, Hearst and McGee on Sunday. Plan My Berkeley Omnium.
FAQ
Questions from traveling racers
Can I race both events?
Yes. The Berkeley Hills Road Race is Saturday and the Berkeley Streets Criterium is Sunday, April 17–18, 2027. Start both in your Omnium category to be scored for the Omnium overall, and add a second crit on Sunday if you're eligible for another field ($20 in 2026).
How Omnium scoring works →Do I need a USA Cycling license?
Yes. An annual USA Cycling license covers both days. Without one, a one-day license covers one race day: $15 for Novice racers, $35 for former annual license holders racing Category 4 and up. Racing both days takes two.
How to get your USA Cycling license →How do I register?
Online on BikeReg, from March 1. In 2026 online entry closed 3 days before the Berkeley Hills Road Race, or sooner if fields filled, and day-of registration at both races cost $15 more. It's cashless.
Berkeley Omnium registration guide →Where should I stay?
For the full Omnium, Downtown Berkeley: Sunday's criterium is there, along with food, BART and bike shops. If the road race is your priority, Lafayette or Walnut Creek put you on the Orinda side of the hills.
Where to stay for the Berkeley Omnium →Which airport should I use?
Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) is the closest major airport to Berkeley. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) often has more flights but is across the bay, and San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) is farther south. All three have rental cars; OAK and SFO connect to BART.
Airports, BART and driving →Can I bring my team?
Yes. Visiting teams are part of the race: Coalition Cycling brought five P/1/2 riders from the Pacific Northwest in 2026 and reached the podium in both races and the Omnium. Every rider registers on BikeReg in their own field.
Bringing a team →Where can I find course maps?
Each race has a course recon page with the map, the climbs or corners, and race-morning details.
Berkeley Hills course recon →Are there women's categories?
Yes, both days. In 2026: P/1/2 and Collegiate P/1/2; Elite 3 and Collegiate 3; Elite 4 and Collegiate 4; Pro/1/2 and Collegiate Pro/1/2. The $10,000 cash purse for the Pro/1/2 fields was split 50/50 between the women's and men's races.
Women's racing at the Berkeley Omnium →Are there masters categories?
Yes, both days. In 2026: Masters 35+ 1/2/3; Masters 35+ 3/4; Masters 50+ 1/2/3; Masters 50+ 3/4; Masters 60+ 1/2/3/4/5; Masters 65+ 1/2/3/4/5; Masters 35+/50+ 3/4; Masters 50+ 1/2/3, 60+ and 65+ 1/2/3/4/5; Women's 3, Collegiate B, Masters 40+/50+/60+.
Every field and start time →Where can I park on race day?
Saturday's Race HQ is Orinda BART, where parking is free on weekends. Sunday's criterium runs on closed downtown streets: street parking is free on Sundays but very limited, so carpool, take BART or ride in.
Saturday and Sunday mornings →What happens if the event is canceled?
Check this site and the email updates for any change to the races. The Berkeley Omnium hasn't published a refund or cancellation policy yet, so ask through the contact form before you book travel you can't change.
Contact the Berkeley Omnium →Race it
See you in Berkeley.
The next Berkeley Omnium is April 17–18, 2027. Registration opens on BikeReg March 1.