Road race sponsorship · Berkeley Hills
Back a road race raced since 1957.
A road race is a long day in the hills, and the products and people that get racers through it are remembered. What road race sponsorship looks like, and what the Berkeley Hills Road Race offers.
- First raced
- 1957
- Distances
- 16–90 mi
- Fields
- 16
- Podium places
- 48
01 For marketers who don't race
What is a road race?
A road race is a mass-start bike race over a long course on roads, often with climbs. Riders race for hours, work together and attack each other, and the first across the line wins.
The Berkeley Hills Road Race runs on an 18.76-mile loop over the Three Bears climbs near Orinda.16 fields race 16 to 90 miles, from juniors to the Pro/1/2 race.
Why sponsors back road races
Why do companies sponsor road races?
For heritage, for endurance products that get a real test, and for the moments racers remember: the feed zone, the climbs and the podium.
To be straight with you: a road race has fewer spectators than a criterium. Most watch at the start, the finish and on the climbs. If visibility with a crowd is the goal, the criterium may suit you better.
Heritage
First raced in 1957, the Berkeley Hills Road Race is one of the oldest road races in the United States. The 70th edition ran in 2026.
Products get tested for hours
Racers ride 16 to 90 miles over the climbs. Fuel, hydration, tires, wheels and clothing all get a real test.
The feed zone
Racers take neutral water and bottles mid-race. In 2026, Stay True Cycles sponsored the feed-zone bottles.
The podium
The finish-line podium was created by Expert Tree Service and is used only at this race.
Climbs racers remember
The Three Bears climbs near Orinda usually decide the race, and they're what riders talk about afterward.
Content
Decades of photos and video, from a 1964 home movie to full races on film, and a course that looks like Northern California.
Juniors and women's fields
Junior fields race shorter distances by age, and the Women's Long and Short Races share the course with every other field.
Racers who travel
Racers came from 11 states in 2026, and the Omnium rewards racing both days, so racers stay for the criterium on Sunday.
Road race or criterium?
Saturday in the hills, Sunday downtown.
Because the Berkeley Omnium has both, a sponsor can pick the race that fits, or back the whole weekend and reach the racers who ride both.
| Topic | Berkeley Hills Road Race | Berkeley Streets Criterium |
|---|---|---|
| The race | A road race on an 18.76-mile loop over the Three Bears climbs near Orinda, raced since 1957. | A criterium: timed races on a closed 0.61-mile loop in downtown Berkeley, beside Ohlone Park. |
| When | Day 1, Saturday | Day 2, Sunday |
| Length | 16 to 90 miles, by field (16 fields) | 30 to 60 minutes per race, 12 races from 7:30 a.m. |
| Spectators | Friends, families and teammates at the start, the finish and along the climbs. | Free to watch from the sidewalks, with racers passing the same spot every lap. |
| Sponsor moments | The feed zone, the climbs, the one-of-a-kind finish-line podium. | Primes, the announcer, the podium and the kids race. |
| Strong fit for | Nutrition, hydration, endurance gear, heritage and content brands. | Visibility, sampling, family audiences and businesses near downtown. |
02 The feed zone
Mid-race, every racer needs a bottle.
The feed zone is where volunteers hand water and bottles to racers in the middle of the race. It's one of the few places a product goes straight from a sponsor to a racer who needs it right then.
In 2026, Stay True Cycles returned as the feed-zone water bottle sponsor for the Berkeley Hills Road Race.
03 The finish line
A one-of-a-kind podium.
The Berkeley Hills Road Race podium was created by Expert Tree Service, the 2026 title sponsor, and it's used only at this race.
That's what a sponsor can be at a race with this much history: part of how the race looks, not a logo beside it.
At the Berkeley Hills
Ways to take part on Saturday.
Each of these is agreed with the organizing committee before race weekend. Nothing is promised until it's agreed.
Race sponsor
Attach your brand to the Berkeley Hills Road Race on Saturday.
Feed zone
Bottles, hydration or nutrition handed to racers mid-race.
Podium prizes
Prizes for the 48 road race podium places, valued at retail on the prize list.
Prize money
The Berkeley Omnium's $10,000 Pro/1/2 cash purse in 2026, split 50/50 between the women's and men's races, was funded by Expert Tree Service and KaiVelo.
Junior fields
Support for junior racers and their families on race day.
Road race sponsorship
Questions about sponsoring a road race
What is a road race?
A road race is a mass-start bike race over a long course on roads, often with climbs, where riders race for hours and the first across the line wins. The Berkeley Hills Road Race runs on an 18.76-mile loop over the Three Bears climbs near Orinda, 16 to 90 miles depending on the field.
Road race vs. criterium →Why do companies sponsor road races?
For heritage, for endurance products that get tested over hours of racing, and for moments racers remember: the feed zone, the climbs and the podium. A road race has fewer spectators than a criterium, so it suits product and racer-focused goals best.
Can we sponsor only the Berkeley Hills Road Race?
Yes. A race sponsorship attaches your brand to one race, and the Berkeley Hills Road Race on Saturday is one of them.
What is the feed zone?
A stretch of the course where racers take water and bottles from volunteers mid-race. In 2026, Stay True Cycles sponsored the feed-zone bottles.
How many podium places does the road race have?
Each of the 16 fields awards sponsor prizes to its top three: 48 podium places in all.
Berkeley Hills Road Race
Be part of a race that's run since 1957.
Tell us what you'd like to achieve, and we'll suggest where it fits on Saturday: the race, the feed zone, the podiums or the junior fields.