Trail Creatures is Athens Road Runners Trail Team made up of trail runners, of all levels. We have two main goals: first, to train together in the mountains in a noncompetitive and fully supported environment, providing benefits of training in a group such as safety in numbers, aid & nutrition, camaraderie, and skill sharing. Our second goal is to provide a training group for those planning to compete in trail races of distances from half marathon up to 50k and beyond.
Who Can Join?
Any Athens Road Runner can join in our mountain trail runs: from beginners and experienced trail junkies to even hikers. Mountain trail runs are rugged and take some getting used to, but our community is diverse and ALL are welcome. Each run offers multiple distance options and a buddy system to ensure no one gets left behind. We also have a hiking group! We encourage you to try out local trail runs in the ARR Trail Series before coming to a mountain run.
2023 Trail Creatures Mountain Series
| Jan. 22 | Jake Mountain |
2023 Local Trail Series
| Jan. 8 | Sweetwater Creek State Park |
| Jan. 15 | Dirt Loop, Start at College Station Park and Ride |
| Jan. 29 | Botanical Gardens |
| Feb. 12 | Botanical Gardens – 1 pm |
2022 Trail Creatures Mountain Series
| Jan. 15 | Bull Mountain |
| Feb. 12 | Vogel State Park |
| Mar. 12 | Lake Russell WMA |
| Apr. 9 | Southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail |
| May 21 | Yonah Mountain |
| Jun. 5 | Rabun Half (race) |
| Jun. 11 | Vogel State Park |
| Jul. 9 | Winfield Scott & Blood Mountain |
| Aug. 13 | Fort Mountain State Park |
| Sep. 10 | Brasstown Bald |
| Oct. 8 | Currahee |
| Nov. 12 | Friendsgiving at Yonah Mountain 8 am [RSVP] |
| Dec. 10 | Helen Holiday Half and 10K |
2022 Local Trail Series
| Feb. 27 | Lake Chapman course preview with Dustin Shinholser |
| Mar. 20 | Lake Chapman 5K and 15K trail race |
| May 29 | Oconee NF near Scull Shoals |
| Jun. 12 | E23 lot (Park n Ride) dirt loop |
| Jun. 19 | Lake Chapman |
| Jun. 26 | Botanical Garden – white and orange loops |
| Jul. 3 | Hawkes Creek Farm |
| Jul. 10 | Dirt Loop – Winston Drive start |
| Jul. 31 | Botanical Garden – white and orange loops |
| Aug. 21 | E23 lot (Park n Ride) dirt loop |
| Aug. 28 | Lake Chapman |
| Sep. 18 | Botanical Garden – white and orange loops |
| Sep. 25 | Botanical Garden – white and orange loops |
| Oct. 9 | Botanical Garden – white and orange loops |
| Oct. 30 | UGA IM Fields |
| Nov. 27 | Lake Chapman |
All of our runs will start near a campground or National Forrest campsite in the mountains. Trail Creature members will enjoy free camping, hydration support, campfire when possible, and post-run food/snacks and beverages.
Our monthly mountain runs are scouted, guided, and supported by seasoned trail/mountain runners, to introduce new folks to the magic in the mountains, without the fear or risk of going it alone. All runs are zero-drop, provide multiple distances, and an emergency support leader with an SOS beacon and first aid.
Our community provides skill and knowledge sharing across experience and speed levels. Through Creature Comforts’ generous support trail team members will enjoy discounts and free race entries for a number of trail races in North Georgia and beyond.
Meet Trail Team Captain Abigail West
Abigail West’s favorite place in the world is probably the mountains of North Georgia. Abigail is an Athens-based artist whose ideal weekend is spent exploring new places in the mountains with her husband and fellow artist, Michael Ross. After several years of running and racing on the roads, she discovered her joy and freedom in trail running and has now become a competitive trail & ultra runner. She’s passionate about connecting with other runners over the magic of the mountains.