Twilight 2008

Sports, Music, and Festival Fun

April 25-26, 2008

  The 29th Annual Athens Twilight is a professional cycling event and festival fun for fans, families, and racers.  Welcome back the return of Twilight Music presented by the UGA School of Music and The Melting Point and the Computrainer Grid Qualifiers.  Get up-close-and-personal with your favorite pro cyclists as they battle it out Friday night for coveted starting places in America's best criterium Saturday night. 

Fun for the whole family.

The Twilight Kids Criterium features races for kids ages 5-14 with kids 5 and under riding in the Big Wheel and Tricycle races. All participants are invited back to ride a Kids Criterium Parade, a one-lap ride around the Twilight Criterium course in front of the crowd.
Explore the Kid Zone

History of Twilight

Founded in 1980 by Gene Dixon, the Athens Twilight Criterium was the first nighttime race in the United States in over 60 years. What began as one race with 40 competitors has since grown to offer eight separate race classes and 150 cyclists competing in the main event, the men's criterium, a 60-km race around downtown Athens.

Heralded by VeloNews as the "Criterium Not To Miss" and voted first by their poll of professional and amateur racers, Twilight is a highlight of the pro cycling season. For the past 18 years, the Twilight has been part of the National Cycling Calendar, and it hosts the largest and oldest handcycle race in the United States. The Twilight has always stood apart from other criteriums and is popular not just with racers, but with its huge crowd of spectators, consistently drawing over 30,000 spectators and some of cyling's hottest stars to the streets of the Classic City annually.

Twilight's location in the thriving entertainment district of downtown Athens and its consistently large, passionate crowd ensure the Twilight's special status. Athens' uniqueness and charm is supported by the thousands of UGA graduates who view the Twilight as a homecoming occasion. Second only to football games, it is the largest event in Athens and is the highest income-producing weekend of the year for downtown retailers. Over one million people have viewed the Athens Twilight over its 29-year history.

The Twilight weekend has become an annual springtime tradition in Athens, as well as attracting spectators and participants from around the world. Professional athletes and spectators comment that there is no other event anywhere in the world as diverse and all encompassing as the Athens Twilight.