Cycling & running events in Walla Walla, 2026

Walla Walla Training Notes

Running: Locals run Fort Walla Walla Recreation Trail when they want easy pavement and a tidy loop with Arthur G. Rempel Nature Trail. Walla Trails and Community gives the trail scene a real local anchor. South Fork Walla Walla River Trail gives you more than 22 miles along the water through forest, and you can go out there and hardly see anyone. Bennington Lake has a 5-mile singletrack loop and Whitetail Trail as a 5-mile outer loop. The Walla Walla Marathon, Falla Walla Half Marathon, Echolands Wine Run 5k, Jasper Mountain Trail Fest, and Walla Walla 6 Hour keep the calendar honest.

Cycling: Downtown Walla Walla starts a lot of rides, and the town quickly fades into the background once the county roads open up. Walla Walla Valley Cycling keeps the route info together, and Bicycle Barn leads rides through the week. The valley gives riders 500 miles of county roads for base miles, tempo days, and gravel noodling. Scenic Loop runs about 40 miles, and the pavement gives way to finely graded gravel. Walla Walla Grit is the anchor event, with the long GRIT route covering 90.5 miles and the short version covering 44.1 miles. The Blue Mountains hold the steep climbs and sharp turns, while Five Mile hill keeps Onion Man honest.

Season: May through October is the sweet stretch, with Saturday farmers market energy and enough daylight for doubles. April brings Walla Walla 6 Hour and spring riding, May brings Onion Man Triathlon, June brings Jasper Mountain Trail Fest, September brings Walla Walla Grit, and October brings Walla Walla Marathon. Summer has hot-summer Mediterranean heat, so locals run early, ride early, and keep the South Fork Walla Walla River in mind when August is baking. Winter can feel fairly cold, though it stays mild for an inland spot, and both runners and cyclists shift toward paved trails, Z2, and shorter interval days.