5 Within 50: Scenic Runs

The dogwood blossoms are bursting, and so are your sinuses, which can only mean one thing: the spring/summer running season is here!

Trillium Trek Trail Run
May 1
2125 Elachee Drive | Gainesville

Take a 3.1 or a 13.1 mile run through Georgia’s only National Dedicated Old-Growth Forest at the 1,440-acre Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve—one of the state’s largest protected greenspaces. The Trillium Trek covers gentle, shaded trails, bridged stream crossings and rolling topography within the transition zone between the piedmont and the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to run by trees estimated to be 150-200 years old! Race proceeds benefit the Elachee Nature Center’s environmental education and conservation initiatives. Elachee.org/Trillium-Trek

Sundae Funday 5K
May 2
3855 Fence Road | Dacula

Beer runs? Okay, boomer. We’ve got a way better idea: the Sundae Funday 5K ends at an ice cream sundae bar, courtesy of Bruster’s Ice Cream truck. But you’ve gotta earn it first, on 3.1 miles of asphalt, grass and dirt trails through Little Mulberry Park. What a SWEET run! FundRacers.org

Button Down Dash
May 22
330 Town Center Avenue | Suwanee

Toss your coat and tie, kick off your wingtips and race through Suwanee in the Gwinnett Chamber’s annual Button Down Dash! Typically run on the streets surrounding the Chamber building, the race made the move to Suwanee Town Center in 2021. Participants will begin and end in front of City Hall, travel through the Old Town historic district and wind up in the woods on the beautiful Suwanee Greenway (all concrete and boardwalks – no dirt trails) before turning around and doing it all in reverse! ButtonDownDash.com

Braves Country 5K
June 5
755 Battery Avenue | Atlanta

Always dreamed of taking the field with the Atlanta Braves? Now you can! Sort of. I mean, not really. The Braves Country 5K take baseball-loving runners through the streets of Truist Park before heading back to the ballpark to cross the finish line on the field! Participants also receive a ticket to their choice of games: June 5 or 6 versus 2020 World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers, or June 18 versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Runners also have the option of purchasing additional game tickets at a discounted rate for family and friends to join them. Or you can spend an afternoon root-root-rooting for the home team by yourself – we get that. MLB.com/BravesDirty Spokes Haw Creek Park 6.1/3.0 Mile Trail Run
June 12
2164 Echols Road| Cumming

It’s tough to beat the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees onto the trail in the morning for aesthetics. Haw Creek Park offers a well-groomed system of trails with gentle slopes and beautiful scenery that will take your breath away (if that doesn´t, the 6.1⁄3.0 miles will). The terrain is made up of a little bit of everything: rolling hills, single track, double track and rocks with some technical sections. The off-road running experience tends to be a little tougher than pavement, but once you descend into the woods, you’ll understand why Dirty Spokes’ motto is “Ditch the City.” DirtySpokes.com