The Twilight Series is a weekend of bicycle races and events that takes place every Spring

Spring (season)

Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...

 in Athens

Athens, Georgia

Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...

, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 since 1980. During the course of each Twilight weekend, competitive events in a variety of fields are staged, including BMX

BMX

Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...

 racing and trick contests, a Kids' Criterium

Criterium

A criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course , often run on closed-off city center streets....

, a mountain bike

Mountain bike

A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...

 or 'Fat Tire' Criterium, and the climactic event of the weekend, the Twilight Criterium. The weekend event features amateur and professional races, with differing prizes for each.

The Twilight Criterium itself is the most publicized and highly anticipated of each Twilight weekend. It is a professional race that takes place on a 1km (.621 mile) course in downtown Athens. The entire race requires cyclists to endure 80km (49.71 miles) within just a few hours. The main criterium features cash prizes totaling more than $US10,000 .