Prepare for a unique experience in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with the Farm to Fork Ride or Run every spring. The event, hosted by Extra Table, features seven distinct race courses. Cyclists can choose from a 34-mile bike ride, a 48-mile bike ride, or a 62-mile metric century, each offering its own challenges and scenic views. For runners, there’s a 5K and 10K run and a half marathon. In 2024, the race expanded to include a criterium loop through the historic and beautiful downtown, adding a new and exciting element to the event.
The event isn’t about who can run the fastest or pedal the hardest; it’s about feeding the hungry. Proceeds from the race help Extra Table feed food-insecure Mississippians across the state, and there’s ample opportunity for participants to enjoy Hattiesburg’s culinary offerings in area restaurants and the epic after-party at The Barn at Bridlewood.
Things to do in Hattiesburg: Explore the Longleaf Trace
Photo Credit: Visit Hattiesburg.
All events, except the crit, occur on or around the 44-mile Longleaf Trace Trail, which connects Hattiesburg to Prentiss. This Rails-to-Trails Hall of Fame winner is Mississippi’s premier rail trail, with ample shade and well-maintained pavement. You will enjoy this gem of a trail during the event, but you owe it to yourself to take a little time and explore it more while you’re out.
My favorite part of the Trace is the 30-mile segment from Longleaf Trace Gateway across from the University of Southern Mississippi to Bassfield Station. This route has seven stations and avoids a hill climb out of Prentiss and road crossings heading through downtown. The entire trail is fabulous if you have it in you to do an out and back or if you have a buddy who will pick you up in Prentiss.
Things to do in Hattiesburg: Explore Downtown
Photo Credit: Ed Coleman.
You pick up your race packet in downtown Hattiesburg, so that’s a perfect time to explore things to do in downtown Hattiesburg. The city is well on its way to becoming The City of 100 Murals, unveiling its 50th large-scale mural in January 2024. It’s also home to the adorable Pocket Museum and many statues, so art walks are fun and fruitful. There’s eclectic shopping at The Lucky Rabbit, craft beer at Southern Prohibition, and plenty of award-winning restaurants.
The city comes alive for the opening of Farm to Fork. A perfect evening would be to stay in town after your packet pickup and catch some live music in the park during Live at Five. As the sun sets, walk the crit course, which winds through the historic downtown, passing landmark buildings like the Saenger Theater and the Hattiesburg Bottling Company, and watch the races. Group B is a crowd favorite because of their high-speed turns and large pelotons. Pop into any of the downtown restaurants for a delicious dinner when you get hungry to complete a fun and eventful night on the town.
Riding the Farm to Fork
Photo Credit: Ed Coleman.
The day begins with a group start from the Barn at Bridlewood, and all distances must climb the “Hill Yeah” segment to the first snack stop. There was a lot of hoopla about this segment, including signs along the road and a cheering section, but I would like to know if there wasn’t a coastal bias even calling this a hill. It’s only an 83′ climb at 3.5% grade, which wouldn’t tip the scale in Huntsville. The entire ride has rolling hills with about 2800′ of gain total on the 62-mile course.
As soon as you leave the Barn, you ride through a bucolic countryside with an ever-present smell of honeysuckle. The spring weather is generally cool, pleasant, and a welcome relief for northern riders looking to escape the grips of winter. When they say this ride feeds people, they aren’t kidding. Every water stop had gourmet treats ranging from specialty popsicles, charcuterie, fig balls, and more. You may have to save room for the after-party, even though you’ll burn around 2000 calories on the ride!
Finish Line Party at the Barn
Photo Credit: Ed Coleman.
Roughly a thousand people come to Farm to Fork every year, and whether you’re riding or running, your event starts and ends at the Barn at Bridlewood. That’s where the Finish Line Party for all the participants begins.
You’ll find live music, a beer tent, goat yoga, ax throwing, bag painting, and more food from local restaurants than you could possibly eat. It’s fun and festive. It’s also a shocking juxtaposition between your abundance and the 670,000 hungry Mississippians Extra Table serves. Don’t worry; there are plenty of donation opportunities if you want to contribute more than your race fees.
Training for the Farm to Fork Ride
Photo Credit: Ed Coleman.
Farm to Fork is an early-season ride, so your training profile depends on how much riding you can get in during the winter. I live in Huntsville, Alabama, which has mild enough winters that I kept up regular mountain biking. One of my favorite parts of the experience was having one of my mountain biking friends, George, train for and ride the Farm to Fork with me.
George is active in the local cycling clubs, so he started finding group rides for us two months before Farm to Fork. We began with 30-mile rides and added about 10 miles weekly to build strength, endurance, group riding skills, and etiquette. With this routine, I felt prepared for the 62-mile ride. We also used the Farm to Fork as a final training ride for the Natchez Trace Century the following week, which makes for an excellent bike event combination.
Final Thoughts on Riding the Farm to Fork
Photo Credit: Ed Coleman.
I loved the Friday night criterion in downtown Hattiesburg even more than I expected. It’s an exciting race format and very spectator-friendly, especially the grace and power of a tight peloton speeding around the corners.
Staying in a tiny home at Longleaf Piney Resort was the hot ticket for race-adjacent accommodations. Hanging out at the resort was a great bonding experience, and it’s only a five-minute bike ride up the Trace to the Barn at Bridlewood. The resort has limited houses, so be sure to book early for the event. You can also plan to book a room at the resort anytime and spend a weekend on your own exploring Hattiesburg and the Longleaf Trace.
I wish I had done more riding on the Trace. There are only 5.7 miles on the Trace on the race route. Next time, I would consider doing the 50-mile route (which also starts an hour later) and saving some energy to ride more of the Trace, such as a post-race ride on Saturday and a longer ride on Sunday. There are options, but the Longleaf Trace is too fabulous to miss out on, especially if you have your bike and are right there!
All in all, I was thoroughly impressed with the Farm to Fork event and Hattiesburg as a host city.