Marble Festival Road Race: canceled for 2026, future undecided

There was no Marble Festival Road Race in Jasper, Georgia, in 2026. It would have been the 45th running (Pickens County Progress). The 2026 festival listing on Know Pickens gives the reason in one line:

The Marble Festival Road Race, traditionally hosted by the Dorcas Circle of Jasper United Methodist Church, was canceled for 2026 because of GDOT road projects and the loss of its historic finish-line venue. (Know Pickens, checked Oct 18, 2026)

Why it was canceled

The Pickens County Progress laid it out in a September 2, 2026 story by Christie Pool, “No finish line: Marble Festival Road Race takes a break after 44 years.” Race director Juanita Tatum told the paper that GDOT bought the church’s property at Appalachian Circle, “where our finish line came down to and our awards ceremony.” That property was where the course ended and where the awards were handed out.

GDOT bought it for the Highway 53 widening. The Progress reported that GDOT planned to put the project out for bids in December 2026, with construction expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027. Those are GDOT’s plans as reported in September 2026, not dates we can confirm.

Is the race coming back?

Nobody knows yet. Tatum told the Progress: “I’d like to think it’s going to be a gap year whether we do it or someone else takes over, but that remains to be seen.” The Know Pickens listing adds that organizers are “using this time to redesign a new route for future festival weekends.” As of October 18, 2026, no new route, date or organizer has been announced.

For 2027, don’t count on a race until one is announced. Watch the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce, VisitPickensGA.com and the Progress. Our 2027 festival dates page tracks the festival announcement.

The last race: October 4, 2025

The most recent race was the 44th Annual Georgia Marble Festival Road Race on Saturday, October 4, 2025, with a 5K and a 1-mile fun run/walk (Know Pickens). The 5K started at 8 a.m. and the 1-mile at 9 a.m., ahead of the 10 a.m. parade.

Don’t mix up the two counts. The 44th race was in 2025; the 44th festival was in 2026.

In recent years the race drew roughly 400 to 500 runners, per the Progress. It was organized and sponsored by the Jasper United Methodist Women In Faith, and proceeds went to the ministries of the Dorcas Circle (Pickens County Chamber).

Race timeline

• October 5, 2024: the race runs with an 8 a.m. 5K and a 9 a.m. one-mile, per the Chamber’s 5K page.
• October 4, 2025: the 44th race, a 5K and 1-mile fun run/walk, on Main Street in downtown Jasper.
• September 2, 2026: the Pickens County Progress reports the race is off for 2026.
• October 3, 2026: festival Saturday, with no race on the schedule.
• December 2026: GDOT’s planned bid date for the Highway 53 widening, as reported.
• First quarter of 2027: when construction was expected to begin, as reported.

Out-of-date race pages

The Chamber’s 5K page is still up, and it still shows the October 5, 2024 race: 8:00 a.m. 5K, 9:00 a.m. one mile. It doesn’t mention the 2026 cancellation. If you find a registration page for a Marble Festival Road Race, check the year on it before you pay.

Festival Saturday without the race

In 2026 the Saturday schedule started at 10 a.m., with the parade on Main Street and the gates opening at Lee Newton Park at the same hour. Runners who still want an early start in Jasper have options that don’t need a race bib. Lee Newton Park has a walking path (Visit Pickens), and the Chamber lists Talking Rock Nature Park, a 210-acre property with about 10 miles of trail for bikers, runners and walkers, near Talking Rock.

The rest of the weekend is on how the 2026 festival ran, the parade and things to do in Jasper. The full story of the cancellation is in our journal: why the 2026 race did not run.

Race details from the Pickens County Progress, Know Pickens and the Pickens County Chamber, checked October 18, 2026; plans for 2027 may change.

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