Packet Pick-Up and the Classic City Marathon Expo
Athens Classic Center | 300 North Thomas Street | Athens, GA
Grand Hall 8 (lower level)
Friday, January 23, and Saturday, January 24, 2026
Packet Pick-Up Hours:
Friday, January 23, 2026: 4 pm to 7 pm
Saturday, January 24, 2026: 6 am to 7 am
Yes, a friend can pick up your marathon or half marathon bib for you. They will need your registration confirmation email or a copy of your ID.
One member of each Relay team will check in for the team.
See more details about Packet Pick-Up in the Participants’ Guide.
Expo Hours:
Friday, January 23, 2026: 4 pm to 7 pm
Saturday, January 25, 2026: 8 am to 1 pm
Getting to the Expo
If you are staying in one of our race hotels, the Expo at the Classic Center is an easy walk of less than half a mile. If you will be parking in downtown Athens for the Expo, try the Classic Center Parking Deck (enter from either Thomas Street or Foundry Street), the College Avenue Parking Deck, or metered street parking. The North Campus Parking Deck on the University of Georgia campus also allows paid visitor parking on weekdays. The Expo and the Post-Race Gathering and Celebrations area are both in Grand Hall 8, on the lower level of the Classic Center’s main building.
🛡️ What is an “Expo”? What is a “Packet”?
Welcome, first-time racers! A race’s “expo” is always a meeting place and a temporary shopping mall. Sponsors of the race and other suppliers will have tables or booths with information and with running gear, supplies, samples, and souvenirs for sale. It’s also where you will pick up your “packet,” which refers to the number you must pin to your shirt on race day (also known as your “race bib”), your commemorative race shirt to wear later, and the special team belt for relay participants. (Runners used to receive a whole packet of paper ads and other materials, but most races have gone green. You’ll get a “virtual packet” of great offers from our sponsors the day after the race, instead of paper ads.)
Pro tip: Enjoy the expo, but don’t spend too much time on your feet, and don’t let anyone at the expo convince you to try anything new on race day! Run in shoes you know, and use the nutrition you’ve been training with.