The annual Ķekava cycling marathon will start next week

On Saturday, 20 May, the highly acclaimed Ķekava cycling marathon will take place in the area around Riga for the fourth consecutive year. Both experienced cycling professionals and all enthusiasts of the sport are invited to participate. As always, active participants will be able to test their strength on one of four courses offered for different age and qualification groups, competing for valuable prizes and spending the weekend in an atmosphere of positive, energetic emotions.

In the context of Latvia’s sporting life, the Ķekava cycling marathon is a unique event. This year, too, its exciting Ķekava–Daugmale–Baldone–Ķekava route will be comparable to that of the legendary one-day cycle race Paris–Roubaix, as the competition’s longer courses will run both on paved roads and gravel surfaces, starting and finishing at the local sports club in “Bultas”, Ķekava Parish. The aim of this event, which has become a spring tradition, is to promote cycling in Latvia, raise the skill level of local cyclists, and encourage an active and healthy lifestyle among the municipality’s residents and visitors.

 

The 80-kilometre-long and dynamic Sport Course will be offered to cycling marathon participants as the most challenging stage of the competition. Licensed athletes aged 18 and over will be eligible to take part. It will be complemented by the widely popular 45-kilometre Public Course, which will allow participants to compete both individually and as part of a team. The unifying Family Course parade (10 km) will traditionally bring together the most active and creative families from all regions of Latvia, while the Children’s Course (0.5–1 km) will allow even the youngest bicycle riders to experience moments worthy of a competition. As usual, the highest-scoring participants will receive cash prizes and other valuable awards this year as well.

“The Ķekava cycling marathon is one of the largest sporting events in the municipality, and it has become a tradition both for active sports enthusiasts and supporters of a healthy lifestyle, as demonstrated by its large number of followers—approximately 2,000 participants. I hope that this year, too, the ranks of participants in the Ķekava marathon will be joined by new, enthusiastic contenders eager to compete,” comments Andis Damlics, Chairman of the Ķekava Municipality Council. 

During the cycling marathon, visitors at the event venue will also be offered various enticing entertainment opportunities throughout the day. In addition, taking care of the participants’ well-being, thirst-quenching natural mineral water VENDEN will be provided at several points along the route, while the technical condition of the bicycles will be carefully monitored by FANS bicycle service.

You can register for the Ķekava cycling marathon by completing the form on the website www.maratoni.lv.  When registering by 10 May, the participation fee for the Sport and Public Courses is EUR 15, while the fee for the Family Course is EUR 10. For the youngest participants aged up to 12, participation in the Children’s Race is free of charge when registering in advance. From 11 May and on the day of the competition, the registration fee for all courses will increase. 

The competition is organised by SIA “Alpha Baltic Sport” in cooperation with the Ķekava Municipality Sports Agency. The event’s general sponsors are PF Ķekava and Credit On. This year, the prize fund provided by the cycling marathon’s organisers and supporters exceeds EUR 1,600.