Latvia’s most active cyclists invited to take part in the Ķekava Cycling Marathon
At the end of the month, on 29 July, the Ķekava Cycling Marathon, a major event traditionally held in the vicinity of Riga, will take place, with the most active families from all over Latvia invited to participate alongside professional cyclists. This cycling festival, which has become a unifying tradition, will once again offer four exciting courses for every cycling enthusiast, allowing participants to enjoy spending time together and spend a summer weekend in a sportingly invigorating atmosphere. Moreover, as usual, the fastest and most creative teams will receive valuable prizes from the event’s organisers and supporters.
The 80-km Sport course will be of interest to certified athletes; the widely represented People’s course (45 km) will allow participants to start either individually or as part of a team; the colourful Family course parade, covering 10 km, will unite not only the most active and imaginative families, but also groups of relatives, friends and colleagues from all over Latvia, while the exciting Children’s Ride (0.5–1 km) will also appeal to the youngest cyclists. To prepare properly for the Ķekava Cycling Marathon, participants are invited to a 40-km training ride at 18:00 on 20 July, during which it will be possible to familiarise themselves with the Sport and People’s course circuits. Before the training ride, experienced industry professionals will answer questions and offer advice.
The Ķekava Cycling Marathon is not only a high-level sporting event, but also a colourful festival bringing together families and cycling enthusiasts of different generations. Every year it attracts an increasing number of participants, promoting cycling and encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle. The Family course, popular with cyclists both young and old, particularly symbolises family values based on spending quality time together. Therefore, the event organisers encourage participants to be creative and give special attention to their team’s visual identity, as, following tradition, the most harmonious and eye-catching Family course participants will receive pleasant surprise prizes in one of the following categories:
- Most stylish bicycle,
- Most colourful helmet,
- Largest family,
- Most striking cyclist,
- Retro rider,
- Most united family,
- Greenest participant,
- Most harmonious tandem.
“The Ķekava Cycling Marathon is set to attract a large number of participants in various age and qualification groups for the fifth consecutive year. This competition is special because it is the only cycling marathon in Latvia to include a 6-km gravel section, making it more varied and challenging. To motivate both professional cyclists and other enthusiasts of this sport to achieve their best results, maratoni.lv, together with its supporters, has prepared special prizes for the competition winners. We invite all residents of Ķekava and visitors to the municipality to end July in a sporting spirit together with family and friends, whether to set new records or simply to enjoy positive emotions,” comments competition organiser Lauris Špillers.
Throughout the day during the Cycling Marathon, visitors at the event venue will also be offered various exciting entertainment options: mobile sales stands, tastings, competitions, inflatable attractions and creative workshops for children, DJ performances, energetic music, as well as other fun activities. Also, to ensure the well-being of the competition participants, thirst-quenching mineral water will be provided at several points along the course, while the technical condition of the bicycles will be carefully monitored by Velo Depo bicycle service. The lively event host Ivars Bācis will be responsible for keeping spirits high during the competition.
It is possible to register for the Ķekava Cycling Marathon by completing the form on the website www.maratoni.lv. When registering by 25 July, the entry fee is EUR 50 for the Sport course, EUR 30 for the People’s course and EUR 15 for the Family course, while the fee for the youngest participants, children aged up to 12, is EUR 7 for the Children’s Ride. On the day of the competition, the registration fee for some courses will increase.
