THE KÉSZ GROUP BALATONFONDO WILL START WITH NEW FEATURES IN 2024
Building on last year's success, one of the most popular amateur cycling races in Hungary, the Balatonfondo, will be held again this year with KÉSZ Group as title sponsor
The 2024 event will feature a number of new features for cycling enthusiasts, including an extended route.
The scenery of the Lake Balaton Highlands, the experience of cycling in a car-free, peaceful environment will attract not only domestic fans of the sport, but also foreign cyclists, so the race will contribute to building the country's image and extend the tourist season at Lake Balaton.
The event, which is held over two different distances, attracted 1,300 participants in its first year, 2023.
One of the reasons for the success of the race is that the Lake Balaton Highlands offer unrivalled natural scenery to the competitors, and in a unique way in Hungary, the course is on public roads closed to traffic (for the time period specified in the race notice) and is marshalled by the police.
The 2nd edition has two new features
The race will start from a new location, the Vitorlás Square in Balatonfüred on September 14 2024, and this year's route will include the jewel of the region, Tihany.
The two distances, the 120km Gran Fondo and the 62km Medio Fondo, will provide a challenge for everyone from casual cyclists to professional riders, offering the best challenge for their level of fitness and strength, and a relaxed, car-free cycling environment that is not possible on other days of the year.
There are three feed stations out on course and another in the finish and ceremony area located at Sportcentrum.
The ride is chip timed, and for the more competitive, there are a wide range of age categories from 16 to 60+ for both men and women, with trophies awarded to the winners in each category.
There is medical assistance during the race and in the start/finish area and neutral cars during the race to attend to any mechanical issues. A service tent awaits all participants throughout the day in the territory of the entry center, where minor repairs and adjustments will be carried out free of charge for you.
Ambassador of the event is the reigning Hungarian champion and WorldTour professional Attila Valter (Visma Lease a Bike). He will not only be visible in the preliminary communication, but will also welcome the Fondo participants as guest of honour, if his competition programme allows it.
Registration also includes a race cap, energy gel and free photos taken during the event, food at the finish and entry into the Raffle with a Cervelo carbon road bike worth HUF 1 million as the main prize, held at the finish and prize ceremony area at Sportcentrum in Balatonfüred.
Getting There
Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Hungary, is located in the central part of the country. From the capital Budapest to its northern shore it’s just under 100 km. Getting to Lake Balaton is actually really easy. There are frequent, fast, and direct trains from Budapest.
In Budapest the trains depart from Deli station, you can easily reach it by metro as it’s the last stop on the red line 2.
You can check the connections and get tickets here at the website of Hungarian railways MAV.
The start and finish are of the BalatonFondo is located in the city of Balatonfüred. You find many different accommodation types in and around the city.
Budapest Airport (BUD) is located 16 km (10 miles) southeast of Budapest city centre. BUD Airport is a hub for Smartwings Hungary, Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines and Ryanair. Budapest Airport handles around 12.2 million passengers every year. There are cheap flights to Hungary from all over Europe, and beyond.
Register Now
Registration costs approx. 51 Euros (20,000 HUF) in advance, or 64 Euros (25,000 HUF) on the day (cash only). No racing license is required.
Entry also includes:
- Plus 1 bicycle cap with a unique Balatonfondo design
- Prizes per category
- 1 gel, 1 High5 energy gel
- Medical assistance at the finish line from 09'00 - 18'00 and medical care during the marathon
- The use of service vans, two of which will move with the marathon field and provide technical assistance if necessary, or in case of serious machine breakdown, you can get in and get to the finish. Please note: the service car is not a taxi, the rest of the field will need to assist and will not take anyone to the finish line.
- Unlimited use of your own photos of the event
- Automatic entry into the raffle with your race number.
- The main prize of the raffle is a carbon road bike
For more information, please visit: https://balatonfondo.eu or click the button below to register now.
BalatonFondo Photo Galllery
