HISTORY
Success is a long-distance journey
Milestones of Marathon Franja throughout its 40-year history

1982
2000
2001
2002
2003
2005
2006
2010
2010
2012
2014
2014
2016
2018
2019
2020
2021
History in picture and word
Since 1978, Tone Fornezzi-Tof had the ambition to ride the marathon route, but due to road construction in Kladje, Cerkno, the route was not rideable. In 1979, under the leadership of Zvone Zanoškar, the Rog team finally managed to successfully complete the marathon route. When the Rog cycling team members Zvone, Tof, Žavbi and Polončič took a short stop in Cerkno, they spotted a historic military WW2 Hospital Franja road sign. The name of the marathon was born and decission was made immediately after Tof’s suggestion: Maraton Franja.
The first Maraton Franja took place on July 22, 1982. Around 700 participants, mostly on regular, non-competitive bicycles, took part in the inaugural event. In the early years, there was a seven-kilometer gravel section from the top of Kladje to Sovodenj, causing many flat tires. Thanks to Franja and protests from local residents, asphalt was later laid on this section.
The historic military hospital Franja was a secret military hospital created and directed by Dr. Bojc-Bidovec Franja during World War 2. The hospital was never discovered by the occupier.
In 1984, Dr. Franja Bojc-Bidovec personally greeted the Maraton Franja participants at the Tacen starting line, supporting riders with famous words on that occasion: "I know it won't be easy for you, believe me, it wasn't easy for us either!"
In the 1980s, Maraton Franja attracted many participants from Western Europe, with Dutch cyclists being particularly memorable as they made a stop during the marathon on their way to the Adriatic coast.
During this period, the Rog bicycle factory also manufactured a bicycle specifically designed for such challenge, named Maraton.
"Ivan Rajgelj was the fastest in the first Franja, and later, a diverse crowd, ranging from recreational cyclists to professionals like Primož Čerin, Jure Pavlič, Valter Bonča, Boris Premužič, Robert Pintarič, Gorazd Penko and others. The latter battled for points in the prestigious scoring for Rog's Golden Bike for two years at Franja. Bojan Križaj, one of the biggest stars in Yugoslav sports at the time, also participated in the marathon in the 1980s.
The record-breaking participation occurred in 2002 when 1,886 participants took part. That year, the marathon was exceptionally held as a closed race. Alongside the Family Marathon, organized for the first time, there were more than 2,000 participants at the starting line. The following year, Franja returned to a competitive format, proving to be the correct and long-term solution. Until 2002, Franja started and finished in Tacen, in front of the Police Academy. In the same year, Gorazd Penko became the director of the marathon and, in 2003, relocated it to BTC City in Ljubljana. Since then, new milestones are set year after year. BTC became the sponsor, and from 2005, the general sponsor, co-organizer, and promoter of Franja.

The event gained new momentum in 2005 when the marathon became part of the Cycling Festival. The Franja Marathon was complemented by the Small Franja Marathon, two mountain biking trials, the Family-School Marathon for everyone, and a Children's Trial. Alongside the festival, there were lectures and a trade fair. With the inclusion in the Alpe Adria Tour series of cycling marathons, Marathon Franja Barcaffé became very popular for foreigners, especially Italians.
Another milestone was reached in 2010 when the Franja Marathon became a part of the series of the most prestigious cycling marathons in the world under the auspices of the International Cycling Union UCI-Golden bike. In the same year, Jože Mermal took over as the president of the organizing committee, leading it for 13 years."
From the world's oldest bicycle to the winner of the Tour de France
For millennia, the world has been powered by the bicycle. Although we don't know who invented it, Slovenia can proudly boast the oldest preserved wooden bike.
The Barje grounds have preserved remarkable archaeological finds throughout the millennia. In 2002, archaeologists, led by Dr. Anton Velušček, discovered the oldest wooden wheel at Stara gmajna near Vrhnika, followed by the corresponding oak axle. Research indicated that the bike is an impressive 5,200 years old, and its remarkable preservation is attributed to the constant saturation of the Barje soil layers with water.
Wheels, Barje, and people have been connected since ancient times, forming an inseparable whole. The connection with the Barje is also evident in the Maraton Franja BTC City, as some marathon routes partially or entirely traverse the Ljubljana Barje.

Ljubljana and Slovenia have a long and rich cycling history. Cycling in Slovenia dates back to 1869 when the German newspaper Triglav coined the term 'velocipedemanija' for the first cycling enthusiasm in the country.
Our successful cycling story reaches the top of the global cycling scene, as Tadej Pogačar, originating from the cycling club Rog Ljubljana, emerged victorious in the 2020 Tour de France and claimed the top spot in the world cycling rankings.