Marathon Franja BTC City 2025: Slovenia’s Largest Recreational Cycling Event Returns with a New MTB Challenge
Ljubljana, June 2, 2025 – The 44th Marathon Franja BTC City, Slovenia’s biggest recreational cycling event, will take place from June 13 to 15, 2025, featuring diverse routes, international participants, and a vibrant side program. Organized by KD Rog and supported by BTC City, and other partners, the event will once again bring together cyclists of all ages.
Since its inception in 1982, Marathon Franja has grown into a national celebration of cycling, promoting sport, health, sustainable mobility, tourism, and community. A proud member of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series since 2012, the event now offers seven unique cycling challenges over three days.
Highlights include:
- Friday: 21.2 km individual time trial (Ljubljana–Domžale–Ljubljana)
- Saturday:
- New: 97 km Ljubljana Dragon MTB Challenge powered by EES Sistemi (MTB & gravel, 3, 2500+ m elevation)
- 77 km Barjanka powered by GH Holding (scenic ride which starts at Kongresni trg)
- 25 km Medex Family & School Marathon
- 1 km Vzajemko Trail for Kids
- Sunday:
- 156 km Gran fondo Marathon Franja BTC City
- 97 km Triglav medo fondo Marathon Franja
The new MTB Challenge marks a shift toward greater inclusivity, designed for riders of varying skill levels—including e-bike users—along forest and gravel paths around Ljubljana.
The heart of the event will once again be BTC City Ljubljana, where all races—except for Barjanka, which will start at Kongresni trg in the city center—will begin and end. As part of the event, the EXPO Marathon Franja BTC City will take place from June 13 to 15, featuring a rich accompanying program with presentations from the cycling industry, sports nutrition, recovery, tourism, and health sectors—further expanding the sporting and economic dimensions of the event.
Mag. Damjan Kralj, CEO of BTC Company, highlights the event’s strategic importance for BTC City and the broader community:
“Each year, BTC City Ljubljana becomes the heart of Slovenian cycling—a place where sporting passion, business opportunities, tourism, and community meet. For us, the marathon is more than an event; it’s a platform to fulfill our commitment to sustainability, partnerships, and active living. We look forward to this weekend in June when BTC City will once again be filled with sporting energy and the positive spirit of people who believe in the power of connection. We’re proud to have been a key partner for 23 years.”
Jože Mermal, Chairman of the Marathon Franja BTC City Organizing Committee and Chairman of the BTC Management Board, emphasizes the event’s unifying legacy:
“As we celebrate the 44th edition of Marathon Franja BTC City, we proudly look back to 1982, when a passionate group of cycling enthusiasts mapped out a route that over the decades became much more than just a sporting event. Franja became a movement. Over time, it has transcended sport and become a national celebration of recreational cycling. With each edition, we prove that mass events can coexist with their environment—when led by people with vision, dedication, and a true will to connect. Thanks to all the cyclists, partners, volunteers, and spectators who help write the story of Franja with their hearts.”
Gorazd Penko, Director of Marathon Franja BTC City, stresses the event’s forward-thinking approach:
“For over four decades, Marathon Franja has grown in participation, organizational excellence, and program diversity. This year’s new MTB Challenge and the enhanced EXPO Franja mark another step toward meeting the evolving expectations of the cycling community. None of this would be possible without our partners, municipalities, volunteers, and supporters, who contribute their passion and experience to keeping Franja a source of pride in Slovenian recreational sport. I am grateful to everyone who has been co-creating this story for so many years alongside KD Rog.”
Marathon Franja BTC City stands as proof that sports initiatives built on collaboration can evolve into movements. With this event, BTC Company reaffirms its dedication to sustainable, community-oriented projects that unite sports, business, and society.
