The Dragon Ride is one of the oldest and most iconic sportives in the UK, renowned as being the toughest and most legendary in the British Isles. It will, once again, be returning to Margam Park for what will be the 20th edition – The date is set for Sunday 23 June 2024.
Lou Lusardi birthed the very first Dragon Ride in 2004, with just 280 riders, he was inspired by the popularity of Italian Gran Fondo’s in his home country. At the time there were only a handful of sportives in the UK and Lou saw an opportunity to bring this type of event to the Brecon Beacons. An insight that has proven correct and stood the test of time, with thousands every year now slaying the gruelling Dragon Ride.
This has been a very popular event for Team De Ver riders, there are usually between 5-10 riders taking part, most of whom select the “Gran Fondo”.
Four routes/distances available –
- Macmillan 100 (98km)
- Medio Fondo (157km)
- Gran Fondo (213km)
- Dragon Devil (296km)
As of October 2023 the initial 3,000 places were filled and public entries were closed. A further 1,500 places will be released in the New Year, it is recommended to pre-register for priority access via the website.
Registration link – https://www.dragonride.co.uk/enter-event/ – if standard entry places sell out, there may still be options for Charity entry (supporting Macmillan) and Premium entry (higher cost).
Worth noting there was also an Earlybird loyalty offer open to past riders giving £10 discount – https://www.dragonride.co.uk/slayer-loyalty-rewards/ – if you participated in previous years you may be able to use this.
