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 22nd edition – The date is set for Sunday 14 June 2026.
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. The 2025 event saw 4,700 entries.
This has been a very popular event for Team De Ver riders, there are usually between 10+ riders taking part, most of whom select the “Gran Fondo”.
Four routes/distances available –
- Macmillan 100 (98km)
- Medio Fondo (157km)
- Gran Fondo (215km)
- Dragon Devil (296km)
As of July 2025 there was a short entry window open for early registration – https://www.dragonride.co.uk/enter-event/ – this window closed 23:59 on Tuesday 8th July.
You can use the same link to gain priority access to the next wave of registrations – do that now! – after that entries will be limited to Charity entry (supporting Macmillan) and Premium entry (higher cost).
