This is the last weekend of Rapha’s Festive 500, so many Zwifters will be looking to get in some long miles. There are lots of long events on the calendar, so we’ve picked the most popular, including one 500km event with over 500 riders already signed up!
🤝 Zwift Fondo Series: The Holidays
✅ Popular Event ✅ Kit Unlock ✅ Endurance Ride
The next Fondos of the ZFondo 2023-24 series are here! Join Zwifters from around the world for a fun long ride around the roads of Watopia. As usual, there will be three different categories so you can choose your ride length:
- Jolly Fondo: Gran Fondo 2022 (92.8km/57.7 miles, 1116m/3,661′ elevation)
- Spark Fondo: Big Foot Hills (69.7km/43.3 miles, 713m/2,339′ elevation)
- Festive Fondo: The Big Ring (51.1km/31.8 miles, 273m/895′ elevation)
Multiple time slots Thursday through Sunday
Browse ZFondo events at zwift.com/events/series/zwift-fondo-series-2024
🤝 Rapha Festive 500
✅ Popular Event ✅ Kit Unlock
The Rapha Festive 500 challenge is well underway, and you’ve only got this weekend to finish it! The Festive 500 rides every two hours have been immensely popular this week, and this weekend’s rides are on one of Watopia’s newest routes: Coast Crusher.
Read all about this year’s Festive 500 on Zwift >
Every 2 hours starting Sunday 8am UTC/3am EST/12am PST
See upcoming events at zwift.com/events/tag/f500
🤝 RAD RACE x PLATTFUSS PODCAST // THE500
✅ Popular Event ✅ Endurance Challenge
Been procrastinating on your Festive 500 goals? Just want to take on an epic ride? The crazies at RAD RACE x PLATTFUSS PODCAST have set up a 500km group ride on Watopia’s The Big Ring.
Target pace is 2-2.3 w/kg, and already 500+ are signed up. How crazy is the Zwift community?
Saturday, December 30th at 7am UTC/2am EST/11pm Friday PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4036014
🥇 NICO Endurance Race – purification of worldly desires –
✅ Endurance Challenge ✅ Achievement Badge
There is something purifying and therapeutic about taking on a long race. Team NICO-OZ says this race is being held “to purify 108 troubles!” This is a 108km event on the Volcano Circuit, so if you’re looking to knock out that 25 laps achievement badge, this will do it! Category enforcement is in effect, but all categories start together.
Saturday, December 30th @ 12pm UTC/7pm EST/4pm PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4042359
🤝 Cycle Nation Last Ditch Festive 500
✅ Endurance Challenge ✅ Jersey Unlock
“Did you get caught up in festive jollity and forget all about the Festive 500? In the cycling equivalent of buying all your Christmas presents at a petrol station at 11pm on Christmas Eve, we are having a last-ditch attempt to ride the entire Festive 500 in one day. All are welcome to join us for all or part of the day. We ask that all riders respect the ride pace and stay around the leaders yellow beacon and not ride off the front.”
Stated pace is 1.6-2.4 w/kg, the zapping fence is active, and all events are on Watopia’s very flat Tempus Fugit route.
Events every 2.5 hours beginning Saturday, December 30th at 5am UTC/Friday 12pm EST/9pm PST
See upcoming events at zwift.com/events/tag/cyclenation
How We Make Our Picks
We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:
- Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
- Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
- Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
- Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
- Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
- Is it for a good cause?
- Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
- Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?
In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!
Your Thoughts
Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!