Zwift’s big fondo events are a popular tradition where thousands of riders push themselves to finish long weekend rides. And while the ZFondo Series took a year off last year, it’s back for the 2025/26 indoor season, with the longest fondo in the series taking place in December during the Rapha Festive 500!
Here are all the details for this year’s ZFondo Series…
Routes and Schedule
The last weekend of each month is designated as a Fondo Weekend, and each month features a different route.
Events are scheduled every three hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during Fondo Weekends.
September 26-28, 2025
- Route: Bambino Fondo
- Length: 52.6km (32.7 miles)
- Elevation: 581m (1906’)
October 24-26, 2025
- Route: Medio Fondo
- Length: 73.4km (45.6 miles)
- Elevation: 1010m (3314’)
November 28-30, 2025
- Route: Gran Fondo
- Length: 97.8km (60.8 miles)
- Elevation: 1196m (3924’)
December 26-28, 2025
- Route: France Classic Fondo
- Length: 146.9km (91.3 miles)
- Elevation: 1099m (3606’)
January 23-25, 2026
- Route: Bambino Fondo 2022
- Length: 53.3km (33.1 miles)
- Elevation: 398m (1306’)
February 20-22, 2026
- Route: Medio Fondo 2022
- Length: 79.4km (49.3 miles)
- Elevation: 922m (3025’)
March 27-29, 2026
- Route: Gran Fondo 2022
- Length: 92.7km (57.6 miles)
- Elevation: 1116m (3661’)
Categorization and RoboPacers
You must choose a category when you sign up, but the category you choose is entirely up to you, and all categories start together and are visible to each other.
The idea is that you’ll choose a category at the approximate pace you plan to ride, making it easy to see and group up with other riders targeting a similar pace. Each category will include a RoboPacer with a beacon, and you can choose to ride with that RoboPacer group or not.
Available categories:
- A: 4.2 W/kg (RoboPacer: Constance @4.2 W/kg)
- B: 3.2 W/kg (RoboPacer: Jacques @3.2 W/kg)
- C: 2.6 W/kg (RoboPacer: Coco @2.6 W/kg)
- D: 1.8 W/kg (RoboPacer: Miguel @1.8 W/kg)
- E: 1.5 W/kg (RoboPacer: D Bernie @1.5 W/kg)
1000 XP Bonus + Kit Unlocks
Past fondos have typically featured jersey unlocks, but some of the designs weren’t always a hit. (Does anyone wear the salmon/chocolate 2023 kit?)
So Zwift is switching things up this year by giving a 1000 XP bonus the first time you complete each month’s fondo event.
Read All About Zwift XP, Levels, and Unlocks for Cyclists >
Of course, a fondo wouldn’t be a fondo without a kit unlock. But instead of releasing another set of fondo kits, Zwift is awarding different legacy Zwift Fondo kits each month:
September (ZFondo Medio 2023)
October (ZFondo February 2022)
November (ZFondo November 2020)
Kits for December, January, February, and March:
Is this a race?
Officially, no. But hundreds (possibly thousands) of riders will turn out for each of these popular “fun race” events, and the front of each event will certainly be filled with strong riders going all out.
With so many riders participating, everyone should be able to find a group that suits their desired pace. You do you!
Questions or Comments?
Post below!
Badges for fondos pleeeeeeeeease 😅 (I know you’re not actually the boss Eric)
Hi @Eric Schlange ,
do I understand correctly extra 1k XP each month, but if I do the September Fondo on the 3 days each day I only get the extra XP once, but in October 1K XP again?
I mean who would want to do a Fondo multiple times same weekend:))
Regards,
Angela
Correct. I asked Zwift this specifically, because I knew people would double up on Fondo weekends if they could get extra XP every time. Zwift said you can only earn the extra 1000XP once for each month.
Will TT bikes have drafting turned on?
Like most Zwift rides and races, TT bikes are not allowed in these fondos.
I’m excited that there’s 7 (seven!) unique Fondo’s this year. I think there were only 3 in 2023.
Here is a wildly sloppy comparison of the 3 routes with sloppy scaling and sloppy screen grabbing. In case it isn’t clear, don’t come back at me for accuracy, it’s sloppy. IMHO they are redundant but I will do all three cuz my Tucson riding outside is redundant and Zwift doesn’t have psycho Tucson drivers.
huh?
Seems sloppily redundant… 😉
I only see three. One for each weekend.
After the posted schedule, there’s this: “December 2025 – March 2026 details to be announced…’
OMG, the salmon/chocolate 2023 kit is indeed … special.
Isn’t “and all categories start together and are visible to each other.” and “…making it easy to see and group up with other riders targeting a similar pace.” contradictory?
If I’m starting alongside everyone else, how do I tell who is in my group?
You tell by comparing names in the rider list to name tags that pop up on riders near you. You can also figure it out sometimes based on the position of the rider names in the list relative to you, and the positions of avatars on screen.
It’s not a perfect method all the time, but the alternatives (only seeing riders in your category, or maybe everyone in a category wearing the same kit) isn’t perfect either.
Oh, so I only see names in the rider list that are in my group?
So if there are say, two riders two seconds in front of me and I only see one name in the list that is that close, that guy is in my group and the other isn’t. Is that how it works?
No, you’ll see all rider names in the list. But you’ll also see their category next to their name, so you can figure out who is in what category.
Each rider in the rider list has the category next to their name, categories are marked with different colors – red for A, green for B, blue for C, yellow for D, and purple for E. you can also see the rider positions on the small map in the top right corner with color coded dots showing the rider category
I signed up for E category and my ride leader is Bernie, so is a Robopacer leading out each category?
Apparently so! Zwift hadn’t told me that, but I just confirmed with them this morning that each category will indeed have a RoboPacer if you want to sit in with that group.
Will the drops multiplier will be turned on for the robopacers too?
Nope. That doesn’t happen in events.
“These kits are exclusive, meaning they will never be available anywhere else in game. A true badge of honor!” – Guess not!
Still hoping they add a Fondo Climb in the portal and we get to take shots at Haleakala or Wuling Pass or other notoriously long climbs!!
@Eric Schlange, Hello. is it true that, apart from the 1,000XP event bonus for each Fondo ride, there is also a 1,000XP route badge?
Not true. None of the three routes scheduled thus far have route badges.
Ok, thanks.
Who did Maria offend?
Indeed! That’s a shame. There’s quite a few watts between 1.8 and 2.6
Are there any catch up events planned for people who can’t ride on one weekend?
Nope. No make-up weekends for fondos!
Thank you for this awesome summary. Eric, I would have one question:
Typically, 3.2 is below my FTP (3.4) but I am quite sure that I cannot do 3.2 for 90 minutes… However, 2.6 might be a bit too slow.
What would be your guess? Will I benefit by drifting so that 3.2 is rather 3.0 when being close to Jacques? Or is it better to do C and then hope that there is a slightly faster group?
I just want avoid being frustrated by too many too fast people as I, among others, saw that you will be part of B
Thanks and best
Mike
Hi Mike,
First of all – I haven’t actually chosen which fondo I’ll be riding this weekend. Was just signed up to one to bookmark it. 🙂
Everyone starts together, so if it was me, with your FTP, I would join the B group and push myself to stick with the front of the B pack as long as possible, without totally blowing up.
Then if I got dropped, I’d just catch the pack behind me and work with them. (Wash, rinse, repeat as needed).
You’re going to be frustrated by “too many fast people” any group you sign up for, all groups start together, ride together and it is a free-for-all with sandbaggers galore (As in C, Bs in D and E, etc). The sandbaggers as well as the overconfident eventually end up with their own group (similar fitness level) anyway. The leaderboard is a mess with all the times being screwed up (yesterday I was riding behind someone that was supposedly 2min 55 sec ahead of me, someone 55 sec behind me was right behind me etc). So sign up for whatever you group you want, unless you want to make yourself look like a Zwift World Beater then sign up for D or E.
My view: It’s not sandbagging, since the categories aren’t based on your actual power or racing score. They’re pace groups.
Is this a group event where you can also do a workout in it? Where I mean you start the group event and then you can also start a zwift workout?
You can’t do Zwift workouts in events. (Unless it’s a workout event. 😅)
Can we ride the route in club event, and get the kit? 😊
Can’t free ride event only routes. 😜
For some reason I can’t see any of these events in the calendar? Is anyone else having the same problem? Am I doing something wrong? (I’ve already tried clearing filters)
Same here Dan…hmmm
Hi, when I can sign up for Medio Fondo that will take place on 24-26 Oct?
I assume events will be posted in the next few days. Surprised they aren’t already up!
Now: https://www.zwift.com/events/tag/zfondos
I don’t see the Fondo listed in Events for this weekend 🤔
They’re up now: https://www.zwift.com/events/tag/zfondos
I’d like to register for the Zfondo event in October, but I can’t find it under Events. Can someone help me with that?
Same here – looks like a common theme – c’mon Zwift, sort it out
They are there now: https://www.zwift.com/events/tag/zfondos
This might have occurred to many other people as well, but are we expected the December route to be one of the new NY routes, like Fuhgeddaboudit?
Interesting theory! I’m not sure if Zwift has ever had a ZFondo on a non-Watopia route. But why not?
that’s what I thought! Same for the other maps, Makuri, France and even London now have routes between 50 and 100km that could work. Are you expecting the routes for the December-March editions to be released one by one closer to each event, or all in one bulk?
The jump from Miguel to Coco is pretty high. It’s a 44% step up. The B -> A is only 31%, though I’d say that 31% is probably the harder jump, due to the base you’re jumping from, but if you want to be in the top class, you should expect a big jump.
they could set that C at 2.4, which would square things off a bit. Only a 33% jump, which would stretch the C -> B to 33% and leave the B >A at 31%, aka close enough to a third to make it work.
Will be stretching myself to C, but it’s daunting.
For anyone interested, I did the Feed Fondo on Dust in the Wind (52.1 KM, 582m) at C and only was in danger of being dropped when I pushed close to the front fence and backed off a bit too much.
Gotta push your limits, or you will never know what you can do.
Any word on the December-March fondos yet?
Also curious on the upcoming routes
They’re listed now!
Ok, I’m glad they did the Fondo this year, but they need new routes. Since the 2022 routes, they’ve added the southern coast and Jarvis island. It would be so easy to make a new route with newer, interesting roads.
Totally agree. I may come up with a few Rebel Fondo routes in hopes of Zwift adopting them…
That would be great.
Another suggestion: How about setting up a group with 2W/kg for the Pizza Burner?
Missed the start on my November slot, by 2 minutes but it put me on the route and I ran it solo. No jersey, no badge, no XP. Fine.
won’t do that again for December. Bang that out, add 9 miles and complete the 100 mile badge.
any update on the clothes granted for completing the winter month fondos?
I’ve reached out to Zwift for info on the kit unlocks. Will update here when I get it!
positive: Good to have the Fondo series back and adding the robo-pacer is appreciated as they calm down the first 30 minutes for riders like me (little less racing, more pacing).
negative: at least one new Fondo 2025 route could have been introduced. Fondo series starts at 7 p.m. on Fridays (CET), which is too late (for me) for a 3 hour race/ride. If Fridays than 5 or even 3 p.m. would be great.
Thanks Eric for the all the Fondo updates!
December is 146k, if you can do that in 3 hrs – hats off! 😉
Haha, right. I was remembering the November Fondo. Even more, if 146km December Fondo starts also at Friday 7 p.m. CET, it’s too late for me.
Why are the fondos not in comp app by now;/
Looking forward to the France classic Fondo, gonna be fun.
Please make some badges for the Fondo routes!!!
Could really do with a Maria (2.2w/kg) robopacer. The jump from Miguel to Coco is quite large.
Newbie question: Is there an official event for the France Classic Fondo in December? How do I find it?
Welcome, Ryan! Event signup link is above… but here it is again! https://www.zwift.com/events/tag/zfondos
Thanks! Somehow I missed that giant orange button 🙃
Are the fondos visible already in the app? I can’t see to find anything for the Bambino Fondo (January 23-25, 2026)
I as well do not see the event schedule on CA for the January Fondo
Still not on companion
Does anyone know if the Zwift Fondo is on this weekend?
It still has not been posted. I guess they ran out of XP, so no Fondo lol
As if by magic, they seem to have appeared 🙂
Good to go for Sunday morning. Ride On
Looks like the ZFondo rides are posted for this coming Friday. When will the ones for this coming Saturday and Sunday be posted?