12th Alutaguse Cycling Marathon returns on May 30 with expanded shale quarry route

The 12th Alutaguse cycling marathon takes place on Saturday, May 30, offering participants two distance options. Riders will pass through forests, bogs, and the territory of a former shale quarry in the Ida-Virumaa region.

The Alutaguse region in Ida-Virumaa will host its 12th annual cycling marathon this Saturday, May 30, drawing participants keen to explore one of Estonia's most distinctive industrial and natural landscapes.

Organisers have prepared two route options for cyclists: a full marathon distance of 47 kilometres and a half-marathon covering 21 kilometres. Both routes wind through local forests and bogs, as well as across the grounds of a former shale quarry — a landscape unique to northeastern Estonia.

This year's edition expands access to the former quarry territory, giving participants the chance to explore more of the area than in previous years. The shale quarry landscape, a legacy of Estonia's oil shale industry, offers a striking and unusual backdrop for a cycling event.