Summer Games 2024: Marathon Cycling

Although not technically called a marathon, the Cycling Road Race is indeed a demanding test of endurance similar to that of marathon running or swimming.

Road cycling was actually present in the very first modern Olympics, though it would not be held at another Olympics for the following 40 years. Women’s cycling was not added until the 80s, but once again the road cycling came first, with the women’s road race appearing the 1984 Olympics, and track events following in 1988.

In this year’s Olympics, the race was held outside, and featured the longest men’s road race in history finishing at 273 kilometers (about 169 miles)! The women’s course finished at 158 kilometers (about 98 miles). Paralympic cyclists also competed in Road, with courses ranging from 26km to 125km depending on athlete classification and bicycle type.

Perhaps it’s not surprising the Paris created such a long course for this event, as France has been dominant in Road Cycling since nearly the beginning. France holds more Olympic medals than any other country, with a total of 41 golds!

It’s time to get into the long-distance spirit, with our final event – the marathon!  Join us as we cycle our way towards victory, where we hope to complete of one or more cells in just 24 hours. Starting at 10:00 AM ET on 8/28, you will have 24 hours to complete one or more cells. Bonus & cell renaming information can be found in your in-game notifications.Feel free to get on your stationary bike as you play cubes if you really want to get into the Olympic spirit.