Istria Cycling Marathon from Your Living Room

UP FTŠ Turistica has worked with the organiser of the Istria Cycling Marathon for many years. In his sports tourism courses, Dr Miha Lesjak gives students the opportunity to complete their fieldwork as volunteers at the event. This year we have taken the partnership a step further: together with the organiser, we are testing new channels for promoting the cycling event.

The organiser wants to keep the marathon brand active all year round, not only in the weeks before the event, reaching cyclists in winter too and bringing them to Istria in the autumn. Winter is not the friendliest season for cycling, but more and more cyclists train at home on smart trainers. This is where we see an opportunity for a new touchpoint in the event’s marketing mix.

On 27 September 2026, the Center DOIT team filmed the event’s 45 km and 77 km routes in Izola in 4K with GoPro cameras. The organiser published the footage on its YouTube channel and Kinomap app where the videos are synchronised with a GPX track. Cyclists can ride the route on a smart trainer or connected exercise bike, with resistance adjusting to the actual gradient. Participants can relive this year’s race, and those who missed it can experience it for the first time, right from their living room.

Ride the route at home

• Medium route, 45 km, on Kinomap: https://www.kinomap.com/browse/watch/1104689
• Long route, 77 km, on Kinomap: https://www.kinomap.com/browse/watch/1105139

How to get started:

1. Install the Kinomap app on your phone or tablet and create an account.
2. Connect your smart trainer or exercise bike via Bluetooth or ANT+. A classic trainer with a speed or cadence sensor also works; you just set the resistance yourself.
3. Find the video on the app - use search: Istrian Cycling Marathon
4. Your first session starts a 14-day free trial of all features. When it ends, the app switches to the free version automatically and you are not charged.

Inspired by the route? Registration for the 2027 Istria Cycling Marathon will open at istrski-kolesarskimaraton.si.