Tartu Rattaralli was born at a time when Olympic champion and world champion Aavo Pikkuus had made cycling exceptionally popular in Estonia. Inspired by this momentum, the idea emerged to create a mass participation cycling event alongside the already well-known Tartu Ski Marathon. As Estonia had no previous experience with long-distance cycling events, there were heated discussions before the first Rattaralli about how long and demanding the course should be so that it would not discourage amateur cyclists.

 

The distance of the first Rattaralli was 46.7 kilometres, with the finish located in Põlva. A total of 362 cyclists reached the finish line. The organisers’ concerns, however, proved unnecessary — after finishing, many riders turned around and cycled all the way back to Tartu. The positive experience spread quickly, and already the following year, nearly 1,000 cyclists gathered at the start.

 

In the early years, participants rode a wide variety of bicycles, and results were recorded in several bike categories, including road bikes, racing bikes, tandems and folding bikes.

 

The first Tartu Rattaralli was won by Oleg Ljadov in the men’s category with a time of 1:03.30, while Erika Salumäe won the women’s category in 1:11.20. “The overall impression is very beautiful! It also had a competitive feel, as all the best Estonian riders took part. The speed was good. Of course, the best thing about it was that three generations of cyclists took part,” said Ljadov at the finish.

 

Between 1984 and 1989, the number of participants had already reached 3,000–4,000 sports enthusiasts. Although participation decreased during the difficult 1990s, the continuity of Tartu Rattaralli was preserved, and a new period of growth began at the end of the decade.

 

Today, Tartu Rattaralli is among the largest road cycling events in the Baltic region and neighbouring countries, and it has inspired many other cycling events in Estonia. In addition to the main distances, children’s races have been held since 1984, bringing thousands of young cyclists to the streets of Tartu. For examlpe in 2013, more than 3,600 children took part, making it one of the largest and most unique children’s cycling events in the world.

 

Since 2022 the event also belongs to the UCI Gran Fondo World Series.

 

This year’s 45th Tartu Rattaralli will take place on 7 June 2026.

 

More race info HERE