On Thursday, 16 April 2026, ŠC Millenium in BTC City Ljubljana hosted the 20th anniversary charity cycling event with Marko Baloh. The traditional 12-hour charity cycling marathon brought together numerous cycling enthusiasts, top Slovenian athletes and supporters of charitable causes, who all pedalled together for a good cause.
This year, the event is dedicated to supporting the Sponsorship in Sports project, which enables young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds to take part in sporting activities and develop their talents. The project was organised by association Zveza Anita Ogulin & ZPM, the Slovenian Olympic Committee – Association of Sports Federations and the Leon Štukelj and Miroslav Cerar Foundation, with the aim of helping talented young athletes and para-athletes to overcome financial barriers on their sport paths. Through donations and sponsorships, the project helps to cover the costs of training, sports equipment, preparation and competitions, thereby enabling young people to develop their talent and continue in sport regardless of their social circumstances. The project, which has been running since 2020, has so far supported more than 500 young athletes and para-athletes, with the majority of funds being allocated in the form of grants or special support funds.
The ambassador for the Sponsorship in Sports project is the Slovenian volleyball player Tine Urnaut, a long-serving captain of the Slovenian national team and one of Slovenia’s most successful volleyball players, who has won several medals at European Championships with the national team and made a significant contribution to Slovenian volleyball’s rise to become one of the best teams in Europe.
Once again this year, the charity cycling marathon has brought together sport and solidarity. The Slovenian ultra-marathon cyclist Marko Baloh again pedalled non-stop for a full 12 hours, with every minute cycled symbolically representing a step closer to the goal: supporting young athletes on their paths. He was joined in covering these charity kilometres by numerous renowned figures and top athletes, such as Tine Urnaut, the athletes from the women’s handball team RK Krim, gymnasts, Slovenian Olympians and many others.
On this occasion, BTC also made a donation of 5,000 EUR to the Sponsorship in Sports project, thereby further demonstrating its commitment to supporting young talent and the development of sport within the wider community.
For two decades, the charity cycling event with Marko Baloh has been demonstrating that sport goes beyond competition and becomes a space for connection and solidarity. At BTC, we are proud to host this event at ŠC Millenium, which, year after year, brings together sporting energy, charity and community spirit, while promoting an active lifestyle.
Individuals can also contribute to the event’s charity note – simply send a text message to 1919 with the keyword TINE5 or TINE10, and you will donate 5 or 10 EUR to support talented young athletes under the auspices of the Sponsorship in Sports project.
PHOTO: Bomba
