After a successful start in which Daddyhood Europe managed to bring together more than 400 parents, summing it up to almost 1000 individuals between fathers and their children around the world for its first event in April, the organization founded by Croatian Marino Manzoni and Swedish Thomas Pickelner is preparing for its next stage, which consists of Dadathlon Cycling, where parents and children go pedaling not only to win but to create indelible memories between them. TCN was present at an inauguration event at Punat on the island of Krk, where Marino was born and raised. Friends from the island and other parts of Croatia joined to share some great moments, and you can see some of the best moments in the video below.
Daddyhood Europe is an initiative created from the idea of spreading the importance of the active role of parents in the emotional development of their children. The creators, in addition to promoting the strengthening of this bond through sport and other healthy activities, also pursue the objective of raising awareness among governments and companies about the value of making the presence of parents more flexible both at work and at home.
Now, Daddyhood Europe and dads and their kids across Europe are getting ready for the next stage: the Dadathlon cycling event that goes on between June 20-27th, and they’re inviting all fathers around the world to register, participate, and spend some unforgettable moments with their children.
‘‘We are super happy that so many dads and kids participated in the first event. The feedback has been amazing and we are really looking forward to seeing the next stage’’, says Marino Manzoni, Croatian co-founder of DaddyHood Europe.
Marino Manzoni, Croatian founder of Daddyhood Europe, and his daughter
One of the participants of the running event was the school principal David Willows from Brussels.
‘‘I ran with my teenage twin daughters and thanks to the Dadathlon event we really pulled ourselves together and started training more focused as a family. We did something I never thought was possible and finished the 15k level. Now we are thinking of signing up for a half marathon after the Dadathlon.
The Dadathlon race is held virtually across Europe throughout the year. It started with a running event on 17th-24th of April, followed by cycling in June and hiking in September. Although the initial goal was to reach parents all across Europe, participants from all over the world have joined the initiative, including dads from Brazil, United States, South Africa, Australia, and more. Croatian parents are among the biggest groups, more than 20% of the participants were from Croatia.
To complete the full Dadathlon, participants need to do all three stages, but they can also choose to participate in the one or two disciplines that they like the most. Furthermore, there are three different distances to choose from according to one’s ability.
In addition to entering their results, participants can also compete by uploading their best photos.
Dads will be able to upload their time on the platform raceid.com, but it is not a performance competition. Instead, the most inspirational photos and videos will be awarded generous prizes. To do so, participants will need to upload their pictures on Instagram and tag Daddyhood Europe (@daddyhoodeurope) and use the hashtag #DaddyHoodDadathlon.
The virtual races are completely flexible. Each race can be entered separately, the period to complete each race lasts seven days. This allows each competitor to choose the most suitable time and place to start and finish the race, according to their family preferences. This might just be the beginning of this new concept of races for fathers and children.
Check out all the prize winners and motivations of the first stage in this Facebook Album.
You can register for the full Dadathlon race HERE.
You can find the link for the Facebook event of the second stage, Dadathlon Cycling, HERE.
For more about lifestyle in Croatia, visit our dedicated TCN page.
