Thanks to Serbia, the world of sports is all the richer – many top, internationally renowned players of basketball, water pollo, handball and tennis hail from Serbia.A love of sports is nurtured from an early age and one of the ways this is achieved is through numerous sporting events open to both amateurs and professionals, some of which attract tens of thousands of people. The sports events are competitive, bringing together athletes from all over the world.
The Tour International Danubien (TID) is the oldest, longest and largest international sports and recreational kayak, canoe and rowing expedition on the planet. This sports event, which brings together more than 100 kayakers, starts at Ingolstadt, Germany at the end of June with participants heading to the shores of the Black Sea.Along the route, the participants pass through Serbia, where they spend approximately 12 days in 12 Serbian cities and towns, including Belgrade and Novi Sad, as well as Sremski Karlovci, which sits at exactly halfway between the start and finish lines.
Info: Tour International Danubien
Every April, Belgrade Marathon, the largest sporting event in Serbia, brings together tens of thousands of runners, wanting to test their fitness and endurance on the streets of our nation’s capital.This event, with a history of more than 30 years, features a marathon, a half marathon and a fun run - a non-competitive race in which everyone can pick their own route according to their ability. And while professional athletes and amateurs rub shoulders in the marathon and half marathon races, the 5,000 metres long fun run has no official ranking so brings together recreational runners who run solely out of love for the sport.
Info: Belgrade Marathon
Cycling aficionados should check out the international cycling competition called Tour de Serbie, where dozens of entrants from different countries compete for the title of the fastest cyclist. The race takes place in the hot days of June and consists of three demanding stages, during which the participants travel a total distance of almost 500 kilometres. Tour de Serbie attracts many viewers, who watch with awe every year as top professional cyclists demonstrate their skills in action.
The sport regatta on the Drina has been drawing rafting enthusiasts to this river for more than a quarter of a century. The joyful music, the pleasant July weather and the pristine landscapes make it an event charged with good energy and a positive atmosphere.The downhill rafting event is accompanied by supporting events including a fish soup competition and a fair where honey, rakija brandy, souvenirs and traditional crafts can be purchased.
On the first weekend in September every year, thousands of people come to the city of Požarevac to attend the largest celebration of equestrian sports in Serbia – the Ljubičevo Equestrian Games. The city’s racetrack holds harness races and flat races, as well as jump races. There is also a performance by young acrobats who perform equestrian vaulting “stunts”.The most attractive part of the programme is the all-round competition, in which participants compete in five disciplines – mace throwing, archery, spear throwing and sabre competitions.
