The Ultimate Holiday Cycling Challenge: Rapha’s Festive 500 on Zwift

As the calendar slides into late December and the holiday feasting begins, Rapha’s Festive 500 swoops in with a friendly nudge: how about clocking 500 kilometers of riding before the New Year rings in? Since 2010, this challenge has pushed cyclists to tackle 500km—roughly 310.7 miles—between December 24 and 31. What started as a simple test of cold-weather grit has since ballooned into a global phenomenon, with riders covering more than 300 million kilometers to date. Even the pandemic shook things up by adding virtual rides into the mix, ensuring that, come snow, sleet, or just a stubborn refusal to leave the living room, everyone can join in.

This year, the Festive 500 is back, and Zwift is once again partnering with Rapha to give participants a solid head start. All rides—outdoor bike, e-bike, handcycle, and virtual—count toward that magical 500km total, as long as they’re tracked through Strava. The only must-do: sign up for the Strava Challenge and upload those rides. No proof, no glory.

For riders looking to rack up those kilometers indoors, Zwift is rolling out a holiday party on wheels. They’ll be hosting RoboPacer-led events every two hours, each one spanning 50 kilometers. These events offer multiple pace groups, from A at a lively 3.2 w/kg down to E at a more relaxed 1.5 w/kg. There’s a sweet menu of routes throughout the week:

• Dec 24-25: Greatest London Flat
• Dec 26-27: Waisted 8
• Dec 28-29: Triple Flat Loops
• Dec 30-31: Makuri 40

It’s a buffet of digital road to help you rack up miles without having to dig out your thickest mittens or double up on socks. On top of these scheduled rides, Zwift’s RoboPacers will spend the Festive 500 week leading always-on sessions along flatter routes. Consider these pacers your personal metronomes for mileage, whether you’re chasing a PR or just trying not to let leftover fruitcake slow you down.

Finish any official Zwift Festive 500 ride and you’ll snag the 2024 Rapha Festive 500 kit in-game, mirroring the real-life version you can score from Rapha. Complete the entire Festive 500 challenge, and Strava enters you into a prize draw for a US$1,000 Rapha voucher. You’ll also earn a digital roundel for your Strava Trophy Case, a 20% off Rapha code, and a shot at additional prizes through the Rapha Spirit of the Festive 500 awards.

This is your cue to step away from the cookie platter and spin a few virtual laps, or bundle up and take on winter’s chill outside. Either way, the Festive 500 is the perfect capstone to your year of cycling—a way to solidify those 12 months of pedaling with a burst of achievement at the very end. Get ready to roll, because 2024 awaits on the other side of those 500km.