WILLEMSTAD – The organization of the twentieth edition of Ride for the Roses is urging participants to register early for the event, which will take place on Sunday, January 25. According to the organizers, all starting spots sold out last year and T-shirts were no longer available on the final day, prompting the call for timely online registration and payment this year.
Proceeds from Ride for the Roses benefit cancer patients on Curaçao and their families through the Prinses Wilhelmina Fonds. The organization emphasized that participants who register online and correctly indicate their T-shirt size are guaranteed a shirt, provided it is collected on time during the week prior to the event at Orco Bank at Landhuis Cerrito.
The day’s program begins early with the Walk for the Roses, which starts at 7:00 a.m. at Brionplein. Participants can choose between two walking routes, both ending at Mambo Boulevard. The program also includes the Run for the Roses, organized in collaboration with the Curaçao Athletics Federation. Runners will start from designated starting zones and must clearly indicate during registration that they are participating in the run. A separate two-kilometer run is included for children up to and including twelve years of age.
Cycling activities will start from the parking area near the padel courts opposite the Sunscape Curaçao Resort. Cyclists can choose from several distances, including a short, supervised route for younger participants and longer routes of forty and sixty kilometers on public roads. The cycling portion of the event is scheduled to begin around 8:00 a.m.
Around midday, the Swim for the Roses will take place, featuring an open-water swim of 2.7 kilometers from Jan Thiel Beach to Mambo Boulevard. Both competitive and recreational swimmers are expected to participate. For children up to and including twelve years old, a separate 500-meter swim will be held near Lions Dive Beach Resort.
With demand expected to be high once again, the organization advises participants to complete their registration well in advance to secure their spot and avoid disappointment on the day of the event.