Andrei Plugaru Wins the Bialystok Marathon Race

On June 7, the Bacău and Vaslui branches organized the first marathon race of the 2026 racing season. A total of 6,647 pigeons were entered in this demanding endurance event. Of these, 3,268 pigeons belonged to the 107 fanciers from the Bacău Branch, while 3,379 pigeons were basketed by 117 breeders representing the Vaslui Branch.

For the opening marathon event of the season, the organizers selected Białystok, Poland, as the liberation point. Race distances ranged between 740 and 790 km for the competitors from Bacău, while most of the Vaslui fanciers competed over distances exceeding 800 km. The pigeons were released at 06:05 a.m.

An Excellent Start to the Season for Andrei Plugaru

A native of Vaslui and active in pigeon racing since 2010, Andrei Plugaru has built his reputation and racing record primarily through long-distance, marathon, and extreme-distance competitions. Although his management conditions are far from ideal, with his loft located in the attic of an apartment building, the results achieved over the years clearly demonstrate both his quality as a fancier and the value of his racing team.

Season after season, Andrei Plugaru has secured at least one county-level title, compiling an impressive racing record. This year's long-distance campaign began with the Białystok race, where he entered a team of 18 pigeons. Despite competing with a relatively small team compared to many of his rivals, the Vaslui fancier delivered an outstanding performance, claiming 1st Place in both the Overall Pigeon Classification and the Overall Fancier Classification.

Victory Delivered by an Experienced Cock

From the very first arrivals, recorded after approximately ten hours of flight, it became evident that victory belonged to cock RO-2024-2053115, one of the key performers in Andrei Plugaru's racing team.

The pigeon was clocked at the loft at 15:32:12 after covering the 787 km race distance at an average velocity of 1,389.20 m/min, the best performance of the entire competition. However, winning this race was no coincidence. The cock had already shown exceptional quality as a young bird and has continued to confirm his class throughout the current season.

"This cock was County Champion in the Gold Category last season. As a young bird, he achieved the Ace Marathon standard by scoring on the Seta race (916 km), Kaunas National (913 km), and Biržai National (1,102 km). In terms of pedigree, he is the result of a combination of several bloodlines, although Van Tuyl genetics are predominant," stated Andrei Plugaru.

Leader in the Fancier Classification as Well

The Vaslui fancier's success was not limited to winning the pigeon classification. Andrei Plugaru also secured first place in the Overall Fancier Classification, making Białystok 2026 one of the most significant achievements of his career.

For the team competition, Plugaru relied on the winning cock and his full brother, cock RO-2024-0332239, another racing pigeon with tremendous potential. Last season, this pigeon narrowly missed the county podium in the Marathon Young Birds category, finishing 4th while also achieving the Ace Marathon Young Birds standard. At Białystok, cock RO-2024-0332239 was the second pigeon to return to Plugaru's loft, being clocked at 15:59:12. This performance earned him 86th position in the race result. Together, the two brothers produced the best coefficient in the Fancier Classification, accumulating only 13.09 penalty points.

"Both cocks, being full brothers, have scored in every race this season. Since last year they have ranked among my most valuable pigeons, and this season they have been included in the team for every competition. I race on the natural system because the available loft space does not allow me to practice widowhood, although I would very much like to. For that reason, I supplement their preparation with regular road training using my personal vehicle. Before the Białystok marathon, I prepared them through four training tosses from approximately 50 km," explained Andrei Plugaru.

At the end of the race, the Vaslui fancier had 9 of his 18 entered pigeons successfully classified, with 3 of them finishing among the Top 100 positions in the Overall Classification.

Results of the Bacău Branch

Within the Bacău Branch, first place in the Pigeon Classification was won by Ion-Liviu Botezatu from Blăgești. He finished 3rd and 4th in the Overall Race Classification, positions that also secured 1st and 2nd place at county level over a race distance of 751 km.

In the Bacău Branch Fancier Classification, first place was claimed by the Pristavu Family from Buhuși. They also finished second in the Overall Fancier Ranking with a coefficient of 22.57 penalty points. The Pristavu Family entered a team of 56 pigeons in the race, of which 18 were successfully classified. Their pigeons had to cover a race distance of 748 km.