For Bogdan Sorin, the string of outstanding results on the Greek route continues in 2026

Ever since the very first marathon season on the Greek route, Bogdan Sorin, from Târgu Jiu, Gorj County, has consistently produced outstanding results. Although it was an entirely unfamiliar route, presenting challenges unique at national level, Bogdan Sorin's pigeons adapted remarkably well from the very beginning, maintaining that level of performance without interruption ever since.

The 2024 season marked the first time that fanciers from Gorj, together with many breeders from the Oltenia region, embarked on something completely new: racing their pigeons on the Bulgaria–Greece route. Driven by their desire to compete in marathon racing, marathon events were introduced, and some pigeons proved capable of overcoming extreme heat, strong winds and mountainous terrain while delivering top-class performances, including national-level results.

First season on the Greek route, first trophy

True to his characteristic approach, Bogdan Sorin tackled the marathon races on the Greek route with maximum seriousness, and his pigeons rewarded him accordingly. He entered 36 pigeons in the first marathon race, an exceptionally demanding contest, managing to clock 10 of them. The remaining marathon races also proved successful, and at the end of such a challenging season, it came as no surprise that the hen RO-23-0370203 stood out. She successfully clocked all three Athens races (750 km), earning the title of Gorj County Vice Champion in the Young Bird Marathon Ace category.

Champion in the 2025 season

Following the inaugural season, 2025 proved to be an even more successful competitive year. A new liberation point, Pyrgos, was selected for the marathon races, significantly increasing the distances, with Bogdan Sorin facing 838 km. "Lady Atena" Bogdan Sorin's 2024 vice champion, once again became one of the loft's key performers in 2025. Competing against much larger entries than in the previous season, the hen consistently clocked all three marathon races of the year, becoming Gorj County Champion in the Marathon Ace Performance category.

2nd place against 12,960 pigeons

Following her performances in 2024 and 2025, a pigeon like "Lady Atena" would undoubtedly have been retired to the breeding loft in many lofts. That, however, was not the case for Bogdan Sorin. He continued racing his champion in 2026, and once again she did not disappoint—quite the opposite. In this year's opening marathon from Pyrgos, now covering 854 km, "Lady Atena" achieved an outstanding 2nd Open against 12,960 pigeons. It is worth noting that this proved to be an exceptionally difficult marathon, with very few pigeons returning on the first day and the result remaining open for three days. "Lady Atena" secured 2nd Open after arriving early on the second morning at 05:39:27, recording an average speed of 899.77 m/min.

Excellent performances in Extreme Marathon as well

The 2026 season also saw fanciers from Oltenia venture into the Extreme Marathon category. To meet the minimum distance requirement of over 900 km, Kythira, an island in southern Greece, was selected as the liberation point, forcing the pigeons to cover many kilometres over open sea. The 2,988 pigeons were liberated on the morning of 27 June, but the first arrivals were not recorded until the following day. Ultimately, the race proved extremely demanding: the result remained open for seven days, and by the time the race officially closed, only 11.07% of the entered pigeons had returned.

Bogdan Sorin entered 34 pigeons in this race over a distance of 960 km. He successfully clocked five pigeons, beginning with 21st Open and 6th County. In the Fanciers Championship, Bogdan Sorin finished 1st County against 105 fanciers, while also securing an outstanding 3rd Open against 617 competing fanciers.

"Since 2024 I've been using the same racing system. The pigeons are paired at the beginning of the season, they rear youngsters and are then separated. They race the first two marathons on widowhood before competing in the final marathon on the natural system, sitting on eggs. Feeding is extremely important. I use several different mixtures which I combine. More specifically, I use Vanrobaeys F1, F2 and F3 mixtures, Beyers Jellema Power and Koopman mixtures, and Versele-Laga Energy. I load the pigeons for four to five meals before basketing. I prepare an equal-parts mixture of F2, Jellema Power and Koopman, which the pigeons receive for two meals of approximately 15 to 20 minutes. During the final three loading meals, I gradually increase the energy content. At the third loading meal, in addition to the base mixture, the pigeons receive 25% Versele-Laga Energy, Beyers Super Energy, hulled sunflower kernels and hemp seed. At the fourth meal, the ratio between the two mixtures becomes 60% to 40%, while the final meal is fed in a 50-50 ratio. I feed them generously because I also train them extensively. Between marathon races, the pigeons are taken for two to four training tosses of around 85 km, so they need the necessary reserves," Bogdan Sorin explained.