April 13, 2022 - DaddyHood Europe has announced that the first-ever Dadathlon Festival will take place in Punat, on the island of Krk, on April 30. In its first edition, the family event seeks to connect dads and their children through sports and fun activities, and in this way raise awareness about the value of active fatherhood in the lives of children.

Almost exactly one year ago, in the town of Punat on the island of Krk, DaddyHood Europe organized the first Dadathlon race event. The strict measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic were still in force, so the event consisted of a symbolic opening ceremony that brought together 10 parents and their children, who participated in a race along the Punat promenade. Despite the cold weather and wind, the gathered families enjoyed a great day in which they could feel the exciting reward of being together with their children.

Last year's Daddyhood Dadathlon races took place in three stages:

• April 17th to 24th: Running with kids
• June 20th to 27th: Cycling with kids
• September 19th to 26th: Trekking with kids

Last year, 500 dads applied for Dadathlon from 26 countries worldwide for the virtual competition.

The 2021 Daddyhood Dadathlon edition was held virtually and to allow flexibility to participants, each event was open for participation for one whole week. The races were conceived for individual teams (one father with his child/ren). It was possible to team up with other fathers and their children, to motivate each other and have even more fun, but each team member had to complete the full distance of the race. Participants were able to choose to take part in only one or two races but to complete the full Daddyhood Dadathlon, they needed to compete in all three races/disciplines.

However, it is worth noting that last year's Dadathlon festival actually took place all over the world, as 500 dads applied for Dadathlon from 26 countries worldwide for the virtual competition. Hundreds of parents shared their photos on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #DaddyHoodDadathlon and #DaddyHoodEurope to show off the good times they had exercising with their children during last year's competition.

TCN was at the opening of the first Dadathlon competition last year.

Now, this year, the Dadathlon festival will be celebrated in a big way and again in Punat. On this occasion, the Dadathlon Festival will feature local and diverse events for fathers, mothers, and their children in the town located southeast on the island of Krk. In addition, this year's event is approved by the EU Commission, following the successful application of Daddyhood Europe for funds from the European Union, which corroborates the exemplary organization, mission, and vision of the non-profit organization. The main event will take place on April 30 from 9:30 am in front of the Falkensteiner Hotel Park in Punat, on the island of Krk.

And who is behind the Dadathlon Festival? Daddyhood Europe is a nonprofit organization founded by Marino Manzoni from Croatia, and Thomas Pickelner from Sweden. Their goal is to raise awareness about the importance of active fatherhood and its role in the development of their children. According to Marino, who has organized both Dadathlon Festivals in his hometown of Punat, ''the main part of the festival is the Dadathlon RUN, a 3km race by the sea for dads and children, accompanied by many fun activities for dads, moms, and children''. The festival is held with the support of the Municipality and the Tourist Board of Punat and is co-financed by the Erasmus + program, which is why participation is completely free.

''The kids will be able to try their hand at various sports and creative activities such as archery, table tennis, athletics, football, and karate, or join robotics or music workshops. They will also have a theatrical play and an inflatable castle!'', added Marino.

Marino Manzoni from Croatia, and Thomas Pickelner from Sweden, are the founders of DaddyHood Europe.

''And what about moms? "We haven't forgotten about moms who will be able to relax and attend fragrant salt workshops and enjoy Gin'o clock socializing and relaxing in the mom's corner''. Mom's corner, continuously throughout the day, will include:

• "Mom, how are you?" Talking about motherhood, by Nina Čikeš Stegić and Daria Mladenović.
• Presentation of the book "The Storyteller", by Martina Frka Milotić.
• Presentation of products and work of the association Women for the Island, by Jovana Čutul, Picolla Stella, and Miau couture
• Gin'o clock: socializing and relaxing with Kusshhh (Monika Kovač and Nives Matić)
• Workshop for making fragrant bath salts, with Almond natural cosmetics
• Mindfulness and breathing exercises, with Ivana Host.

In addition to the race and activities, this year's Dadathlon will feature a diverse gastronomic offer, and surely the highlight of the day will be the premiere of the documentary Daddyhood Adventure, produced by Marino and Thomas, which they recorded last year during their tour of the island of Krk with their 2-year-old children, and which seeks to raise awareness of the inevitable role of fathers in raising their children.

Daddyhood Adventure is a documentary made by DaddyHood Europe, in which Marino and Thomas explore not only the island of Krk, but also the importance of their role as parents in their children's lives.

And not only that, but this year's Dadathlon Festival also has a charitable side, and they will make boxes available for voluntary donations, which will be destined for the Krijesnica association, which provides support and help to children and families facing malicious childhood diseases.

To apply to the Dadathlon RUN race, you can register at this LINK.

To register your children in the workshops, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The complete program of this year's Dadathlon Festival is as follows:

09:30 - Gathering in front of the Falkensteiner Hotel Park in Punat.
10:00 - Opening of the festival and registration for the race for dads and children.
10:30 to 11:30 - Dadathlon RUN - 3km race by the sea.
12:00 to 12:30 - Telling stories for the youngest (Pčelica Nenica).
12:00 to 13:00 - Football for dads and children / Athletics (Atletski klub Krk).
14:00 to 14:45 - Archery 10-18 years (Maura Kal) / Robotics workshops 5-9 years (Stelaris).
15:00 to 15:45 - Sports workshop 4+ years (School of Sports ZVRK) / Music Workshop 4-7 years (Creative Krk).
16:00 to 16:45 - Karate 5-13 years (Karate Club Krk) / Majorettes 3-15 years (Majorettes of the island of Krk).
17:00 to 18:30 - Drama-stage workshop "Play with your body, animate your fingers" - Dad's picture book.
19:30 to 20:00 - End of the program and presentation of the film.
20:00 to 21:00 - Premiere of the documentary "Daddyhood Adventure".

Total Croatia News invites all dads from Croatia, from the Croatian diaspora, expats in Croatia, and from all over the world to participate in this year's Dadathlon Festival to spend valuable time with their children and family, have an unforgettable experience, and enjoy all that the wonderful island of Krk has to offer.

In case of additional questions, you can contact DaddyHood Europe via Facebook messenger or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You can find more information on Dadathlon Festival's Facebook event.

For more Daddyhood Europe news and content, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

For more about lifestyle in Croatia, visit our dedicated TCN page.

June 17, 2021 - The second stage of the great event organized by Daddyhood Europe, an organization that seeks to unite dads and their children, continues this Sunday with Dadathlon Cycling and will run until June the 27th for participants around the world.

After a successful start in which Daddyhood Europe managed to bring together more than 400 parents, summing it up to almost 1000 individuals between fathers and their children around the world for its first event in April, the organization founded by Croatian Marino Manzoni and Swedish Thomas Pickelner is preparing for its next stage, which consists of Dadathlon Cycling, where parents and children go pedaling not only to win but to create indelible memories between them. TCN was present at an inauguration event at Punat on the island of Krk, where Marino was born and raised. Friends from the island and other parts of Croatia joined to share some great moments, and you can see some of the best moments in the video below.

Daddyhood Europe is an initiative created from the idea of spreading the importance of the active role of parents in the emotional development of their children. The creators, in addition to promoting the strengthening of this bond through sport and other healthy activities, also pursue the objective of raising awareness among governments and companies about the value of making the presence of parents more flexible both at work and at home.

Now, Daddyhood Europe and dads and their kids across Europe are getting ready for the next stage: the Dadathlon cycling event that goes on between June 20-27th, and they’re inviting all fathers around the world to register, participate, and spend some unforgettable moments with their children.

‘‘We are super happy that so many dads and kids participated in the first event. The feedback has been amazing and we are really looking forward to seeing the next stage’’, says Marino Manzoni, Croatian co-founder of DaddyHood Europe.

Marino Manzoni, Croatian founder of Daddyhood Europe, and his daughter

One of the participants of the running event was the school principal David Willows from Brussels.

‘‘I ran with my teenage twin daughters and thanks to the Dadathlon event we really pulled ourselves together and started training more focused as a family. We did something I never thought was possible and finished the 15k level. Now we are thinking of signing up for a half marathon after the Dadathlon.

The Dadathlon race is held virtually across Europe throughout the year. It started with a running event on 17th-24th of April, followed by cycling in June and hiking in September. Although the initial goal was to reach parents all across Europe, participants from all over the world have joined the initiative, including dads from Brazil, United States, South Africa, Australia, and more. Croatian parents are among the biggest groups, more than 20% of the participants were from Croatia.

To complete the full Dadathlon, participants need to do all three stages, but they can also choose to participate in the one or two disciplines that they like the most. Furthermore, there are three different distances to choose from according to one's ability.

In addition to entering their results, participants can also compete by uploading their best photos.

Dads will be able to upload their time on the platform raceid.com, but it is not a performance competition. Instead, the most inspirational photos and videos will be awarded generous prizes. To do so, participants will need to upload their pictures on Instagram and tag Daddyhood Europe (@daddyhoodeurope) and use the hashtag #DaddyHoodDadathlon.

The virtual races are completely flexible. Each race can be entered separately, the period to complete each race lasts seven days. This allows each competitor to choose the most suitable time and place to start and finish the race, according to their family preferences. This might just be the beginning of this new concept of races for fathers and children.

Check out all the prize winners and motivations of the first stage in this Facebook Album.

You can register for the full Dadathlon race HERE.

You can find the link for the Facebook event of the second stage, Dadathlon Cycling, HERE.

For more about lifestyle in Croatia, visit our dedicated TCN page.

April 22, 2021 - Fathers and children from all over the world are sharing a special time this week, doing physical activities and challenges as part of Daddyhood Dadathlon.

As it was announced by Total Croatia News, Daddyhood Europe launched officially its Dadathlon event on Saturday, its biggest project this year. Fathers from several countries around the world are now participating in prizes but also, and most importantly, to spend time with their children and encourage all families to join the initiative.

Marino Manzoni, the Croatian co-founder of Daddyhood Europe, says that ‘‘Daddyhood Dadathlon is a sports event created to inspire dads and kids of all ages to do physical activities together, inspire kids to a healthy lifestyle, but most of all to create bonds and memories for life’’.

Fathers and their children will have to complete a set of challenges based on physical activities such as running, cycling, and hiking. Those parents interested in participating can join the competition virtually throughout the week. For all Croatian parents, you can also register with the team name Run Croatia, as part of a collaboration with Daddyhood Europe.

Taking into account the current epidemiological situation around the world, Daddyhood Dadathlon has been launched in a virtual format, where participants can share their times and results and these will be ranked on a leaderboard.

‘‘By signing up, dads are also becoming part of a community of dads who share similar values and inspire other dads to be present and active fathers’’, added Marino.

Daddyhood Europe is a nonprofit organization founded by Marino Manzoni from Croatia, and Thomas Pickelner from Sweden. Their goal is to raise awareness about the importance of active fatherhood and its role in the development of their children.

Daddyhood Dadathlon gathered in Punat a small number of fathers and their kids to promote the event.

Last Sunday, as part of the promotion of Daddyhood Dadathlon, Marino’s hometown of Punat on the island of Krk gathered a small number of parents and their children sharing a special time by adding their first distances and times as part of the competition. Kids of different ages achieved the 3k goal with their parents, even under cloudy and cold conditions.

Considering the epidemiological measures that are being carried out in different parts of the world and given the great reception from fathers outside of Europe, Daddyhood Europe has announced that it will extend the first stage of the Daddyhood Dadathlon for one more week, until May 2nd.

‘‘We decided to keep registration open until the very end of Dadathlon to all races, but only the ones who do each race in the set time frame are eligible to get the prize for each race’’, emphasized Marino.

If you want to register and find more information about this year's races, you might do so on the Daddyhood Dadathlon site. You can also sign up and find more about the prizes on RaceID.

For more Daddyhood Europe news and content, follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@daddyhoodeurope).

For more about lifestyle in Croatia, visit our dedicated TCN page.