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Sportif Magazine, the specialist title for mass participation riding, has exceeded a distribution figure of 60,000 copies over its first three issues.
The advertising-funded bi-monthly magazine was started earlier in the year by the former RCUK editor Richard Hallett and former Eurosport commentator David Harmon. They took the bold move to launch as a free title at events in July and have extended its reach across the UK and Eire since then. Over 6,000 copies of issue were distributed within 72 hours of its launch in July 2014
Sportif Magazine has built a distribution network across the British Isles of 150 retail outlets and in 2014 placed copies directly in the hands of sportive riders at events as diverse as the Virgin Money Cyclone, Dartmoor Classic, Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford, Tour Ride 100 and Kilo to Go Series along with dozens of other sportives, charity rides and challenge events. It was recently given exclusive access to Jens Voigtʼs ʻShut Up Legs!ʼ sportive ride just two days after his record hour ride in Switzerland.
“We saw that the sector was packed with titles trying to be all things to all men so thought it was a good time to bring a little more focus to the marketplace,” stated Harmon, publisher and deputy editor of the title.
“Sportif is targeted specifically on the vast majority of the UKʼs sporting cyclists, those riders who tie a number to their bars and donʼt pin one to their back.
“Weʼve always strived to bring a product to the sportive community that provides real added value to stockists and events. Sportif is all about quality writing and photography, itʼs non partisan and we hope weʼve managed to achieve our goal of creating something that draws together the whole of this fantastic sportive movement.”
Sportif photographer Steve Fleming recently placed 3rd in the Professional Photography Magazine awards 2014 for his study of 2 riders in The Fred Whitten.
Issue 4 will be available in the first week of January 2015.
