The Alvogen Midnight Time Trial was held for the first time in July, attracting a great deal of attention from the media and public. The competition was held in Reykjavik, Iceland, where Alvogen has a part of its global management team.
The object of the competition was to find the fastest male and female cyclists in the country and many of Iceland’s best cyclists signed up for the event, which is mainly sponsored by the global Alvogen pharmaceutical company, in collaboration with UNICEF and the Red Cross, and dedicated to promoting children’s rights.
Part of the city center was virtually turned into a velodrome on the night of the race, as traffic was diverted to enable the many male and female cyclists, who had enlisted, to compete in the trial. Starting off at Harpa Music Hall, Reykjavík’s stunning new architectural jewel down by the harbour, participants followed a 5.5 km circular route, competing in separate 16km and 32km categories. Prizes were awarded to the three top competitors in each category and the prize money went to a charity of the winners’ choice. In addition to this, all enrolment fees were directly donated to UNICEF and the Red Cross to support the education of young girls in Madagascar, as well as the running of a vocational training school in Sierra Leone. As the principal sponsor of this event, Alvogen is keen to attract attention to the fact that far too many children in the world miss out on the fundamental right to an education.
Over the past three years, Alvogen’s global staff in more than 30 countries has been involved in collecting money for the Better Planet charity fund, which has a long term collaboration with both UNICEF, the Red Cross and various local charities around the world. The fund mainly focuses on building young lives through education and to provide immediate relief in Africa.