Challenge Family moving on up in 2025, and into 2026

Challenge Family has reported a year of growth in 2025, recording an 18% increase in athlete participation during 2025 compared to 2024.

The international triathlon series, which hosted 32 events globally in 2025, also reported particularly strong participation expansion among female athletes and younger competitors.

A key highlight of the year was a high level of female participation at flagship events, which is continuing into sign-ups this year. Challenge Family’s The Championship 2026 already has a field that is 37% female, a figure that exceeds the global industry average for long-course triathlon, which typically sits around 20–25%.

To further support the ‘next generation’ of triathletes, Challenge Family has introduced a new initiative for 2026. Here, students aged 17 to 23 can now access a 25% discount on selected middle and long-distance individual race entries.

The event organiser noted that the 2025 season served as a launchpad for several emerging professional talents, including:

• Cathia Schär: Secured back-to-back victories at Challenge Peguera-Mallorca and Challenge Barcelona.
• Jamie Riddle: Claimed his first major long-course win at Challenge Barcelona.
• Will Draper & Daisy Davies: Both crowned European Long Distance Champions at Challenge Almere-Amsterdam.
• Jonathan Guisolan: Emerged victorious at the inaugural Challenge Sir Bani Yas in Abu Dhabi.

2026 Challenge Family race calendar
The following schedule reflects the currently confirmed 2026 dates for the Challenge Family international series.

www.challenge-family.com