The 2026 Europe Triathlon Challenge Long Distance Championships Almere-Amsterdam will take place in Almere, Netherlands, on September 12, 2026, marking the 45th anniversary of Challenge Almere-Amsterdam.
Organised by Challenge Family, the event holds the distinction of being the oldest long-distance triathlon in Europe and the second-oldest worldwide. The Championship format features the full distance of a 3.8km swim, 180km bike leg, and 42.2km marathon run.
In the men’s elite field, 2024 winner and European Champion Jesper Svensson returns as a primary title contender. The Swedish athlete brings significant course experience to the event, having previously finished second at the 2021 World Championship and fourth at the 2023 European Championship in Almere.
Svensson faces a strong contingent of Dutch athletes competing on home soil. Pim van Diemen returns to the race looking to improve on last year’s event where a crash forced his withdrawal, supported by strong performances over the half distance earlier this season. Local athlete Milan Brons, who previously claimed a third-place finish in his hometown, also returns following a fourth-place finish in Austria earlier this year.
Niek Heldoorn enters the line-up following his second victory at Embrunman in France, though he is working to overcome injuries sustained in a recent training accident. The Dutch field is completed by Olaf van den Bergh, Jesse van Hulst, Pascal Franken, Marijn Markusse, and Stijn Jansen.
International contenders in the men’s race include Thomas Davis (UK), Lars Lomholt (Denmark), Silas Engel Plambaek (Denmark), Thor Bendix Madsen (Denmark), and Igor Amorelli (Brazil).
The women’s race presents an open field led by Portugal’s Vanessa Pereira alongside Dutch athletes Kyra Meulenberg, Maaike Vooren, Morena Stevens, and Dieske Kruisselbrink. Vooren is expected to lead out of the water after taking the early lead in last year’s edition, while second-year pro Meulenberg makes her Almere debut with a focus on catching the field during the bike and run legs.
International elite women looking for podium contention include Denise Hiemann (Germany), Margrit Elfers (Germany), Carolina Laurentiu Granca (Spain), and Barbora Besperát (Czechia).
The elite race starts at the Esplanade in Almere-Stad, where athletes enter the Weerwater for the swim leg. The elite women begin at 07:10 CEST, followed by the elite men at 07:25 CEST. Winning times are expected around 7 hours 30 minutes for the men and 8 hours 45 minutes for the women.
The 45th anniversary edition has drawn a record field of over 4,500 participants across the multi-day event schedule. Festival activities start on September 10, 2026 with the Junior Challenge, RABO Business Relay, and Family Relay, followed by the Senior & No-Limit Challenge and Medi-Mere Kids Run on September 11, 2026.
The main event day on September 12, 2026 will also host the Open Series, Middle Distance, TriTogether, Aquabike, and the newly introduced Challenge Almere-Amsterdam Marathon, which starts at 17:00 CEST and utilizes the triathlon run course. Anniversary celebrations will close with a fireworks display.
The event will be broadcast live online at challenge-family.live.
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