It is race week and the stage is set for The Championship 2026 with a sold-out field of over 2,400 athletes from 63 nations lining up this weekend. Taking place at the x-bionic sphere near Bratislava, Slovakia, on May 24, 2026, this year is the largest-ever edition of Challenge Family’s flagship event.
In the lead-in to the qualification-only event, a number of short course events cater for varying ages and abilities. According to Challenge Family, this creates a festival of sport for the whole family around The Championship event itself.
Headlining the flagship race on Sunday May 24, 2026 are some of the top names in triathlon. The 70-strong professional field will be racing for a share of a €100,000 prize purse.
Top contenders in the women’s field include Lena Meissner, Caroline Pohle, Justine Guerard, Elisabetta Curridori, Megan McDonald, Marta Sánchez, Katrine Græsbøll Christensen, and Anastacia Damm Nielsen.
The men’s race features professional athletes such as Will Draper, Pieter Heemeryck, Harry Palmer, Kieran Lindars, Frederic Funk, Kurt McDonald, Daniel Bækkegård, Ondrej Kubo, and Jannik Schaufler.
Challenge Family notes that The Championship will broadcast live and for free on the internet via www.challenge-family.live. Live commentary is by Belinda Granger, starting at 08:15 CEST. The race start is scheduled for 08:30 CEST with the male professionals, followed at 08:40 CEST by the female professionals.
Live timing and a full athlete tracker can be followed on the Challenge Family app.
