This weekend, with Challenge London, we continue an even more wonderful 2023 season, hosting as many as 15 more races. We look at the next five races:
Racing through the heart of London, one of the world’s most historic cities past instantly recognisable landmarks.
- Be part of the world’s biggest city centre triathlon that is truly at the heart of the city
- Race and sightsee as you pass some of the world’s most photographed landmarks
- Six distances so there’s a distance for every and ability
- Long established as a hugely popular event based in the striking setting of London’s Docklands
- Amazing spectator support along the route
About the Local Area
Challenge London is the world’s biggest city centre triathlon open to all abilities. Ride by Big Ben, the London Eye and Houses of Parliament en route. London as a destination needs no introduction with its wealth of historic sites, accommodation, culture and the arts. Docklands, where Challenge London is based, is a vibrant business and residential area, reclaimed and regenerated from the original London port of old. Docklands offers a mix of inner city living, shopping at The District Docklands, commerce, connection to nature, entertainment, dining, sporting and community events, arts and culture. It’s also very convenient to reach with both overland and Underground service and multiple bus routes.
About Challenge London
The middle distance race will feature a 1.9km swim, 80km bike (with plans to increase to 90km in 2024) and finish with a half marathon on the same iconic course already enjoyed by thousands of triathletes over the years. The swim will take place in the sheltered Royal Victoria Dock while the three-lap bike will take athletes from Docklands to Westminster and back, taking in some of London’s most memorable sights, while the multi-lap run will take place within Docklands, perfect for spectator support.
Five reasons to race Challenge Davos:
- Spectacular courses in a breathtaking mountain scenery with a traffic-free Füellapass
- No drafting issues due to a challenging route up to Flüelapass
- Hydrate while swimming: The drinking water quality of Lake Davos will let you have crystal clear focus on your performance while your fans can follow your swimming on the shores right next to you
- Davos offers high quality holiday time: A diversity of sport, cultural and nightlife possibilities, many of them free of charge for overnight guests, will leave nothing to be desired
- Innovative side-events like a night run or kids running races keep your friends and family active during your preparation and execution of your perfect race
About the race
Challenge Davos combines the internationally orientated middle distance race of Challenge Family with the national triathlon series TRI Circuit, which offers a range of short distance events for all ages. Adding to this, a night run on Friday: a fun event for friends and family and can be done alone or in a team of three
Davos is situated in the heart of the Swiss canton Graubünden and is the highest town in Europe, famed for the diversity of sports, leisure and cultural offers, its rejuvenating climate, the HC Davos, the Spengler Cup, the Kirchner Museum and the World Economic Forum.
Challenge La Coquimbo – La Serena, 3 September –
Challenge Coquimbo-La Serena middle distance triathlon is in Chile’s second oldest city after the capital, Santiago, and combines beautiful architecture with a long golden shoreline.
- Under the clearest skies in the Southern Hemisphere
- On the doorstep of the spectacular Valle de Elqui where the night skies come alive
- Stunning ocean-side bike course
- Fast, flat boardwalk run with great spectator support
- A taste of authentic Chile
About the Local Area
La Serena is yet to make the list as one of the must-visit places in the travelers handbook, and this is terrific. This makes La Serena exempt from the large drones of tourists stepping off the night busses and flooding the streets, so the feeling as you walk the streets is that you are in authentic Chile, not just a stop on the tourist trail.
About the Race
The single lap 1.9km swim takes place in Coquimbo Bay before heading out for the 90km bike on the main highway along the Pacific Ocean coastline before turning inland to discover the beauty of the interior valleys of the region.
The 21km multi-lap run will go along the seafront to the iconic Monumental Lighthouse, overlooked by the striking Third Millennium Cross.
Challenge Istanbul, 3 September –
Five Reasons to Race Challenge Istanbul:
- The ancient city of Istanbul’s unique location between east and west
- Be part of the first ever inter-continental triathlon in the world
- Chance to swim in the Bosphorus, surrounded by the iconic Istanbul cityscape
- Cross the bridge from Asia to Europe on the bike course – two continents in one day!
- An historic run course past the waterside mansions and Anatolian Fortress
About the Local Area
Istanbul, the bustling metropolis of Türkiye, is a city full of charm, where the past goes hand in hand with the present and every step brings to light a relic of times gone by. At the crossroads of two continents – Europe and Asia – this spectacular city has absorbed the best of both worlds. With its beautiful historic landmarks, quintessential cuisine, vibrant nightlife, festivals of art and music, celebration of faith, labyrinths of marketplaces and shopping arcades, the beating heart of Istanbul, and the soul of Bosphorus under the watchful eye of the Maiden’s Tower is a traveller’s dream
About the Race
Istanbul is a unique city that has been the capital of two great empires, where you can breathe in all kinds of history while getting lost in its unique nature. While traces of the Ottoman, Byzantine and Roman Empires lively welcome the visitors in the Historic Peninsula (Tarihi Yarımada), the most important museums of our country are also located in Istanbul. Istanbul, which became the centre of science, culture, and art during the Ottoman period, still maintains a magnificent tolerance in the period of the Republic of Turkey, where mosques, synagogues and churches live side by side.
The race takes place on the Asian coast of Istanbul, on the coast of Beykoz, a charming district preferred by the locals for weekend leisure activities. Transition is the grassed area between Göksu and Küçüksu (deresi) Creeks. Although this area was one of the private gardens of the sultans on the Bosporus during the Ottoman period, today it is known as one of the most popular public recreation areas for the locals right next to the historic Küçüksu Kasrı.
The swim starts from the historical Kanlıca (İskelesi) Pier. As the starting siren breaks the silence on both sides of İstanbul, it is now only a matter of time before you find yourself under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge with the gentle current and warm waters of the Bosporus. As the sunrise shines on the mansions lined up on both sides of the Bosporus like pearls, we turn our strokes to the left and head towards the Küçüksu (İskelesi) Pier after seeing the Rumeli (Hisarı) Fortress on our right.
On the bike, after a very short uphill and athletes enter a wonderful fast asphalt road with magnificent views providing a visual feast along the way, watching the Istanbul panorama. The surprise crowning this visual feast is the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. Athletes enter the bridge from the continent of Asia and exit onto the continent of Europe and so you become an intercontinental triathlete!
Leaving T2, the run heads right next to the (Anadolu Hisarı) Anatolian Fortress, which was built by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid 1st between 1393 and 1394 as part of the preparations for the siege of the then Byzantine city, Constantinople. Heading towards the north, athletes get the chance to see the other side of the Bosporus shore this time with its stunning mansions lining the shore. Running under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, the course continues by turning from Çiftlik (Caddesi) Street and the first of three laps is completed. The finish is situated at Küçüksu (Çayırı) Meadow where it’s time to celebrate becoming an intercontinental triathlete!
Challenge Almere-Amsterdam, 9 September –
The oldest race in the world outside of Hawaii and the only one below sea level!
Five reasons to race Challenge Almere-Amsterdam:
1) When you race Almere, you’re part of triathlon history
2) World’s only race below sea level
3) First or last: you are welcomed as a hero in Almere
4) Fast flat course: the only rivals are the winds and yourself
5) Beautiful contrast between endless polder roads and urban buzz with thousands of spectators
About the race
The Almere course is the world’s only long distance triathlon course located below sea level on reclaimed land at the bottom of what was once the Zuiderzee (South Sea). Almere is just 25km from the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, one of the most famous cities in Europe. Still surrounded by water, the course features the typical Dutch landscapes renowned the world over – dikes, windmills, tulip fields and endless straight, fast roads where the battle is between you and the elements.
Almere’s long history of triathlon includes hosting seven European Championships (1985, 1991, 1999, 2006, 2014, 2017, 2019) and two World Championships (2003 and 2008) with the race record held by Matt Trautman with a time of 7:50:15.
The course
The start and finish of Challenge Almere-Amsterdam will take place in the heart of the Almere’s city centre, on the Esplanade, an area renowned for its culture and futuristic architecture.
The two-lap swim takes place in the Weerwater, adjacent to the Esplanade. The name means ‚water again‘, as this lake was dug after the city of Almere was reclaimed from the Zuiderzee, bringing the water back.
The bike course will take athletes through the province of Flevoland, racing along the former Zuiderzee seabed, between dikes and windmills. The run course features six laps of 7km through the city of Almere, alternating between modern architecture and calming nature and green spaces surrounding the Weerwater.
Make sure to check out all our races here.
