The Championship, Samorin, Slovakia

Set in a spectacular new training centre in the heart of Europe, Challenge launches its first championship event in 2017. Simply called “The Championship,” the race brings together the top age group finishers from the 46 Challenge-family races throughout the year to a small town called Samorin, a little over an hour’s drive from Vienna. Professionals will qualify through those same Challenge-family races, along with the Olympics, the ITU World Triathlon Series a nd Championship and both t he Ironman and Ironman 70.3 World Championship events.

Set for June 3, 2017 the race begins with a 1.9-km swim in the Danube River. Athletes will run from the river to the transition at the spectacular X-bionic Sphere, which will host the event. The flat 90-km bike and 21-km run courses will take in much of the beautiful countryside in the area.