Best ‘road less travelled’ race destinations: the top 5 triathlons to expand your horizons

Want to take your tri off the beaten track? Perhaps discover a new country, culture, and gastronomy alongside your swim, bike and run? Well, lucky for you because triathlon takes place across the globe, allowing you to easily pick somewhere ‘unusual’ to not only tick off your racing goals for the year but also provide you with the ideal racecation. 

Here we’ve rounded up five that we think tick the boxes for a unique racing/holiday experience. From pedalling through the historic streets of one of the oldest cities in the world to climbing through the highest mountain range on the planet, or discovering the island from which Napoleon escaped in 1815 and the landscape that inspired a 17th-century Slovakian Robin Hood, there’s something here to satisfy even the most ardent wanderlust. 

We’ll just leave the training and packing up to you… 

Challenge Samarkand

Race locations don’t come more historic than Samarkand, in Uzbekistan. Founded in the 8th century, the city was an important trade stop on the Great Silk Road for more than 2,000 years. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Area, athletes racing the Challenge Family event get the unique opportunity to complete a course surrounded by stunning Islamic architecture. 

The single-lap 1.9km swim takes place in one of the largest purpose-built rowing centres in the world, and in one of the world’s cleanest bodies of water thanks to a fresh source of mountain water. 

Then it’s on to the two-lap 86km bike leg, starting at the Silk Road Samarkand tourist complex before travelling back in time past a veritable outdoor museum showcasing precious 14th- and 15th-century monuments.

In a complete contrast, the four-lap 21.5km run course is entirely within the modern tourist complex of Silk Road Samarkand, which envelops the old city.

Last year’s race also welcomed some of the sport’s top names, including Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden and Rico Bogen.

Take a look at our race guide to find out more!

HimalayanXtri

 
Welcome to the world’s highest triathlon, held at an elevation of 4,000m. The organisers of this need-to-be-seen-to-be-believed, near-Ironman-distance race advise that this isn’t one for PB hunters. 

Rather, “it’s about a journey across a spectacular landscape. It is about the people and culture and Nepali hospitality. It is about cheering children calling out Namaste (I bow to the Divine in you) as you cycle by. It is about the closeness of sharing the day with your support and crew. It is about community. But never forget. This race is seriously extreme. Nothing in Nepal is flat!”

This is also a great challenge for night owls, as the 3.5km, wetsuit swim starts at 4am, in Lake Phewa, Pokhara. 

The 165km road bike ride is on completely smooth asphalt… with some rough patches. The kicker is that overall elevation gain – 3,800m. T1 is at 800m altitude; and the highest point is 1,740m. 

And then for the final test – a 43km run entirely off-road. Make sure you still have some lung capacity, because T2 starts at 1,740m and the highest point is 4,000m, before a descent to the finish and overnight at a remote homestay village at 1,400m.

Elbaman

History lovers will already know the significance of the Tuscan island of Elba, off the coast of Italy. For it’s on this wild, mountainous outcrop in the Tyrrhenian Sea where Napoleon was exiled in 1814. Less than a year later, however, Le Petit Caporal managed to escape.

Yet, unlike the famous Alcatraz triathlon, escape isn’t the name of the game here. Instead, athletes have been trying to tame this extreme race since 2004 when it first launched with a middle-distance event. With a full-distance added in 2005, the race has become synonymous as a true physical and mental battle against nature.

The 3.8km swim starts in the beautiful bay of Marina di Campo – “the dawn light subtly illuminating the Elba waters always makes the start a magical moment,” say the organisers. 

The 180km three-loop bike route is confined to the western part of the island, before competitors set to the 42.2km marathon leg from the picturesque historic village of Marina di Campo to the adjacent pine forest.

JÁNOŠÍK Slovak Xtreme Triathlon

The JÁNOŠÍK Slovak Xtreme Triathlon is named after Slovak national hero, Juraj Jánošík – Slovakia’s 17th-century answer to Robin Hood. The race route is laid out almost like a timeline of the highwayman’s life, passing places of historical significance. 

The places, in northern Slovakia, also happen to be achingly beautiful, but be warned – the race reaches an overall elevation of 5,800m. So, easy? Heck no! But magical? Without a shadow of a doubt. 

To be crowned a Jánošík finisher, you must tick off a 3.8km, midnight-start swim; bike 185km from the Orava region to Terchová – covering 2,600m of elevation, including eight climbs with 12-17 % gradients; and run 42km, well, vertically, thanks to 3,200m of elevation gain.

And with it being an Xtri World Tour race (Norseman, Celtman, etc), there are two types of finisher T-shirts on offer – the Blue one to those who meet all the checkpoints and cut-offs; and the White one to those who fail to meet the run cut-off but who still complete the race at the lower finish line.

Patagonman

“This race is real grit! It’s the hardest triathlon and one of the most special races I have ever done and I’ve been racing triathlon for a very long time. Patagonman is raw triathlon!” so said tri legend Tim Don after completing this event in 2019.  

So what makes this Chilean challenge so appealing? The landscape is a big draw, so you’ll need to save every breath for not only the effort required to complete this long-distance race but also for all the ‘wows’ you’re going to utter as you compete among some of Mother Nature’s finest handiwork. 

You’ll start the day jumping off a ferry for a before-sunrise, 3.8km swim in the glacial waters of Aysén Fjord – a veritable fisherman’s paradise thanks to its abundance of rainbow and brown trout.

The proceeding point-to-point, 180km cycle takes you along the Carretera Austral. Also known as Route 7, this is a 1,240km highway in Chilean Patagonia, running from Puerto Montt in the north to Villa O’Higgins in the south. It’s renowned for its stunning scenery, including glaciers, fjords, forests, and mountains, and is a popular destination for road trips and outdoor adventures. 

It’s also known as one of the most demanding cycling routes in the world, characterised by winding roads, significant elevation gain (2,400m) with climbs through Cerro Castillo National Park, and strong, unpredictable winds. There are also sections of gravel and cobbled roads. 

The final full marathon travels along the Ibáñez River, over dirt trails and rubble roads, all the way to the General Carrera Lake, another landmark of the region.

“This is the type of race where you find yourself as you really are,” say the organisers. “It is as much a physical race as it is a spiritual ride. This is a triathlon for the ones who have found their real love for the sport.”