This is a preview of the race – click here to read about dramatic victories for Caroline Pohle and Harry Palmer.
It’s Challenge Family’s showpiece middle-distance race and the ninth edition of The Championship is the biggest yet with the professionals joined by a sold-out field of over 2,400 age group athletes from 63 countries.
It all takes place at the iconic x-bionic sphere in Šamorín, Slovakia this weekend on the banks of the Danube River.
It has fields to match too and no wonder, with a €100,000 prize purse up for grabs.
In our preview piece ahead of the race, you can find all the information you need, including start times and how to watch the race live.
Start time and how to watch live
The Championship will take place on Sunday 24 May, with the men kicking things off at 08:30 local time. This corresponds to 07:30 in the UK, 02:30 on the East Coast and 23:30 on Saturday on the West Coast.
Starting ten minutes later, the women will begin at 08:40 local time. This corresponds to 07:40 in the UK, 02:40 on the East Coast and 23:40 on Saturday on the West Coast.
Live coverage of the full race, with commentary from Belinda Granger, is available via the embed below.
The Championship will also be broadcast live and for free at www.challenge-family.live and on Instagram Live @challengefamily. And there’s a timing tracker link on the Challenge Family website here.
Pro Women
There’s only one place to start with the women’s field and that’s German duo Caroline Pohle and Lena Meissner.
Last year they fought out an epic sprint finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Jönköping European Championship (see below) where virtually nothing separated them on the line.
The verdict initially went to Meissner but then a protest was upheld and the title of European Champion went to Pohle but there were more twists and turns to come in a case that went on for months but the record books now show Meissner as the winner!
So that’s one fascinating showdown and both arrive in good form. Pohle is looking to back up her recent Challenge Gran Canaria win, while Meissner was third in a high-class 70.3 Valencia behind rising star Cathia Schär and Sophie Evans.
Pohle is also warming up for her full-distance debut at Challenge Roth.
Marta Sánchez (ESP) finished a terrific third behind IRONMAN World Champion Solveig Løvseth and Taylor Knibb and IRONMAN Texas so will be a threat to all.
As will Katrine Græsbøll Christensen (DEN) who kicked off her season with victory at Challenge Sir Bani-Yas and was sixth at 70.3 Aix-en-Provence last weekend.
And Italy’s Elisabetta Curridori won Challenge Salou last time out and was fourth in this event 12 months ago.
Pro Men
In the men’s race, Will Draper (GBR) will be looking to continue his winning streak fresh from his Challenge Salou victory but he will face strong competition from the likes of Frederic Funk (GER), Henry Räppo (EST), Pieter Heemeryck (BEL), Kieran Lindars (GBR) and many others.
Funk is the most experienced athlete of this group on The Championship course having lined up no less than six times, and has stood on the podium for half of them, but he has never secured the win. Is this the year?
Others to watch include Jannik Schaufler (GER), Harry Palmer (GBR), Michele Sarzilla (ITA), James Teagle (GBR) and former champion Florian Angert (GER).
If Teagle in particular is anywhere near at the start of the run then watch out as he won the Cambridge Half Marathon in March in a time of 1:04:15.
The Championship Course
The first edition of The Championship took place at the x-bionic sphere in 2017 and the 1,900m swim has now moved to the Danube canal (as opposed to the river), with the athletes completing a point-to-point swim.
On to the bike, the flat and fast course is just the one loop on a primarily out and back course.
For the run, the course takes in five laps of the x-bionic sphere venue.
You can find out much more via our in-depth course preview here and the embedded video below.
Previous winners
2025: Hanne De Vet (BEL) and Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN)
2024: India Lee (GBR) and Kyle Smith (NZL)
2023: India Lee (GBR) and Mathis Margirier (FRA)
2022: Sara Perez Sala (ESP) and Gustav Iden (NOR)
2021: Lucy Buckingham (GBR) and Florian Angert (GER)
2019: Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) and Sebastian Kienle (GER)
2018: Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) and Lionel Sanders (CAN)
2017: Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) and Lionel Sanders (CAN)
Prize Money: What’s on the line?
The crown jewel of the Challenge Family middle distance racing calendar, The Championship offers a significant total prize purse of €100,000.
The total funds will be paid ten-deep, as follows:
- 1. €15,000
- 2. €9,000
- 3. €7,000
- 4. €5,000
- 5. €4,000
- 6. €3,000
- 7. €2,500
- 8. €2,000
- 9. €1,500
- 10. €1,000
