Hamburg has been a mainstay of the World Triathlon Championship Series, with the streets of the northern German city hosting an event every season since its inception.

The 2026 edition takes place on 11-12 July and as you’d expect the fields are stacked. As well as the two individual races on the Saturday we also have the World Mixed Team Relay Championship on the Sunday, with the winners qualifying two places per gender for LA2028 so quite some incentive.

It’s the fifth round in terms of the individual races and like last time out in Quiberon and the next race in London we are at sprint distance – so a 750m swim, 20km on the bike and a 5km run.

We do have two notable absentees as Olympic champions Alex Yee (GBR) and Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) – a three-time Hamburg winner – are in Diamond League action on the track in Monaco on Friday evening.

Start time and how to watch live

The action gets under way on Saturday in Germany at 13:15 CEST with the elite men. That’s 12:15 UK time, 07:15 Eastern and 04:15 Western. The elite women then go off at 15:00 local time.

On Sunday the elite mixed team relay begins at 17:30 CEST.

You can watch all the races live on TriathlonLive.tv. A subscription is required.

Elite Men

It’s welcome back to the WTCS to Hayden Wilde (NZL) in his first short-course race of the season and at a venue where he was the winner in both 2022 and 2023.

Speed is the name of the game in Hamburg and he is up against reigning world champion Matt Hauser (AUS), the winner here in both 2024 and 2025.

Throw in current WTCS leader Vasco Vilaca (POR) and it’s clear we are in for a treat. Not only has Vilaca claimed his first – and second – WTCS gold medals in 2026 but he is another man who relishes the Hamburg course.

In 2020 at the single-day world championship, he leapt to prominence by making the podium, something which he has repeated in each of the last three years.

His compatriot Ricardo Batista comes here in prime form too after third places in each of the last two races in Alghero and Quiberon.

Indeed Portugal look strong across the board as it was in Hamburg in 2023 where João Nuno Batista won the World Junior title.

Dorian Coninx heads the French team after his thrilling sprint finish success over Vilaca in Quiberon.

Miguel Hidalgo and Manoel Messias top Brazil’s line up, while Spain and Britain look predictably strong.

David Cantero looks the most likely winner for Spain while Oliver Conway continues to make huge strides and appears GB’s best hope in the absence of Yee. But they are solid across the board with Hugo Milner, Connor Bentley and Max Stapley.

Last but definitely not least are the hosts Germany in the shape of Henry Graf, Tim Hellwig. Valentin Wernz and Chris Ziehmer. The Germans have excelled in the Mixed Relay here but you have to go back to 2021 for their last Hamburg podium (Hellwig).

Elite Women

Beaugrand has been tough to beat in Hamburg so her absence opens the door and two other winners here – Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) and Gwen Jorgensen (USA) – also sit this one out.

But Leonie Periault (FRA) stunned Beaugrand here 12 months ago and looks to repeat that victory.

Not surprisingly hosts Germany look incredibly strong with their seven-woman team, headed by reigning world champ Lisa Tertsch who has roared back to form in the last couple of months.

Alongside her are Laura Lindemann, who has an incredible record in Hamburg, and Annika Koch, Tanja Neubert, Julia Bröcker, Therese Feuersinger and Franka Rust.

Series leader Jeanne Lehair (LUX) and Tilda Månsson (SWE), who won in Yokohama and took silver in Quiberon, have to be ranked among the favourites.

As does former world champion Beth Potter (GBR) who has gone close on numerous times in Hamburg but is yet to win here.

Taylor Spivey (USA) is seeking a tenth straight WTCS top-10 while Gina Sereno and Erica Ackerlund start alongside her for the American team.

Mixed Relay

There’s an increased focus on the Mixed Relay in the current Olympic qualifying cycle and the highest-ranked eligible NOC at each of the 2026 and 2027 World Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships will be allocated two quota places per gender, with eight more NOCs qualifying teams via the Mixed Relay Olympic Qualification Ranking.

This then is the first opportunity to bag an automatic slot (hosts USA already have one).

We won’t know the actual line ups until the day itself but there are 20 teams slated to start, including all the big hitters. Australia won here 12 months ago anchored by Matt Hauser.