The 2026 World Triathlon Championship Series regular season reaches its conclusion this weekend on arguably the toughest course on the circuit at WTCS Karlovy Vary.

And there is an awful lot at stake in the Czech Republic.

With only the Championship Finals in Pontevedra to come afterwards, Karlovy Vary represents the final opportunity for athletes to strengthen their points totals before the world titles are decided.

The two Series leaders – Cassandre Beaugrand and Vasco Vilaça – both now miss this but that gives those behind them the chance to close the gaps.

Here’s everything you need to know about WTCS Karlovy Vary 2026, including start times, how to watch live and the leading contenders.

Start times and how to watch live

WTCS Karlovy Vary takes place on Sunday September 13, 2026.

The Elite Women’s race gets under way at 10:00 local time (CEST), which is 09:00 in the UK, 04:00 Eastern Time and 01:00 Pacific Time.

The Elite Men’s race follows at 15:00 CEST, which is 14:00 BST, 09:00 Eastern Time and 06:00 Pacific Time.

WTCS Karlovy Vary will be shown live on World Triathlon’s subscription streaming service TriathlonLive.tv, with coverage of both elite races.

Depending on your location, coverage may also be available via regional broadcast partners.

WTCS Karlovy Vary course

Karlovy Vary has long had a reputation as one of the most challenging venues in short-course triathlon and its elevation to WTCS level in 2025 did nothing to change that.

The race takes place over the standard Olympic distance of a 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run, but those bare numbers tell only part of the story.

The swim takes place at Lake Rolava and comprises two laps before the athletes embark on a long run to the first transition.

And this is one of the unusual features of Karlovy Vary.

T1 is located close to the lake, while T2 is several kilometres away in the city centre, meaning athletes must prepare two separate transition areas before racing.

After leaving T1, the bike initially heads towards the heart of Karlovy Vary before the athletes begin seven laps of the technical city circuit.

This is where the race can really be transformed.

Repeated climbs, fast descents, narrow roads, technical corners and cobbled sections make this one of the most demanding bike courses on the WTCS calendar.

There are precious few opportunities to switch off and the cumulative effect of the climbing can be brutal.

The final discipline is a four-lap 10km run through the centre of Karlovy Vary, with the hills again ensuring this is no straightforward run course.

As recent editions have shown, athletes willing and able to commit to a bike break can be richly rewarded.

Elite Women – two world champions collide

Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand had originally been on the start list but she can’t improve her perfect 4,000 points score heading into Pontevedra so it’s no surprise to see her swerve this one.

But the two other most recent women’s world champions are both there – Britain’s Beth Potter and reigning champ Lisa Tertsch of Germany.

And the three women who chased Beaugrand home at Supertri Jersey on Sunday – Georgia Taylor-Brown, Jeanne Lehair and Jess Fullagar all make the trip too.

Potter knows exactly what it takes to win in Karlovy Vary.

The 2023 world champion produced a superb performance here 12 months ago as the venue made its WTCS debut, taking victory ahead of Taylor Spivey (USA) with Tertsch completing the podium.

That experience could prove valuable on a course where knowing when to commit – and where not to expend unnecessary energy – can make a considerable difference.

Tertsch took third here last season before going on to produce her stunning title-winning finish to the campaign.

She returns as part of an exceptionally deep German team which also features Laura Lindemann, Tanja Neubert, Julia Bröcker, Franka Rust and Selina Klamt.

Britain also brings significant depth. Alongside Potter, Taylor-Brown and Fullagar are Kate Waugh, Olivia Mathias and Sian Rainsley.

In terms of who might drive a break – Spivey and Maya Kingma made the decisive move last year and though the latter is absent, Taylor-Brown and Fullagar did their best to put Beaugrand under pressure at Supertri Jersey and have to be prime contenders.

So too Hungarian Márta Kropkó, while Italy’s Bianca Seregni possesses the swimming ability to put the field under immediate pressure.

Elite Men – huge opportunity for Hidalgo

The men’s race has two particularly significant absentees – and that could open the door for the chasing pack.

Series leader Vasco Vilaça will now skip Karlovy Vary, while reigning world champion Matt Hauser had already opted to make WTCS Weihai his final regular-season appearance.

That means neither of the top two in the standings will add to their tally before the WTCS Grand Final in Pontevedra.

And Miguel Hidalgo could be one of the biggest beneficiaries.

The Brazilian, who finished second here 12 months ago, remains firmly in the hunt for another overall Series podium and now has the opportunity to make significant ground on the two men above him.

But he faces a field packed with former world champions and potential race winners.

Dorian Coninx has already demonstrated this season that he can get the better of Vilaça, doing exactly that at WTCS Quiberon, while fellow Frenchman Léo Bergère, the 2022 world champion, adds further quality.

Twelve months ago Henry Graf produced one of the performances of the season to win the inaugural WTCS Karlovy Vary, although the German hasn’t raced since WTCS Hamburg in early July.

Then there is Alex Yee (GBR).

The Olympic champion will race in Karlovy Vary for the first time and arrives on the back of a hugely encouraging – if ultimately frustrating – performance at the Supertri Pro Series Final in Jersey.

Yee worked his way right into contention against Hauser and great rival Hayden Wilde, surging up to second by the end of the opening stage before a snapped chain cruelly ended his challenge midway through the race.

It was another reminder of the threat he poses if he can reach T2 in contention, and that could make the tactics on Karlovy Vary’s demanding bike course fascinating.

Can the rest of the field make it hard enough to prevent Yee from putting himself in position to unleash his devastating run?

Hungary’s Csongor Lehmann is another man who arrives with his form underlined by Jersey.

The defending Supertri champion was right at the sharp end throughout Sunday’s race and eventually finished fourth, with a penalty on the final stage costing him the chance to fight for a podium.

And there are plenty of other medal contenders too, including Canada’s Charles Paquet and Spain’s David Cantero, ensuring that even without Vilaça and Hauser there is no shortage of quality on the Karlovy Vary start line.