The 2026 Europe Triathlon Multisport Championships Banyoles were officially launched today. The event will take place from 11 to 19 July, with the opening ceremony and parade of athletes representing their countries due to take place tomorrow, Friday, from 7.00 pm.
Banyoles will host the European Duathlon Championships (11 July), the age-group sprint duathlon (12 July), the cross duathlon (14 July), the cross triathlon (16 July), the aquathlon (18 July), and the middle-distance triathlon and aquabike (19 July). There will be more than 3,000 participants from 39 countries, who will transform the Pla de l’Estany (Girona) region into the epicentre of the European triathlon and multisport these days.
Everything is set in Banyoles (Girona) to host the various events that make up the eagerly awaited 2026 European Multisport Triathlon Championships over a nine-day period. A press conference to present the competition was held today at the Pesquera in the Banyoles Tourist Office, attended by Jordi Congost, deputy mayor and councillor for sport at Banyoles Town Council; Jorge García, director of competitions at the Spanish Triathlon Federation; three-time triathlon world champion Mario Mola, coach of the Spanish “TriArmada”; and athletes María Varo, the reigning European duathlon champion, and Javier Martín, the 2024 world duathlon champion, who are amongst the favourites to win this Saturday.
The event was also attended by the entire Spanish Duathlon Team, who will be competing for the first medals on Saturday 11 July, with athletes Andrés Hilario Morales, Roc Bellostas, Javier Martín and Joanes Goitisolo in the men’s category; and María Varo Zubiri and Sara Reimondo Saa in the women’s category.
The Opening Ceremony will take place tomorrow, Friday, from 7.00 pm in the Plaça Major. It will begin with the parade of nations, which will feature the majority of participants and showcase the international nature of the event, and will conclude with the oath taken by athletes and officials, marking the official opening of one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year in Europe.
At the 2026 European Multisport Triathlon Championships, which will be held exclusively in Banyoles and the area surrounding its stunning lake and natural surroundings, there will be more than 3,000 elite athletes, under-23s, juniors, paratriathletes and amateur athletes or age-group triathletes, who will compete in this major continental festival of duathlon, cross duathlon, cross triathlon, aquathlon, middle-distance triathlon and aquabike. The largest delegations will be those from Great Britain (1,100), France, Italy and Spain, which has a total of 500 members (403 men and 97 women).
“We would like to welcome to Banyoles to the 3,000 athletes who will enjoy our town. This marks the consolidation of our long-standing commitment to sports practised in natural settings. This European Championship allows us to attract new athletes who were not previously familiar with Banyoles. It is not just a weekend; it is a whole week of competitions. It is a highly complex and exciting logistical and organisational challenge for our town, involving the whole community, with over 300 volunteers, and we are counting on the collaboration of all the sports organisations and the various departments of the Town Council… Sport is a driving force for social, human and economic development… it is a strategic commitment for our entire region,” said Jordi Congost, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Sport at Banyoles Town Council, at the press conference.
According to Jorge García, Director of Competitions at the Spanish Triathlon Federation, “Banyoles has been committed to this sport for 15 years. This project is different and highly ambitious, and it has the unique strength of being able to host all the competitions at a single venue, all around the lake. It will be a one-of-a-kind event in the world because of the human factor, as the whole town, the organisers and their volunteers will throw themselves into it and experience this event as their own, and it will have a hugely significant economic impact on the whole of Girona.”
Mario Mola, an Olympic triathlete and three-time world champion, is supporting and advising the Spanish national team in Banyoles, where he spends many months of the year: “It’s a place that encourages people to take part in sport, and over the next few days the duathletes and triathletes will have a unique opportunity to enjoy competing, and they’ll have that extra bit of motivation. The people of Banyoles are fully behind the triathlon. We can only thank the local authorities for showing such commitment to our sport and for understanding that it’s worthwhile to have so many people taking part in triathlons in what is my second home. This will raise Banyoles’ international profile even further.”
Full details of the timetable, training sessions, side events and official course maps can be found at this link: https://triathlon.org/events/2026-europe-triathlon-multisport-championships-banyoles/event-info
On Saturday 11 July, the Sprint Duathlon will take place from 10.00 (run, cycle and run) for age groups, as well as the European Duathlon Championships for the elite, Under-23s (starting at 17.00 for women and 19.00 for men) and juniors. On Sunday 12th, from 10.00 am, the Standard Distance Duathlon will take place for age groups only. On Tuesday 14th, it is the turn of the Cross-Country Triathlon from 3.00 pm (swimming, cycling and cross-country running), and on Thursday 16th, the Cross-Country Duathlon. On Saturday 18 July, the Aquathlon takes place from 11.00 (swimming and running), and on Sunday 19 July, one of the highlights of the event will be held with one of the most eagerly awaited competitions: the middle-distance triathlon, starting at 8.00. At the same time, on that Sunday, which marks the end of the European Championships, the AquaBike (swimming and cycling) will also take place.
As always, Banyoles Town Council has gone all out to support the organisation of the championships and has trained 300 local volunteers who will be on hand to ensure the competitions run smoothly.