Europe Triathlon Cup racing returns to Ireland this weekend, with Derry set to host both Elite and Junior races. It marks the return of international Europe Triathlon racing to Irish shores for the first time since 2024, when Cork hosted both the Elite and Junior events.
Elite Men
64 athletes will line up for the Elite Men’s race in Derry, with a strong international field set to battle for the top step of the podium.
Australia’s Oscar Wootton will race with bib number two. The Australian has not raced since May, when he finished second at the Asia Triathlon Cup Tam Chuc, and will be hoping to return to racing with a strong performance in Ireland.
Great Britain’s Hamish Reilly will also be one to watch. The Briton last raced on the Europe Triathlon calendar in July, claiming silver in Holten after a thrilling battle. Known for his strength over the sprint distance, Reilly will be looking to return to the podium in Derry despite not having raced internationally since July.
Ireland will have plenty of home interest in the Elite Men’s field, led by Luke McCarron. The Irish athlete will be hoping the home crowd can inspire him to his first Europe Triathlon Cup victory.
McCarron has already gained valuable international experience this season, racing at the World Triathlon Cup as well as making his WTCS debut in Quiberon in June. Racing on home soil gives him another opportunity to convert that experience into a major result.
McCarron is one of 10 Irish athletes on the Elite Men’s start list, with experienced athlete James Edgar also set to race. Edgar will make his 77th career start, with his most recent race coming at the Asia Triathlon Cup Turkestan.
Mathys Bocquet will also carry strong form into the weekend. Bocquet claimed gold at the Irish National Sprint Championships in July and also represented Ireland at the FISU World University Championships in Nyon.
Germany will have three athletes on the start line, with Jan Diener joined by Tim Semmler and Henri Malcharek. For Malcharek, Derry will mark his first Europe Triathlon Cup start. Born in 2007, the young German will have the opportunity to test himself against some of Europe’s strongest athletes.
Great Britain’s Fynn Batkin will arrive in Derry with some impressive results behind him this season. Batkin claimed silver in Kitzbühel before finishing fourth in Holten, putting him in a strong position heading into another sprint-distance race.
France will have five athletes competing, led by Antoine Duval in bib number 15. Pao Millo will start immediately behind him in bib number 16, with both athletes searching for their first podium finishes of the season.
Switzerland will also be well represented, with six athletes travelling to Derry. Antoine L’Hôte has the highest-ranked start number among the Swiss contingent, lining up with bib number seven, while Maxime Fluri will start with bib number 11 and will be looking to use his international experience to challenge for a place on the podium.
With a full field of 70 athletes, a strong international line-up and significant home interest, the Elite Men’s race in Derry promises to be a closely contested return for Europe Triathlon racing in Ireland.
Elite Women
American Joy Gill leads the Elite Women’s field in Derry, with the American making the long journey across the Atlantic as she looks to add to her 2026 medal tally. Gill has already tasted victory this season, claiming gold at the Americas Triathlon Cup Ixtapa, and will be looking to carry that form into Europe.
Germany’s Jule Behrens starts with bib number two and will be another athlete to watch. Behrens last secured a top-ten finish in Olsztyn in May and, after a quieter August, returns to international racing in Derry. The German will be looking to collect valuable ranking points ahead of the U23 Women’s race in Pontevedra at the end of September.
Great Britain’s Katie Rodda will also be hoping for a strong performance. Rodda last raced in Tiszaujvaros in June, finishing just outside the top 20, and will be looking to make her return to international racing a successful one in Derry.
Anabel Knoll comes into the race with some strong results behind her in 2026. The German claimed bronze in Kitzbühel and has also recorded top-ten finishes in Wels, where she finished ninth, and Tata, where she took fourth. Derry could also be a milestone race for Knoll, with the German set to make her 99th career start.
Estonia’s Liis Kapten will line up with bib number seven after an encouraging season. Kapten finished fifth at the U23 Sprint Championships before claiming gold at the Africa Triathlon Cup Larache. Having not raced during August, Kapten will be looking to make an immediate impact on her return and could challenge towards the front of the field.
Mexico’s María López Faraudo will make the journey to Ireland, with Derry marking her first international triathlon start of the season. She will be looking to make an impression on her return to international competition.
Great Britain’s Millie Breese also arrives with recent medal-winning form. Breese returns from the FISU World University Championships in Switzerland with a bronze medal and will be hoping to replicate that success on Irish soil.
The host nation will have seven athletes on the start line, all bidding for success on home soil.
Saoirse O’Brien and Emma O’Brien will lead the Irish contingent with bib numbers 21 and 22, while Erin McConnell and Elizabeth Carr will follow closely behind with bibs 26 and 28.
Carlotta Bülck (GER) and Hayley Cornwall (NZL) are the two youngest athletes on the Elite Women’s start list, with Cornwall already having claimed a European medal this season after taking silver in the Junior Cup race in Holten.
Bülck has raced only once internationally this year, competing at the Sprint Championships in Elbląg. After a strong result in Poland, she will be hoping to build on that performance and push towards the front of the field in Derry.
With a mix of experienced international athletes, emerging young talent and seven Irish athletes racing in front of a home crowd, the Elite Women’s race promises plenty of competition as Europe Triathlon Cup racing returns to Ireland.
The fourth consecutive week of Junior Cup racing gives athletes another valuable opportunity to collect ranking points ahead of the Youth and Junior Championships in Melilla.
With the season moving towards its major championship events, Derry provides an important opportunity for athletes to test themselves against international opposition, with both the Junior Men’s and Junior Women’s races offering chances for established names and emerging talent to make their mark.
Junior Men
Despite Derry being the latest stop on the European calendar, it is a New Zealander who takes the coveted number-one bib. Caleb Wagener already has European racing experience this season, having competed in Holten and Kitzbühel. He also arrives with a medal already secured in 2026, having claimed bronze at the Asia Triathlon Cup Osaka Castle, and will be looking to match or better that result in Derry.
Hungary’s Zsombor Holba will be another athlete looking to challenge at the front. Holba claimed silver in Tiszaujvaros in front of a home crowd, earning a well-deserved podium finish. After a quiet August without a Junior Cup race, the Hungarian will be hoping the break has allowed him to prepare for a strong return in Ireland.
His fellow Hungarian András Szűcs went one step further in Tiszaujvaros, claiming gold. Like Holba, Szűcs has not raced during August and will be hoping to begin September in winning fashion.
New Zealand’s Connor Kemp will make his first European appearance of the season in Derry. Kemp is still searching for his first Junior Cup podium, and the Derry course could provide the opportunity he needs to make that breakthrough.
Norway’s Andreas Birkeland will also arrive with a recent international race under his belt after finishing 12th at last weekend’s Nordic Championships. That result will give Birkeland further motivation as he looks to improve on his performance in Ireland.
Ireland will be well represented in the Junior Men’s field, with 10 athletes set to race in the national colours.
Pearse Gallagher and Evan Tosh lead the home challenge, starting with bib numbers eight and 11 respectively. Both will be hoping the support of the home crowd can provide the extra motivation needed to challenge for a podium finish.
Gallagher comes into the race with confidence after finishing fourth at the Irish Championships in July. Having narrowly missed out on the medals, he will be determined to go one step further in Derry.
Eoin Mulkerrins, Sean Cooke and Matthew McKenna will all make their international debuts, providing the Irish trio with an opportunity to gain valuable experience on the international stage.
Hungary will also have a strong presence in the field, with Levente Szabó looking to add to his medal tally after claiming silver in Tábor earlier this season.
Great Britain brings eight athletes to Derry, with Daniel Hendry, Jamie Lonergan, Tristan Robin and Oscar Chirnside all set to make their international debuts. The proximity of Derry to Great Britain could work in their favour, giving the British athletes an opportunity to perform in familiar surroundings while gaining their first taste of international Junior Cup competition.
Junior Women
The Junior Women’s race will see five Irish athletes take to the start line, with Hannah Kennedy carrying the highest Irish start number in bib five.
Hungary’s Korinna Katona takes the number-one bib. Katona last raced in Táta, where she finished sixth in the Elite race, while her most recent Junior Cup appearance came in Tiszaujvaros, where she narrowly missed out on the podium with a fourth-place finish. She will be looking to turn that near miss into a medal in Derry.
New Zealand’s Indie Williams starts with bib number two, while fellow Kiwis Hayley Cornwall and Charlotte Chiles will line up in bibs three and four.
Cornwall arrives with a Junior Cup medal already secured this season, having claimed silver in Holten. That was her most recent race, meaning she has spent around two months away from competition. She will be hoping the extended break has left her fresh and ready to challenge for another strong result in Derry.
Great Britain’s Darcy Gladwell leads the British challenge, with Anna Patterson, Lucy Jones and Hollie Lewis also set to compete.
The smaller fields in the Junior races create a valuable opportunity for debutants and younger athletes to step into the spotlight. With established medal contenders alongside athletes competing internationally for the first time, Derry could provide the perfect stage for the next generation of triathlon talent to make their breakthrough.
Elite start lists can eb found here.
Junior start list can be found here.
Live timings can be found here.