‍

PRACHATICE, CZECH REPUBLIC – XTERRA, the pioneer of off-road triathlon since 1996 and the driving force behind the global growth of cross-triathlon, announces that XTERRA Czech, the oldest active XTERRA event in the world, has been officially sanctioned by Europe Triathlon to host the 2025 Europe Triathlon Cross Championships. 

‍

This marks a continuation of a successful partnership established in 2021, when XTERRA Trentino served as the shared venue for the Europe Triathlon Cross Triathlon Championship where it was awarded as the "Best Race" at Europe Triathlon’s Presidents Conference in La Nuncia, Spain. 

‍

Set to take place from August 7-9, 2025, in the historic town of Prachatice, Czech Republic, this milestone event will coincide with the 6th stop of the 2025 XTERRA World Cup series, an eight-stop circuit where elite athletes battle for valuable points on the world stage. XTERRA Czech will also include four Europe Triathlon sanctioned championship events as part of the ten competitions taking place over the weekend across various age groups from the Cross Duathlon, Junior Cross Duathlon, Cross Triathlon and Junior Cross Triathlon. 

‍

‍

Europe Triathlon President Renato Bertrandi stated, “Europe Triathlon is really happy to confirm that the 2025 European Championship of Cross Triathlon and Duathlon will take place in collaboration with XTERRA. I am sure that the 2025 edition, which will take place in Prachatice, a beautiful small town close to the Austrian/German border, will be a great success. The Czech Federation has over the years built an excellent relationship with Europe Triathlon and is supporting the event. I want to thank the President, Antonin Bauer, and the whole Board for their support. I warmly invite all the athletes passionate about this discipline to be part of this European Championship.”

‍

Antonín Bauer, President of the Czech Triathlon Association shared the enthusiasm saying: “I am very happy that the Czech Republic and the Czech Triathlon Association have the honor of hosting another world-class triathlon event this year - the European Championships in cross triathlon and duathlon, which will take place in the beautiful surroundings of the South Bohemian town of Prachatice.”

‍

‍

The Europe Triathlon Cross Duathlon Championship and the Europe Triathlon Cross Triathlon Championship titles will be awarded exclusively to European athletes in their respective races. However, XTERRA welcomes elite and age-group athletes from around the world to compete, representing their home nations on the same legendary course that has been integral to the XTERRA World Tour since 2002. For the Junior Cross Duathlon Championship, only European athletes aged 18-19 will be eligible for the official Europe Triathlon title, but the race remains open to international youth participants. 

‍

Additionally, XTERRA Czech plays a vital role in the second season of the XTERRA Youth Tour, providing qualifying opportunities for young athletes on the path to the XTERRA Youth World Championship. The Youth A Cross Triathlon event will serve as a qualifier for the XTERRA Youth World Championship as part of its Super Sprint Triathlon. The Youth B and Junior-level athletes will compete in the Sprint Triathlon where European competitors will also vie for the title of Europe Triathlon Junior Cross Triathlon Champion.

‍

‍

XTERRA invites participants to visit the official XTERRA Czech event page for details on the four Europe Triathlon sanctioned races included in the full four-day schedule, highlighting course descriptions and official start times. The event will feature opening ceremonies, live music, food trucks, Red Bull pilot Martin Šonka flying overhead, four massive LED screens, daily free yoga sessions, and a vibrant afterparty with DJs. Family-friendly activities, including kids' races and games, will run throughout the four-day festival. 

‍

On the final day, the spotlight will be on the XTERRA Short Track Triathlon, a made-for-TV event broadcast globally on XTERRA’s YouTube Channel. This race carries special significance, returning to the town where Short Track was first invented. With Prachatice, a town of just over 11,000 people, welcoming up to 3,000 spectators in The Great Square, the atmosphere promises to be electric.

‍

‍

“We are excited to bring world-class racing to Prachatice, with triathlons and duathlons set in an incredible venue,” said Michal Pilousek Jr., the second generation of Pilousek family race directors in XTERRA Czech’s 23-year history. “These courses are what make this event famous,” Pilousek continued. “From the point-to-point bike section that winds through old panel roads built for tanks in the 1960s, to forested sections of the Golden Salt Path, and slick singletrack through Šumava National Park. Riders will take on fast gravel roads, rolling fields, old natural trails, and a newly built bike park above Prachatice. The run loop is a unique blend of narrow cobblestone streets in the historic old town and steep singletrack trails on the hills of Černá Hora.”

‍

“XTERRA is always one of the biggest events in our calendar, and we hope all the athletes will enjoy staying in our beautiful town,” added Jan Bauer, the mayor of Prachatice.

‍

‍

The world’s top Czech XTERRA athlete, Aneta Grabmüller (CZE), currently ranked 5th in the WPI rankings, added, “I am beyond excited to race Europe Triathlon’s European Championship on home soil! Prachatice is the perfect location for cross triathlon, and I am so excited to be part of it!” Prachatice has hosted some of the sport’s greatest legends, including Conrad Stoltz (ZAF), Melanie McQuaid (CAN), Jamie Whitmore (USA), and Helena Karásková Erbenová (CZE), who have all left their mark on this historic event.

‍

In a season packed with world-class elite and age grouper competition, XTERRA recently announced that the XTERRA European Championship will take place one week after the XTERRA Czech event, on August 15, 2025, in Zittau, Germany. This back-to-back weekend of championships offers an extended opportunity for Europe’s top off-road triathletes to display their skills on two of the continent’s most iconic courses.