The 17th XTERRA European Championship will take place June 19-21, 2026, bringing Elite, Age Group, Youth, and Short Track competition to Lake Molveno for three days of off-road triathlon beneath the Brenta Dolomites.
The XTERRA European Championship continues its rotation through Europe, following recent editions in Namur, Belgium in 2023, Prachatice, Czech Republic in 2024, and Zittau, Germany in 2025. In 2026, Molveno takes on a new role within the XTERRA World Tour. After four years as host of the XTERRA World Championship, the venue now becomes the centre of European championship racing, while the XTERRA World Championship moves to Ruidoso, New Mexico for its 30th anniversary.
The weekend will award European titles across Elite, Age Group, and Youth divisions, with 56 XTERRA World Championship slots, 30 Youth World Championship slots, and a €30,000 Elite prize purse. The Elite Full Distance race will also carry World Cup points, and with Short Track scheduled one day later, Molveno becomes a high-value weekend for the pro field, offering points across both formats at the same stop.
Participation Across All Ages
With a strong home presence, Italy leads the list of participants, followed by major European contingents from France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Austria.
The event also brings wider European depth, with athletes from the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia, Croatia, Finland, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Hungary.
Beyond Europe, athletes from the United States, Brazil, South Africa, and French Polynesia add to the international makeup in Molveno. One of the clearest early signals comes from the youngest side of the roster, with athletes aged 19 and under currently forming the largest registration group when compared against each decade-based age range, pointing to the strength of XTERRA Youth Tour, with the next-generation competing alongside Elite and Age Group athletes.
European Titles, Proven Venue
The XTERRA European Championship was first introduced in 2006 at XTERRA Italy in Villacidro, Sardinia, where Nicolas Lebrun of France and Renata Bucher of Switzerland claimed the inaugural titles. The championship later moved through multiple formats, including European Tour points from 2012 to 2014, before returning to a stand-alone title race, and the modern editions have continued to bring the strongest athletes in the region into the same field.
Felix Forissier and Loanne Duvoisin won the 2023 European Championship in Belgium. Arthur Serrières and Solenne Billouin claimed the 2024 titles in the Czech Republic. Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen and Billouin took the 2025 Elite titles, while Youth European Champions were crowned across all three youth divisions for the first time. The 2026 edition now returns the title race to Italy, with Molveno offering a course already familiar to many of the sport’s top athletes.
Felix Forissier says the depth of the field is part of what gives the race its value, with the European Championship “always extremely competitive” and the level of athletes “motivating.” Arthur Forissier, frames it as one of the main dates on the calendar, calling it “a big moment and a race I don’t want to miss,” while also pointing to the wider XTERRA atmosphere created by “a lot of athletes and family.”
That scale carries across the field. Kerri-Ann Upham says that, as the European Championship, the race “attracts the sport’s biggest names,” making it “the ultimate test before Worlds” with “high stakes, big crowds, and the perfect stage to go all-in.”
From the age group side, Carole Perrot connects the draw of XTERRA to discovering “new destinations and very natural trails,” adding that “the level is high” and that it is “very motivating to run in such a big atmosphere.” Julian Anguera brings the youth community into focus, describing it simply as “a major event” for cross-triathlon.
Molveno Course Demands
The Full Distance Triathlon on June 20 will cover a 1.5K swim, 32K mountain bike, and 10K trail run, with Elite, Age Group, and championship titles tied to the same terrain that has helped shape Molveno’s reputation in recent seasons. The Sprint Triathlon, also on June 20, will cover a 750m swim, 16K bike, and 5K run, while June 21 brings the Super Sprint Triathlon over 400m, 8K, and 2.7K, alongside Short Track on a 0.4K swim, 8K bike, and 3K run course.
Molveno’s course identity comes from the way the setting and the racing demands are locked together. Lake Molveno sits below the Brenta Dolomites, but the race quickly moves from the water into climbing, descending, technical mountain biking, and a run course that changes rhythm throughout. Renell Brennan calls it “proper mountain biking,” pointing to the upper lake section, the downhill drop into the infamous Blade Runner descent, and terrain that is “switchbacky and jungly,” before bringing the race back to the people around it by saying the community is one of the main reasons she keeps coming back.
Arthur Serrières describes Molveno as “a bit of everything but the hard way,” with a crowded swim, a bike course that is “literally a big climb and a downhill,” and a run that moves through “flat, up, down, turns.” Felix Forissier says, “For me, the biggest challenge is the running segment; in Molveno, it’s an extremely demanding part of the race that leaves no room for any weak moments,” he adds that managing effort is central because “victory doesn’t always go to the strongest, but often to the smartest.”
Marta Menditto gives the most specific description of the bike-run combination, calling Molveno “a really specific race” with almost 40 minutes of uphill twice without stopping, a bike course she likes, and a run that has “flat parts, muddy parts, uphills, technical sections.”
The course will influence the titles, but the setting remains central to the identity of the race. Marianne Mendiara says “the mountains, landscape around the lake” make the experience feel special, while Ulrika Eriksson of Sweden describes it as “the perfect adventure” in “a magnificent and beautiful environment.”
In June, with the European Championship positioned around Lake Molveno rather than at the end of the global season, the venue takes on a different attitude: still demanding, still technical, but set inside a warmer championship weekend built around the race village, the lakefront, and a full schedule of racing and community events.
Elite Racing and World Cup Points
The Elite Full Distance race will crown the 2026 XTERRA European Champions while also contributing to the World Cup standings. This gives the pro field a major points opportunity while bringing together the pressure of a championship and the strategic weight of the season-long standings.
Short Track follows on June 21, with the women scheduled for 14:00 CEST (12:00 UTC) and the men at 15:00 CEST (13:00 UTC). The format gives the Elite field a second race opportunity on the same weekend, condensing the action into a spectator-friendly course around the race village where moves come quickly and the gaps can change across every transition.
Age Group Titles and Global Reach
The Age Group race remains one of the central parts of the European Championship weekend. The same Full Distance course brings age groupers through Lake Molveno, giving the full field the same core experience across one of XTERRA’s most established venues.
The weekend also extends beyond the Full Distance race. The 7K Sunset Run opens competition on June 19, followed by the Full Distance and Sprint Triathlon on June 20. June 21 brings the Super Sprint, Short Track, and Kids Races.. Around the racing, the schedule includes the XTERRA Pop-Up Store, XTERRA Sunset Aperitivo, community swim, ride and run clinics, yoga sessions, awards ceremony and dinner by the lake, light and water projection shows, and the legendary after party Molveno is known for providing.
Youth Racing and the Next Generation
Youth racing will carry significant weight in Molveno, with 30 Youth World Championship slots available for Ruidoso, New Mexico. The pathway includes Youth A, Youth B, and Junior athletes from ages 14-19.
Minna Li Mäesepp of Estonia, says the draw of XTERRA is tied to both the racing and the environment around it. She feels that XTERRA is fun “because of the nature and the community,” and while she is also training for World Triathlon races, “the people and the atmosphere” are what make XTERRA feel special. Her goals are competitive, but not limited to results. “Of course I’d love to be on the podium, but for me it’s also about the experience,” she said, adding that she liked the course in Molveno because it was “fun, challenging” and worth returning to.
Her brother Maru Mäesepp connects the preparation to time outside, saying he enjoys training in the forests at home, especially in summer when the weather is good, because “it’s a great place to prepare and spend time outside.” From meeting new friends to seeing familiar competitors again, returning to Molveno gives him a clearer sense of the experience and what to expect.
A Wild Weekend by the Lake
The 2026 XTERRA European Championship gives Molveno a different role in the season. It remains a title venue, but the June date places the racing inside a summer weekend built around Lake Molveno, under the Brenta Dolomites.
The 7K Sunset Run opens the festivities on June 19, followed by the Full Distance and Sprint Triathlon on June 20. June 21 brings the Super Sprint, Short Track, and Kids Races.. The atmosphere and schedule also include the XTERRA Pop-Up Store, XTERRA Sunset Aperitivo, community swim, ride and run clinics, yoga sessions, awards ceremony and dinner by the lake, light and water projection shows, and the legendary after party Molveno is known for providing.
Watch and Follow
XTERRA Europe on Instagram is the home for highlights, behind-the-scenes updates, and coverage from Lake Molveno and its surrounding course.
For the pro field, Molveno is also a key stop in the XTERRA World Cup. Current rankings, race details, and World Cup updates are available on the XTERRA World Cup page.
Full event details, including the athlete guide, start list, schedule, course maps, activities, and additional information, are available on the official XTERRA European Championship event page.
