Harry Palmer and Caroline Pohle win The Championship 2026 with Marta Sánchez fifth
Harry Palmer and Caroline Pohle won The Championship 2026 in Šamorín, on a day marked by the heat, exhaustion and a remarkable fifth position for Marta Sánchez.
The Championship It is the major international middle-distance event of Challenge Family, contested in the vicinity of Šamorín's x-bionic sphere, in Slovakia, over 1,9 km of swimming, 90 km of cycling and 21,1 km of running.
The 2026 edition brought together approximately 2.400 participants between professionals and age groups, with a very open elite race in both the men's and women's categories. The temperature rose throughout the morning, approaching 30 degrees, a factor that ended up being decisive in the final half marathon.
Harry Palmer overtakes Valdemar Solok in the running race
The men's race began with Hannes Butters He took the lead after the swim. The German emerged from the water in 21:46, ahead of a very compact group that included several of the names expected to fight for the podium.
The key move came right at the start of the cycling. Valdemar SolockThe recent winner of Challenge Cesenatico took the lead in the opening kilometers and opened up a gap that grew throughout the 90 kilometers. The Dane rode solo, maintaining very high speeds and building a lead that exceeded three minutes before T2.
Behind them, the chasing group was stretched out. It included Henry Rappo, Harry palmer, Kieran Lindars y Jannik Schauflerwhile some of the previous favorites, such as Will draper y Frederic FunkThey had to row from further back after a difficult swim.
Solok reached the second transition with a lead of nearly three minutes, but the run completely changed the scenario. Harry palmer He started to close the gap from the first sector and reduced the difference lap by lap.
With the heat intensifying and the pace dropping at the front, Palmer remained calm and caught Solok in the final stages. The Briton then rode solo to take the victory. 3:31:55Solok was second with 3:32:29 y Will draper He completed the podium after a great comeback in the half marathon.
Top 10 men's The Championship 2026
| Pos | Triathlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry palmer | GBR | 3:31:55 |
| 2 | Valdemar Solock | THE | 3:32:29 |
| 3 | Will draper | GBR | 3:33:59 |
| 4 | Henry Rappo | EST | 3:34:54 |
| 5 | Jannik Schaufler | GER | 3:35:10 |
| 6 | Florian Angert | GER | 3:35:45 |
| 7 | Frederic Funk | GER | 3:35:54 |
| 8 | James Teagle | GBR | 3:36:29 |
| 9 | Kieran Lindars | GBR | 3:36:37 |
| 10 | ognjen stojanovic | SRB | 3:37:00 |
Caroline Pohle wins after coming from behind and withstanding the heat
In the women's category, swimming left Sophie Green leading with a time of 23:20, accompanied very closely by Lena Meissner y Marta SanchezThe Spanish rider started in the leading group and remained in contention for the top positions from the beginning.
Caroline Pohle She had to change her race plan early on. The German later admitted to a worse swim than expected and exited the water 42 seconds behind the leader, a gap that forced her to take risks from the very first kilometers of the cycling leg.
The reaction was immediate. Pohle attacked on the bike and managed to catch up with the leaders, where Lena MeissnerMeissner, a fellow countrywoman and teammate, tried to keep up with her for a few kilometers. Meissner eventually dropped back to avoid paying the price later, and Pohle took advantage of the moment to open up a lead of nearly three minutes.
The final half marathon made the race tougher again. With the heat already approaching... 30 degreesPohle felt the effects of her initial effort, and Meissner began to close the gap in the first few kilometers. The advantage shrank, but the leader maintained control in the decisive part.
They also made progress behind them Katrine Græsbøll ChristensenThe Dane, who had also not been satisfied with her performance in the swimming portion, gradually climbed the ranks, first in the cycling segment and then in the running segment, until she reached podium positions.
The victory had special significance for Caroline PohleAfter finishing second in The Championship and suffering a near-finishing collapse in a later edition, the German rider managed to close out the race and win this time. 3:55:39.
Lena Meissner Germany completed the one-two finish with second place in 3:57:11While Katrine Græsbøll Christensen she finished third in 3:58:32.
Marta Sánchez, fifth after fighting for the podium
Marta Sanchez She delivered another solid performance in the middle distance. The Spanish triathlete led from the swim, remained in podium contention for much of the race, and entered the final kilometers fighting for a top-five finish.
In the final part, Elisabetta Curridori She overtook Sánchez and secured fourth place. The Spaniard finished fifth with a time of 4:02:21, 6:43 behind Pohle, confirming his consistency in a demanding race with a high international level.
Women's Top 10 The Championship 2026
| Pos | Triathlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caroline Pohle | GER | 3:55:39 |
| 2 | Lena Meissner | GER | 3:57:11 |
| 3 | Katrine Græsbøll Christensen | THE | 3:58:32 |
| 4 | Elisabetta Curridori | ITA | 4:01:43 |
| 5 | Marta Sanchez Hernandez | ESP | 4:02:21 |
| 6 | Francesca Crestani | ITA | 4:03:45 |
| 7 | Justine Guérard | From | 4:06:34 |
| 8 | brooke gillies | GBR | 4:09:11 |
| 9 | Megan McDonald | GBR | 4:10:43 |
| 10 | Jasmine Brown | AUS | 4:11:29 |
With these results, The Championship 2026 He left two heavyweight victories for Harry palmer y Caroline Pohle, in addition to another outstanding performance by Marta Sanchez on the international middle-distance circuit.
