Calahorra hosts 1.400 athletes at the 2026 Spanish Cross Country Championships
Calahorra will host 1.400 athletes on July 25 and 26 for the 2026 Spanish Cross Duathlon, Aquathlon and Cross Triathlon Championships.
The town in La Rioja will host three national championships during a weekend that will also serve as a rehearsal for the 2027 European Cross Duathlon and Cross Triathlon Championships , which will be held in the same venue.
The competitions will primarily take place at the El Perdiguero reservoir , the banks of the Cidacos River, and the Cidacos Park. The results will also be important for Spanish athletes seeking to qualify for next year's continental championship.
Program of the Spanish Championships in Calahorra
The program will begin on Saturday, July 25th with the Spanish Cross Duathlon Championship and continue in the afternoon with the Aquathlon. The Cross Triathlon will close the competition on Sunday, July 26th.
| Competition | Date | Elite outings |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish Duathlon Cros Championship | Saturday 25 July | 11:30 am for men and 11:35 am for women |
| Aquathlon Spanish Championship | Saturday 25 July | 18:00 am for men and 18:10 am for women |
| Spanish Championship of Triathlon Cros | Sunday July 26 | 11:00 am for men and 11:05 am for women |
More than 360 participants in the Cross Duathlon
The Spanish Cross Duathlon Championship will open the competition from 10:00 am and will have more than 360 participants.
The elite, junior and age group categories will face a first running race of 5,8 kilometers , divided into two laps, followed by 24,4 kilometers of mountain biking in a single lap and a final running segment of 2,9 kilometers.
One of the new features will be the cycling course. The circuit for the elite and age groups will have a single lap and will be more demanding and technical , following the configuration planned for the 2027 European Championships.
The Aquathlon will link El Perdiguero and the Cidacos park
The Spanish Aquathlon Championship will begin on Saturday at 17:00 PM with the junior category races. The elite men's and women's races will start at 18:00 PM and 18:10 PM, respectively.
The route will consist of a 1.000-meter swim in the El Perdiguero reservoir and a 5-kilometer run to the Cidacos park.
In the previous edition, Ana Carballo and Vicente Hernández won the 2025 National Aquathlon titles.
The Cross Triathlon will close the weekend
Sunday will see the Spanish Cross Triathlon Championship, with the first races starting at 10:00 AM. The elite men's and women's races are scheduled for 11:00 AM and 11:05 AM, respectively.
The elite, junior and age group categories will have to complete 1.000 meters of swimming , 19,7 kilometers of mountain biking in one lap and 5,8 kilometers of running divided into two laps.
Elsa Pena and Vicente Hernández won the 2025 Spanish Cross Triathlon Championship , also held between the El Perdiguero reservoir and the Cidacos park.
A rehearsal for the 2027 European Championships
The 2026 edition will allow testing of the routes, organization and some of the services planned for the 2027 European Cross Duathlon and Cross Triathlon Championships.
Calahorra was chosen as the continental venue after its experience in 2025, when it hosted the same series of national championships. That weekend was capped off with victories for Eva María Sánchez and Fernando Carmona in the Spanish Cross Duathlon Championship.
The 2026 event will decide three national titles and will offer an initial competitive benchmark for the courses that will be used in the 2027 European Championships in Calahorra.
This content has been created with the support of AI tools and reviewed by the Triathlon News editorial team.
