The Biggest Races and Storylines to Watch This Weekend

Ironman Hamburg

One of the most exciting races this weekend is Ironman Hamburg, Europe’s first full-distance stop of the 2026 Pro Series. It’s a race that made history last year with the epic battle between Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews, while Solveig Lovseth took third with the fastest-ever rookie Ironman debut.

This women-only race also serves as the European Championship and the sixth stop on the Pro Series. A total prize purse of $87,500 USD is on offer, along with six Kona qualifying slots.

Headlining the field is Laura Philipp, who will be looking to defend last year’s title, where she also set an Ironman world record of 8:03:13 alongside an incredible 2:38:27 marathon. Philipp is no stranger to Hamburg, having won here in both 2025 and 2022. She will certainly be hearing cheers from the home crowd.

Lovseth is also returning and will be looking to continue her dominance over the full distance following her recent win at Ironman Texas. Hamburg was the race that really launched her momentum last season, as she set the rookie record of 8:12:28 before going on to win Ironman Lake Placid in course-record fashion and then claim victory in Kona on debut.

Other notable names include Marjolaine Pierré, who will be racing her first full-distance event of the season fresh off her win at Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence. Holly Lawrence will also be making her first Ironman start of the year following her season-opening race at the Spain T100, where she finished just off the podium. India Lee joins them for her first Ironman of the season.

There is also the possibility that this could be the race where a female professional triathlete breaks the eight-hour barrier for the first time in a full-distance race. Perhaps it’s a stretch given that Philipp’s record-setting performance was still three minutes shy of the mark last year, but it remains a possibility should optimal conditions and performances align.

The professional race begins at 6:15 a.m. local time (CEST) on Sunday, June 7.

Supertri Blenheim Palace

Another major event this weekend is Supertri Blenheim Palace, where a large field of professional men and women will take on some of Britain’s best athletes in a draft-legal sprint race as part of the Supertri Pro Series. The race at Blenheim Palace also serves as a stop on British Triathlon’s Super Series.

Notable names include Léonie Périault, the highest-ranked WTCS athlete on the start line, along with her compatriot Emma Lombardi. Jolien Vermeylen will also be lining up (she took her first Supertri victory in last year’s season-opener in Toronto), as will Zuzana Michaličková, who finished third at the 2026 series-opener in Austin.

Racing in front of home fans are Jess Fullagar, who opened her 2026 season with an outstanding second-place finish at the Gold Coast T100, and Olivia Mathias.

On the men’s side, notable names include Charles Paquet, the highest-ranked WTCS athlete on the start line, as well as Luke Willian and Alessio Crociani. Former Supertri E World Champion Chase McQueen and Mitch Kolkman are also on the start list alongside Britain’s Oliver Conway (who won the 2025 U23 World Championship) and Hugo Milner, who are both are chasing a place on Great Britain’s team for the LA 2028 Olympics.

Also looking for a share of the prize purse – and to challenge the short-course specialists – is Jonas Schomburg.

The professional race starts at 9:00 a.m. local time (GMT+1). The top three men and top three women will automatically qualify for the Supertri Pro Series Final, where $800,000 is on the line, the richest single-day prize purse in triathlon this year.

Also on the Radar

The other big event this weekend is the San Francisco T100 men’s race. Read our race preview here. We’ll be on the ground covering this one live.

Also happening this weekend is Jonny Brownlee’s attempt to set a new record for the Weekend Warrior Challenge by completing 10 sprint triathlons across the two-day event. No athlete has ever attempted this feat in the challenge’s history. In total, Brownlee will complete 7.5 km of swimming, 200 km of cycling, and 50 km of running while joining amateur athletes wave after wave throughout the weekend.