Challenge Barcelona Triatló 2026: Smith and Nielsen win

Challenge Barcelona Triatló 2026 took place in Barcelona on Sunday 25 October, with Kyle Smith and Anastacia Damm Nielsen winning the professional middle-distance races. The New Zealander won in 3:30:39 and the Dane crossed the finish line in 4:00:59.

More than 4,000 athletes took part across the different events during the weekend. The competition was held in sunshine and calm seas.

Smith takes control on the bike

Smith was among the first out of the water and took the lead in the opening kilometres of the bike leg. He recorded the fastest split of the segment in 1:50:42 and reached the second transition more than five minutes clear.

The New Zealander maintained a comfortable enough lead on the run. Switzerland’s Sven Oliver Thalmann moved up to second with the fastest half-marathon split of 1:07:10, while Germany’s Jannik Schaufler completed the podium.

José Ignacio Gálvez Ponce finished fourth, 42 seconds behind third place. France’s Keran Gallou was fifth.

• 1. Kyle Smith: 3:30:39
• 2. Sven Oliver Thalmann: 3:35:01
• 3. Jannik Schaufler: 3:35:40
• 4. José Ignacio Gálvez Ponce: 3:36:22
• 5. Keran Gallou: 3:37:40
• 6. Pol Le Bot: 3:39:24
• 7. Thomas Teofili: 3:39:35
• 8. Pierre Moraz: 3:39:46
• 9. Mathieu Merland: 3:40:03
• 10. Lilian Pierre: 3:40:10

Nielsen beats Bernardi by five seconds

The women’s race was decided in the closing metres. Anastacia Damm Nielsen won by five seconds from Italy’s Marta Bernardi, who recorded the fastest run split in 1:17:42.

María Vilas Vidal had set the fastest swim time of 26:50 and stayed in the leading group during the bike leg. Nielsen had a problem with her bike chain, which she quickly fixed. Vilas fell at the dismount line but was able to continue.

Germany’s Katharina Krüger passed Vilas in the final kilometres to complete the podium. The Spaniard finished fourth and Sofía Aguayo Mauri was eighth.

• 1. Anastacia Damm Nielsen: 4:00:59
• 2. Marta Bernardi: 4:01:04
• 3. Katharina Krüger: 4:07:28
• 4. María Vilas Vidal: 4:08:10
• 5. Carolin Meyer: 4:09:56
• 6. Sarah-Jane Goodwin: 4:11:16
• 7. Maela Moison: 4:12:21
• 8. Sofía Aguayo Mauri: 4:12:38
• 9. Lydia Dant: 4:13:06
• 10. Eva Marsac: 4:13:32

More Spanish results

In the men’s standings, Aimar Murua Poza finished 16th in 3:42:36. Francisco Javier Pelegrín Martínez was 23rd in 3:44:52 and Sergio López Santamaría finished 27th in 3:47:31.

More about the race on the Challenge Barcelona Triatló page.