CHALLENGE CANBERRA 2026

Five Reasons to Race Challenge Canberra:

Australia’s capital city, Canberra, is home to Challenge Canberra middle distance triathlon and is one of the world’s most liveable cities where you can enjoy a vibrant lifestyle, brimming with culture and art, just a stone’s throw from natural bushland. It’s also home to the most physically active community in Australia. Sport and recreational activities are a highly prized part of the lifestyle with extensive network of cycleways and footpaths make getting outdoors enjoyable and safe.

• Swim a large one lap course without having to swim over the top of people with iconic landmarks surrounding you.

• The cycle course has everything, fast, flat, climbs, undulation – it’s not called Challenge Canberra for nothing!

• You get to cycle and run in the vicinity of some of Canberra’s and Australia’s iconic and scenic landmarks such as, the National Arboretum, the Australian War Memorial, the National Museum of Australia and more.

• The run course is a beautiful scenic run through Commonwealth Park and around Central Basin of Lake Burley Griffin – running past the Captain Cook Fountain, the Carilion and more.

• Great for spectators who can watch the whole swim from the foreshore, see loved ones and team mates on the bike several times as they pass the magnificent Rond Terrace event site and then watch them several times on the run – one of the best city Challenge races in the world.

About the Local Area

Canberra is home to iconic national museums and galleries, sprawling vineyards, Australian landmarks and Ngunnawal cultural sites, sweeping city vistas, and mountain bike trails weaving through forests. Delight in a foodie wonderland with a side of world-class art, breathtaking nature and family fun all within easy reach. Take a heart-pumping hike or cycle the trails of the world’s most sustainable city. Find more than you expect in Canberra.

Canberra is the different kind of capital city – a capital brimming with culture and art just a stone’s throw from natural bushland. A capital where you’re only ever 30 minutes’ drive from the city. A capital with the most physically active community in Australia. Sport and recreational activities are a highly prized part of our lifestyle. Our extensive network of cycleways and footpaths make getting outdoors enjoyable and safe. Come explore Canberra, a gem situated inland between the cities of Sydney and Melbourne, making it a perfect weekend getaway or short break destination.

Event details and schedule

About the Race

Canberra is the Capital of Australia and is accessible from every city in Australia and only a 3 hour drive from Sydney. The airport is only 6km from the city with bundles of accommodation available and riding distance to the event site.

The Challenge Canberra middle distance triathlon course is one of the most exciting courses in Australia with iconic landmarks and a scenic course that starts in the central basin of Lake Burley Griffin, a swim course that allows for all those supporters to watch every stroke you do from start to finish.

The bike course is magnificent and challenging closed course that takes you up a nice little climb into the beautiful National Arboretum, where you might just have time to enjoy the views of Canberra as you work your way through the only technical area of the course before hitting some fast and flat roads.

And it gets even better from T2 as you head out onto a three lap 7km run along the Lake Burley Griffin foreshore while first you run through the beautiful Commonwealth Park as the path takes you around the Nerang Pond and out onto the foreshore, across Commonwealth Bridge with views of Parliament House right in front of you. The very fast and flat course will see some superfast run splits.