Challenge Almere-Amsterdam, live.

Europe's oldest long distance, below sea level

Challenge Almere-Amsterdam is a long distance triathlon in Almere in the Netherlands on 11 September 2027, billed as Europe's oldest long distance triathlon and the only course in the world below sea level.

Almere has a long history of triathlon and has hosted European Championships many times. The race is part of Challenge Family and is known for calm, sheltered water, flat and fast bike roads and a run through the city centre lined with thousands of spectators. The race directors are Richard Belderok, Jefry Visser and Jort Vlam.

The long distance is 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km on the bike and 42.2 km of running. The swim is two laps of the Weerwater, the lake in the middle of Almere that was once a sea, starting by the Kunstlinie theatre on the Esplanade and swimming counterclockwise to T1 in the Lumierepark. The bike course is two laps over open polder roads with long flat stretches and gentle turns, where the wind is the main rival. The run starts with a 900 m lap, then four laps of 10.1 km around the Weerwater, and a final 900 m to the finish on the Esplanade.

The middle distance is 1.9 km, 94 km and 21.1 km on one swim lap, one bike lap and two run laps, and the super sprint of 400 m, 9 km and 2 km is a short way into the sport. There is also an aqua bike, a junior race, kids runs and a marathon that runs alongside the final stages of the long distance. Average air temperature is around 18 degrees and the water around 19.

Schiphol airport is about 40 km away, with direct buses and trains to Almere, and the city centre run gives spectators many chances to see their athletes.

On Livebib you can follow a participant who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry during the race. That is the athlete's own sharing and not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the organiser.