Challenge Taiwan, live.

A huge triathlon weekend on the Pacific coast

Challenge Taiwan brings thousands of triathletes to Taitung on the east coast of Taiwan for a weekend of racing on 24 and 25 April 2027.

Challenge Family calls it the world's biggest triathlon, with more than 10,000 athletes over the weekend, and the race's own site speaks of over 7,000 athletes gathering in Taitung each year. Entries have sold out in hours, and the expo is one of the largest in the sport.

Saturday 24 April is long distance day. The 226 km full distance is 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km on the bike and a 42.2 km marathon, and the 113 km half covers 1.9 km, 90 km and 21.1 km. The swim is two laps of a spring fed reservoir with clear water and a pontoon start. The bike leaves town over the Zhonghua bridge, reaches the coast near Xiaoyeliu and rolls north along the Pacific through Doulan, with the Carp Mountains inland, on an undulating course of two laps.

Sunday brings the shorter races: the 51.5 km Olympic distance of 1.5 km, 40 km and 10 km, and the 25.75 km sprint of 750 m, 20 km and 5 km. The run combines the cultural heart of Taitung city with Pipa Lake Park, the surrounding rice fields and orchards and the ocean promenade.

Expect warm conditions, with average air temperature around 26 degrees and water around 25. The reservoir is easy to watch from the shore, and Tie Hua Village in downtown Taitung, filled with colour, music and hot air balloon lanterns, is the place to be for the atmosphere.

Livebib lets you follow an athlete who decides to share their own live position from the phone they carry on course. The dot on the map is that person's own sharing, not the organiser's timing, and official results are published by the organiser.