Ready, Set, Race: USA Triathlon Announces 2026 National Championships

October 29, 2025

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (October 29, 2025) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ — USA Triathlon today announced the dates and locations of the 2026 USA Triathlon National Championships. Made up of 12 events spanning the United States, USA Triathlon National Championships offer amateur athletes the opportunity to compete for national titles in a variety of multisport formats and qualify to represent Age Group Team USA at 2027 World Triathlon Age Group World Championships.

USA Triathlon partners with trusted local race directors across the country to host USA Triathlon National Championships, with each event selected by USA Triathlon after a thorough request for proposal, interview, and evaluation process.

USA Triathlon organizes and hosts the annual USA Triathlon Nationals, scheduled for Aug. 7-9 in Milwaukee, which includes the qualification-based Non-Draft Sprint and Olympic Distance National Championships and Paratriathlon National Championships. The event also includes the following event are not qualification based; Open Water Swim Competition, Draft-Legal Sprint Triathlon, and Draft-Legal Mixed Relay Triathlon.

The majority of other USA Triathlon National Championship events do not require qualification for age group athletes.

Information about Age Group Team USA and 2027 World Triathlon Age Group World Championship locations is available on USA Triathlon’s website here.

Below is a complete list of the 2026 USA Triathlon National Championships.

Winter National Championships

Lake Placid, N.Y. | Feb. 5-8

Collegiate Club National Championships

Gulfport, Miss. | March 26-28

Cross National Championships

Austin, Texas | April 18

Multisport National Championships Festival

South Haven, Mich. | May 13-17

Youth and Junior Cross Nationals

Pelham, Ala. | May 16

Military and First Responders National Championships

Hammond, Ind. | June 7

Long Course National Championships

East Freetown, Mass. | June 13

Youth and Junior Nationals

West Chester, Ohio | July 31 – Aug. 2

USA Triathlon Nationals

Milwaukee, Wis. | Aug. 7-9

USA Triathlon Paratriathlon National Championships

Milwaukee, Wis. | Aug. 9

Ultra National Championships

Penn Yan, N.Y. | Aug. 16

Gravel National Championships

Lincoln, Neb. | Aug. 21

The 2026 National Championships season kicks off on Feb. 5-8 in Lake Placid, New York, at the USA Triathlon Winter National Championships, hosted in partnership with the Empire State Winter Games. National Championship events include Winter Triathlon and Winter Duathlon, and athletes and spectators can enjoy over 25 other winter events during the week. Athletes who finish either the Winter Triathlon or Winter Duathlon race at 2026 Winter Nationals will qualify for the 2027 Winter World Championships.

Collegiate Club National Championships heads to Gulfport, Mississippi, on March 26-28. Hosted by CLASH Endurance, this event annually sees over 100 collegiate clubs and is known for its high-energy and fun experience. Events include Olympic-Distance, Draft-Legal Sprint, and the Mixed Relay. For more information and registration, visit the event website here.

Austin, Texas, hosts Cross National Championships on April 18, hosted in partnership with Race Revolutions. Cross Nationals features a picturesque mountain biking course with race formats including Cross Triathlon and Cross Duathlon. Athletes racing will have the opportunity to qualify for Age Group Team USA in Cross Triathlon and Cross Duathlon for the 2027 World Triathlon Multisport Championships. Learn more about Cross Nationals here.

Multisport National Championships Festival will be held in South Haven, Michigan, on May 13-17, in partnership with Tris4Health. The event is a celebration of the many formats of multisport.

Race formats include:

• Open Water Swim, presented by Synergy
• Standard Aquabike
• Super Sprint Duathlon Time Trial
• Standard Duathlon
• Super Sprint Triathlon Time Trial
• Aquathlon
• Draft-Legal Sprint Duathlon
• Draft-Legal Sprint Aquabike
• Draft-Legal Duathlon Mixed Relay
• Draft-Legal Super Sprint Triathlon
• Super Sprint Slide Triathlon & Aquathlon

More information and registration for Multisport Nationals is available here.

Youth and Junior Cross Nationals will be held in Pelham, Alabama, on May 16, hosted in partnership with XTERRA Oak Mountain. Youth and junior athletes racing will compete in two age groups: 10-15 and 16-19, with champions for each individual category. The event offers a tremendous opportunity to grow and diversify the sport of triathlon for nearly 35,000 youth mountain-biking athletes. You can learn more about the event here.

Military and First Responders National Championships will be held in conjunction with Leon’s Triathlon on June 7, in Hammond, Indiana, the fourth time for Leon’s Triathlon to host the event. Leon’s Triathlon hosted the inaugural Military and First Responders Nationals in 2021, and again in 2022 and 2025. The event honors and support the U.S. Military, Veterans and First Responders who have given their best for our country. In the Olympic distance, athletes can race in the following categories: Active Duty Military, Retired/Veteran Military, First Responder – Police, First Responder – EMS, and First Responder – Fire. The Sprint distance will include Active Duty Military, Paratriathlon Military, Retired/Veteran Military, Paratriathlon First Responder, First Responder – Police, First Responder – EMS, and First Responder – Fire. Learn more here.

Long Course National Championships heads to East Freetown, Massachusetts, on June 13 at the Patriot Half. Athletes will race for national titles and Age Group Team USA qualification in Long Course Triathlon, Long Course Duathlon and Long Course Aquabike along the rolling hills and country roads of New England. Athletes racing will have the opportunity to qualify for Age Group Team USA for the 2027 World Triathlon Multisport Championships and 2027 Long Course Duathlon Worlds Championships. Registration and information for the event is available here.

Youth and Junior Nationals heads back to West Chester, Ohio, from July 30 to Aug. 2. The event has been held in West Chester more than 10 times throughout the years and has become a fan-favorite for youth athletes and parents. Events include draft-legal races for junior athletes and non-drafting races for youth athletes, in addition to a mixed relay. The event will have dedicated categories for paratriathletes and athletes with intellectual impairments, a part of USA Triathlon’s continued efforts to increase opportunities and access for current and prospective youth athletes. More information is available here.

2026 USA Triathlon Nationals is headed back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Aug. 7-9, where the country’s best age group triathletes will compete for national titles. Qualifying races include the Olympic Triathlon and Non-Draft Sprint Triathlon. Athletes can also participate in the Open Water Swim presented by Synergy, plus two new events, the Draft-Legal Sprint Triathlon and Triathlon Mixed Relay. All three events do not require qualification. Athletes can qualify for Age Group Team USA for the 2027 World Triathlon Championship Finals in Hamburg, Germany.

Additionally, Milwaukee will host 2026 Paratriathlon National Championships, offering U.S. elite and development paratriathletes the opportunity to race for national titles and develop their paratriathlon skills at a race on home soil. More information about 2026 USA Triathlon Nationals and Paratriathlon Nationals is available here.

Ultra National Championships will head back to Penn Yan, New York, on Aug. 16, hosted in partnership with the Peasantman Steel Distance Triathlon. Athletes will race for national titles in the ultra-distance, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and a 26.2-mile run. Athletes racing will have the opportunity to qualify for the Long Distance Triathlon at 2027 World Triathlon Multisport World Championships. More information is available on the event website here.

Gravel National Championships will take place on Aug. 21 in Lincoln, Nebraska, along with the long-running Gravel Worlds cycling event. Gravel triathlon is a new, trending discipline of triathlon involving biking on gravel and dirt roads and trail running. Gravel National Championships will include both triathlon and duathlon race options, and athletes will have the opportunity to qualify for 2027 World Triathlon Multisport World Championships. Learn more at the Gravel Worlds event website.

About USA Triathlon

USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 3,500 events and races and connects with and supports more than 300,000 unique active members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

– usatriathlon.org –

CONTACT: Stephen Meyers | stephen.meyers@usatriathlon.org | 719-884-5616