Preview: 2026 Sprint National Championships at Two Provinces
The 2026 Sprint Distance National Championships return to Lanesborough, Co. Longford, this Saturday as the Two Provinces Triathlon once again hosts one of the standout events on the Triathlon Ireland calendar.
HOW WILL IT WORK?
The event features two distinct National Championship competitions. Ireland’s Sprint and Junior Sprint Distance National Champions will be crowned in the Draft-Legal Sprint Distance National Championship race, while Age Group Sprint Distance National Champions will be decided through the Triathlon National Series race.
In the Draft-legal race, the highest-finishing eligible athlete will earn the national title in Open and Female. There will not be any age group prizes in this race.
In the Triathlon National Series race, the highest-finishing eligible athlete in each age category will earn the national title. The overall winner of this race wins the Triathlon National Series round, and their age group in the 20206 Sprint Distance National Championship.
Alongside championship honours, athletes competing in the Triathlon National Series race will also be chasing valuable points as the 2026 series continues.
Athletes will take on a fast sprint-distance course consisting of a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run, with exciting racing expected throughout the day.
Who CAN win a National Championship title?
National Championship titles are open to athletes who hold a full Triathlon Ireland membership and meet the published eligibility criteria. Athletes competing under a One Day Membership (ODM) or as part of a relay team are not eligible for National Championship titles or official championship placings.
Athletes competing in both the draft-legal and Triathlon National Series events at Two Provinces Triathlon are encouraged to ensure their membership and eligibility details are up to date before race day to avoid disappointment when overall and age group championship results are finalised. More info: https://www.triathlonireland.com/events/national-championships-eligibility/
the course
That’s the technical bit done, now what will the racing look like? Always thrilling to watch, this year’s draft legal fields promise to deliver exciting racing across the Lanesboro course – with many of Ireland’s best triathletes on the start list.
The lake swim followed by a flat 20km out and back bike course, before the 5km run always provides some fast times. This course has a history of draft-legal racing, having been a regular on the Super Series scene throughout the 2010’s.
Visit the Two Provinces website for all the details here.
Draft-legal: Who's in?
The day’s draft-legal race will determine Ireland’s 2026 Sprint Distance National Champions and Junior Sprint Distance National Champions.
Racing under draft-legal rules, the championship is one of the highlights of the domestic calendar, bringing together Ireland’s leading elite and developing athletes in a fast-paced contest where every second counts. Juniors and seniors will start and race together and there is nothing stopping a junior athlete from winning the race outright, in which case that athlete will take home both the overall title, and the title of Junior Sprint National Champion
THE JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Athletes from the age of 16-19 can enter to compete for the Junior National Championship. Junior athletes will start with the draft-legal Sprint Distance National Championship open and female waves.
Provisional start list details for the draft-legal event are below.
Open start list
| First Name | Last Name |
| Mathys | Bocquet |
| Archie | Bremner |
| Sean | Carragher |
| Sam | Cooney |
| David | Coyle |
| Darren | Dillon |
| Ethan | Doherty |
| Oliver | Duffield |
| Pearse | Gallagher |
| Jose | González Merino |
| Christopher | Horgan |
| Ross | Killalea |
| Ryan | Lundy |
| Senan | Mc Donnell |
| David | McClean |
| Sean | McMahon |
| Callum | O’Neill |
| Jonathan | Oakey |
| Darragh | Reynolds |
| Evan | Tosh |
| Jude | Williams |
Female start list
| First Name | Last Name |
| Emilia | Aherne |
| Lara | Buck |
| Eve | Burns |
| Aimee | Carragher |
| Izabella | Chidlow |
| Kate | Feehan |
| Hannah | Kennedy |
| Nessa | Mangan |
| Olivia | Moore |
| Emma | O’Brien |
| Siobhan | Sheppard |
| Jemma | Speers |
| Chloe | Young |
Triathlon NAtional Series hosts a stacked field
The Triathlon National Series fields looks to be stacked with familiar names in both the female and open races. Now that we have reached the midpoint of the season, every event counts for all important series points.
qualify for tri team ireland!
Both Two Provinces Triathlon events are qualifiers to represent Ireland as an international age group athlete!
Have the chance to race at one of the below championship events:
Europe Triathlon Age Group Sprint Championships in Kitzbühel from 11-13th June 2027
World Triathlon Age Group Sprint Championships in Hamburg from 8-12th September 2027
We’ll see you in Longford!
