The "World's Biggest Tri" takes place in the heart of Hamburg. With around 20,000 participants and 300,000 spectators, the spectacular sporting event is the biggest triathlon in the world and attracts both professional and amateur athletes to the Hanseatic city every year.
1.5 kilometres of swimming, 40 kilometres of cycling, 10 kilometres of running - some people break into a sweat just thinking about each individual discipline. But for triathletes, it's the combination of the three sports that makes it so appealing. The professionals among them are in Hamburg on the hunt for important points for the world championship title, because the Hanseatic city is one of the eight stops of the ITU World Triathlon Series, which runs around the globe from March to September.
"The World's Biggest Tri"
But it's not just the top athletes who can jump into the Binnenalster at Jungfernstieg this weekend: Recreational athletes can also compete in the "Everyman" races in the Olympic distance, the shorter sprint distance (500 metres swim, 22 kilometres bike, 5 kilometres run) or as a relay. What they have in common with the professional athletes is not only the sporting ambition but also the unique experience of swimming in the Alster, cycling along the wide streets through the most beautiful city in the world and crossing the finish line in front of an enthusiastic audience at the Rathausmarkt - if that is not motivation for top sporting performances! There is also the famous party mile, the Reeperbahn, to see on the way, so it is difficult to differentiate whether the sights or the triathlon itself is the highlight. The spectators are the crowning glory and perform at their best every year at the world's biggest triathlon.
