Challenge Almere-Amsterdam
Almere, Netherlands · September · Challenge Family
Why people love it
- Second-oldest long-distance triathlon in the world, since 1983.
- Flat, fast course 4.5 m (15 ft) below sea level, with records of 7:36 men and 8:22 women.
- Compact city-centre venue with strong spectator access.
- Host of the European Long Distance Championship 2025 to 2028.
- Easy travel: Schiphol is about 40 km (25 mi) away.
Watch out for
- Wind is the defining factor on the bike; expect a headwind half over 180 km (112 mi).
- Water is often cool, 17-21 °C (63-70 °F).
- Lap 1 of the bike is shared with half-distance riders.
- Fog and rain risk in some years (2022).
- Cobbles and flat tires reported. Few personal blog reports exist, so ratings lean on organiser, press and one review aggregator.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 27% of the overall score.
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.1
Praised for organisation, atmosphere and speed (RaceCheck 4.7/5). Wind, exposure and a modern-city setting keep it short of a bucket-list race. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.4
Held since 1983. Reviewers cite smooth logistics, marshals policing drafting and plentiful aid. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.8
A flat, clear two-lap swim and big crowds help, but wind can make it much harder than the profile suggests. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast4.4
Course records are 7:36 men and 8:22 women. Winning times fell about 1 hour in 11 years, and wind alone cost 2014 about 10 minutes. · High confidence
- Course easeModerate3.7
Flat (about 232 m (761 ft) / 761 ft of climbing), but half of the 180 km (112 mi) ride is an exposed headwind. · Medium confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalAlmost always4.9
Wetsuits were allowed in every year checked, 17.1-20.4 °C (62.8-68.7 °F). The limit is 24.5 °C (76.1 °F). · Medium confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable4.2
Typically 17-21 °C (63-70 °F), averaging about 19 °C (66 °F). Cooler years sit at 16-18 °C (61-64 °F). · Medium confidence
- Calm waterMostly calm3.5
Sheltered urban lake, but wind-driven waves of 30-40 cm (12-16 in) were reported in gusts in past editions. · Medium confidence
- Swim easeEasy4.0
Two clearly marked 1.9 km (1.2 mi) laps that are easy to sight. Fog in 2022 made navigation hard for the leaders. · Medium confidence
- Swim experienceFine3.4
Urban lake with an Esplanade start and two clearly marked laps. Not scenic, and fog caused navigation issues in 2022. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 19% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceMixed3.2
Mostly good Dutch polder and dike roads, but athletes report cobbles, and many flat tires were noted in 2022. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.8
Marshals police drafting and the dike roads. Full closure is not confirmed in any source found. · Low confidence
- Bike sceneryPleasant2.6
Polders, dikes, windmills and a sea-side stretch. Distinctive but open and monotonous. · Medium confidence
- WindNotoriously windy1.2
Every report names wind as the defining factor: a tailwind half and a brutal sea-side headwind half, ridden twice, with North Sea gusts. · High confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedFast4.4
Pancake flat and below sea level. Records fall in calm years, but wind swings speeds enormously on the two 90.7 km (56 mi) laps. · High confidence
- Bike flatnessPancake flat4.9
Official gain is about 232 m (761 ft), well under 600 m (2,000 ft). · High confidence
- Bike simplicityStraight and simple4.5
Straight polder roads and dikes with few technical features. · Medium confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportElectric4.5
Four run loops of about 10.1 km (6.3 mi) through the centre and Esplanade. More than 40,000 spectators reported across the event. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsAbundant4.5
Reviewers describe plentiful aid and volunteers, including lap-based support on the run. · Medium confidence
- Run sceneryPleasant3.0
Modern architecture alternating with lakeside greenery. · Medium confidence
- Run conditionsEasy4.0
Flat, paved and well supported. Heat in 2023 caused marathon fades, and four laps are mentally taxing. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessFlat4.9
Flat urban lake loops with about 88 m (289 ft) of gain. · High confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Air temperaturePleasant3.8
Typical race-day air is 12-20 °C (54-68 °F). Mostly cool to comfortable, and below the 18-25 °C (64-77 °F) ideal early in the day. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.6
Rain, fog and wind in 2013, 2014 and 2022, but calm and sunny in 2015, 2023 and 2024. 2023 brought an unusual heat spell. · Medium confidence
- Venue beautyPleasant2.6
A planned modern city on reclaimed polder, 4.5 m (15 ft) below sea level. Distinctive rather than scenic. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySee them often4.5
Compact city-centre venue with repeated run sightings and an Esplanade finish. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
About 4.5 m (15 ft) below sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 11% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.8
Wide range of hotels, with Amsterdam about 25 km (16 mi) away by train as a fallback. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.4
Mid-range Dutch prices. Official packages can be non-refundable. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalk to everything4.5
The race hotel is next to the start. One reviewer found staying about 100 m (330 ft) from the finish worthwhile. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeVery easy4.8
Schiphol is about 40 km (25 mi) away with direct train and bus. Easy from the UK and the rest of Europe. · High confidence
- LogisticsSimple4.1
Start, transition and finish are all in the city centre by the Esplanade. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood3.5
A large modern city with restaurants, shops and a cinema, but less historic charm. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands
- Typical month
- September
- Latest or next date
- 11 September 2027
- Organiser
- Challenge Family
- First held
- 1983
- Distances
- 3.8 km (2.4 mi) swim, 180 km (112 mi) bike, 42.2 km (26.2 mi) run
- Swim venue
- Weerwater, Almere Stad (lake)
- Water temperature
- 17–21 °C (63–70 °F)
- Wetsuit
- Legal
- Swim laps
- 2
- Bike climbing
- 232 m (760 ft)
- Bike laps
- 2
- Run climbing
- 88 m (290 ft)
- Run laps
- 4
- Run shade
- limited, city centre and lakeside
- Air temperature
- 12–20 °C (54–68 °F)
- Humidity
- moderate, maritime
- Altitude
- -4 m (-15 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Amsterdam Schiphol, 40 km (25 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Almere Centrum / Esplanade, near Almere Centrum station
- Booking
- Official partner Tri Travel; race packages at Leonardo Hotel Almere City Center (next to start) can be non-refundable.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceCheckRaced 2018 · aggregator · Positive
Gave 4.7/5. Two-lap swim with no Aussie exit, clearly marked, and harder than the profile suggests when into the wind. Bike splits into a tailwind half and a headwind half with huge speed swings, crowded on lap one with half-distance riders, marshals penalise drafting. Praised organisation, spectators and aid; staying at the race hotel near the finish was worth it.
- Rouvy blogRaced 2022 · blog · Mixed
Athlete finished despite a hip injury that wrecked the bike. Called the sea-side stretch a brutal headwind ridden twice and found cobbles tough. The run around the lake was her favourite part thanks to aid stations, volunteers and spectators.
- SlowtwitchRaced 2022 · article · Mixed
Foggy, rainy day with headwinds. Winners reported losing bearings in the fog during the swim and struggling with wind and rain on the bike; many flat tires across the field.
- World TriathlonRaced 2014 · article · Mixed
European Championship day dominated by exposed, windy conditions; one official racer summed up the bike with one word, wind. About 2,200 athletes across distances made it the biggest triathlon held in the Netherlands.
- World TriathlonRaced 2017 · article · Positive
Preview stresses that a flat course is not an easy PB, with nowhere to hide. Highlights 40,000+ spectators, local volunteers and the below-sea-level reclaimed-land setting with start, bike and run based on the Esplanade.
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- TriRatingRaced 2015 · aggregator · Positive
Analysis of the 2015 race: calm sunny weather made the course roughly 10 minutes faster than the wet, windy 2014, almost all on the bike. Shows how swing in wind decides how fast Almere runs.
- TriRatingaggregator · Positive
Mild dry day just under 20 °C (68 °F) with some typical North Sea wind. Course records fell on the bike and overall; swim was a little slower than usual.
- Challenge FamilyRaced 2023 · article · Positive
Race report from the 2023 European Championship: unusually hot day that caused many marathon fades, record-setting men's win in 7:36. Crowd support in the closing km credited for the women's winner holding on. Organiser's piece, so favourable.
- Challenge FamilyRaced 2024 · article · Positive
Winning times dropped by around an hour between 2013 and 2024, with men's winners now under eight hours and women's near 8:22-8:30.
- Slowtwitch forumRaced 2007 · forum · Mixed
Past racers report 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) water and strongly recommend a wetsuit, with wind-driven 30–40 cm (12–16 in) waves possible in gusts. Calm race-day swims but windy day-before reported. Dated thread, 2004-2008.
- Triathlon Magazine CanadaRaced 2013 · article · Mixed
Inaugural Challenge-branded edition run in harsh weather; winners took charge on the bike and finished 8:34 / 9:24, among the slowest on record.
- Hotel summary (TripAdvisor-derived)Raced 2024 · hotel-review · Positive
Leonardo Hotel Almere City Center, the official race hotel next to the start, gets praise for friendly staff, comfy beds, a strong breakfast, lake-view rooms and station proximity. Some guests mention noise and ventilation.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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