Finland will join the international triathlon family in August 2016 when the inaugural CHALLENGE TURKU will take place in the historic city of Turku, the old capital of Finland. CHALLENGE TURKU will be a whole weekend experience filled with triathlon: Saturday 13th August will host junior and short distance races and Sunday 14th August Challenge Turku Half Distance race.
CHALLENGE TURKU is a true city race in the very heart of Turku. With guaranteed atmosphere, the race offers a fast and exciting course.
The 1.9km swim is located at the river mouth where the whole swim segment can be easily followed from the riverbanks. The river hosts many museum ships and swimming has been described like a tour in an open-air museum.
The 90km bike segment will take the athletes across the city to the highway, where the race can also be followed from the many bridges crossing the route. The 21km run course takes place along the riverbanks through the city centre where the whole community will be cheering and supporting the athletes before finishing in Varvintori Square, the epicentre of cultural and sporting events on the river front.
”Joining Challenge Family is a great honour and achievement for the race that saw its introduction first time in 2015. The race weekend exceeded all our expectations and taking this step towards the Challenge Family is a natural continuation for us,” comments Challenge Turku Race Director Heikki Jaatinen.
CHALLENGE FAMILY CEO, Zibi Szlufcik, said CHALLENGE TURKU was a welcome addition to the global triathlon series. “We now have a really strong presence in Scandinavia with races in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Denmark. Turku’s rich cultural history and astonishing natural beauty makes it a great place to race and holiday and we’re excited to have CHALLENGE TURKU as part of the CHALLENGE FAMILY.”
Timo Bracht, one of Europe’s triathlon icons commented on the race, “CHALLENGE TURKU will be a real game changer in the Finnish triathlon scene. I raced half distance in Turku last year and I was thrilled about the course and the atmosphere. I was with my family a full week in the area and we enjoyed it really well. Something unique and hard to describe is the hospitality and the level of organization. You have to discover it yourself! See you in Turku! I will be racing with you!”
Claus Vesterby, CEO of RaceMakers, the company behind all Nordic CHALLENGE FAMILY events said, “It is with great pleasure that we can be a part of such an extraordinary race in Finland and with our experience from CHALLENGE DENMARK we have great expectations for the Finnish race.”
For further information, please visit www.challengeturku.com.