The Challenge Family global series of long distance triathlons today announced a partnership with the European Triathlon Union (ETU) that will see Challenge Kraichgau and Challenge Roth host the Half Distance European Championships and Long Distance European Championships respectively, in 2012.

Challenge Kraichgau (10 June 2012) is Europe’s largest half iron distance event and will host the Championships for Elite and Age Group athletes. Challenge Roth (8 July 2012) is renowned as the home of European Triathlon and is the largest iron distance race in the world. Roth will host the Championships for both Elite and Age Group athletes.

ETU’s Eugene Kraus and Denis Jaeger said the proven quality of Challenge Family events ensured that the European Long Distance Championships would be delivered to a high standard. They said: “Challenge Family races are renowned for their quality and we are delighted to enter into an agreement between ETU and Challenge.”

Felix Walchshöfer, CEO of Challenge Family, is delighted to deliver the European Championships and said Challenge was looking forward to a long-term collaboration. He said: “We are extremely happy to be working closely with the ETU in delivering the European Championships in 2012.

'Europe is home to many of the world’s best long distance triathletes and linking the European Championships with Europe’s two leading long distance races, ensures they will receive the high profile they deserve.”

The President of the German Triathlon Federation (DTU), Martin Engelhardt, said he was delighted the concept of a partnership between ETU and Challenge had come to fruition. “Together with the General Secretary of the DTU, Matthias Zöll, we have talked about this topic at the European Presidential Meeting in January and now we have Germany hosting two European Championships at two of our iconic races,” he said.

“This provides us with a great opportunity to show the international triathlon community how well Germany delivers world class events.” 

Philip Schädler, ETU President, welcomes the new partnership: “At ETU we are glad to have found a well established organiser to host the Long Distance Triathlon European Championships in 2012. 

“I am happy that we can one again offer Long Distance races in Germany. and by offering two distances, we are giving our age groupers a real choice.”

These events have been added to the ETU event calendar listings; Kraichgau and Roth

Information on the individual events can also be found at www.challenge-kraichgau.com or www.challenge-roth.com respectively

For further information on the Challenge Family and its global series of 12 long distance triathlons, visit www.challenge-family.com.