Sparkassen Kanal Triathlon 2026

Sparkassen Kanal Triathlon is a sprint triathlon in Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein, built almost entirely around the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal. Athletes swim 500 metres in the canal, then ride 25 km and run 5 km along it, for a total of 30.5 km. The event is organised by SG Athletico Büdelsdorf and offers individual starts, age-group racing, Jedermann entries, and relays, so it suits club athletes as well as people trying a short triathlon with friends. The start and transition area sit at Kreishafen, while the finish is under the Rendsburg railway high bridge, one of the clearest landmarks on the route. The race grew out of what organisers call a “crazy idea” and now sits inside a larger endurance weekend that also includes the world’s toughest rowing race. Around 200 athletes are expected for the sprint distance, and finishers are greeted at the NDR stage by presenters Maike Jäger and Peter Poppe. The whole setup sounds more like a direct, local endurance day by the canal than a polished big-city sports show.