For the twelfth consecutive year, Ayia Napa is preparing to welcome one of the most important sporting institutions in the region, the international "Ayia Napa Triathlon 2026", which will take place on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
The event, which has now been established as an important sports tourism event for Cyprus, attracts athletes from dozens of countries every year, enhancing the region's visibility in the international sports and tourism arena.
The race is organized by the Municipality of Ayia Napa (Municipal District of Ayia Napa) in collaboration with Nireas Triathlon and this year is expected to attract a record number of participants, exceeding 400 athletes from more than 30 countries.
The start of the races will be at 08:00 a.m. from Nissi Beach, with the competition program including the three main events of the triathlon – swimming, cycling and running – and concluding at approximately 14:00.
The event program includes three main categories of competitions:
• Middle Distance Triathlon: 1.9 km swim – 90 km bike ride – 21 km run
• Triathlon (Olympic Distance): 1.5 km swimming – 40 km cycling – 10 km running
• Sprint Triathlon: 0.75 km swim – 23 km bike ride – 5 km run
The starts of the races will take place sequentially as follows:
• 07:30 – Middle Distance
• 08:00 – Olympic Distance
• 08:20 – Sprint Distance
The awards for the Triathlon and Sprint Triathlon will take place at 12:30, while for the Middle Distance at 14:30, at the Nissi Beach Resort Taverna.
For the purposes of safe conduct of the race, traffic regulations will be applied to parts of the road network of Ayia Napa. Specifically, the cycling route includes Nissi Avenue, from the height of Nissi Beach Resort Taverna to the Asprovounou area and then through Tefkrou Anthia and Michail Kasialou streets to the Police roundabout. Subsequently, the route will continue along Kavo Gkreko Avenue and Protaras Avenue until the turn towards the Grecian Park Hotel roundabout and then on Kavo Gkreko Street until the exit to Protaras Avenue.
The run will take place on the cycle path, from Nissi Beach Resort Taverna to Agia Thekla. The section of the route from the Police roundabout, on Kavo Gkreko Avenue and Protaras Avenue to the turn towards the Grecian Park roundabout, as well as Kavo Gkreko Street to the exit towards Protaras Avenue, will be completely closed to traffic, except in cases of emergency. Communication between Ayia Napa and Protaras will be carried out only via Paralimni.
On the remaining part of the route and especially at the roundabouts, due to the passage of cycling and running athletes, traffic should be conducted with the utmost caution and in compliance with the instructions of the Police, the race judges and the relevant signage.
As part of this year's event, open water swimming competitions will be held for the first time on Saturday, March 21st at Nissi Beach. The competitions will include distances of 2,5 and 5 kilometers, starting at 10:00 in the morning, enriching the program of the event and offering a new experience to swimming fans.
In his statements, Mayor Christos Zannetou underlined the importance of the event for the region, noting that "hosting the Ayia Napa Triathlon for the twelfth consecutive year confirms the important role of Ayia Napa in sports tourism and highlights the potential of our place to host high-level international sports events."
At the same time, he emphasized that holding the event sends an important message abroad.
As he stated, "the holding of such an important international sporting event also sends a clear message that Ayia Napa and Cyprus in general are safe and reliable destinations for athletes and visitors from all over the world."
The Municipality of Ayia Napa calls on the public to show understanding and cooperation, contributing to the safe and successful holding of an event that promotes the region internationally and significantly strengthens sports tourism on the island.
For more information about the race, the program and entries, the public can visit the official website of the event: www.ayianapatriathlon.com.
