Blummenfelt and Iden Confirmed for Challenge Xiamen on 7 November
Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden will race Challenge Xiamen on 7 November 2026, four weeks after the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. TRI247 reports it is the first time since 2021 that either of them has raced beyond the traditional season-ending IRONMAN 70.3 or IRONMAN World Championship.
The race
- Date — 7 November (professional middle-distance race), part of a race weekend on 7 and 8 November.
- Distance — 1.9km ocean swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run.
- Location — the Huandong Romantic Coast at Tongan Bay, Xiamen, China.
- Pro field — 40 professional athletes, with a €25,000 prize purse.
Challenge Family’s announcement also names Hayden Wilde, the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, among the athletes attached to the event. Check the official start list nearer the race, as pro entries change.
Why the Norwegians are worth watching
Both had strong results at the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice. Wilde won. According to TRI247, Blummenfelt took silver 18 seconds behind him with what it describes as the fastest run split in history over the middle distance, and Iden was fourth after posting the fastest bike split. Our Nice 70.3 World Championship results report has the full podium.
How it fits the wider calendar
Challenge Family was acquired by the PTO in February 2026, and its events are being folded into the new Challenger tier of the Triathlon World Tour from 2027. Our Triathlon World Tour 2027 explainer covers how the tiers work.
The 2026 championship in Kona takes place on 10 October, so Xiamen falls four weeks later. Whether either athlete races in Hawaii is not something this announcement settles, so check the Kona start list before assuming.
Sources
- TRI247: Challenge Xiamen 2026, Blummenfelt and Iden confirm post-Kona showdown
- Challenge Family: Norwegian superstars confirmed for Challenge Xiamen
