Trakai Triathlon 2026
I participated in the Lithuanian Standard Distance Triathlon Championship in Trakai, one of the biggest triathlon events in the country, bringing together around 350 athletes on the Olympic-distance course. Despite my limited preparation, everything came together on race day - a calm and controlled swim, my fastest-ever Olympic-distance bike split thanks to a strong drafting group, and a comfortable 10 km run where I still felt fresh in the closing kilometres. I crossed the finish line in 2:24, securing 37th place overall...
Exactly one month after the Kaunas Marathon, I swapped running shoes for a backpack and spent four weeks travelling through Peru and Spain. It was an unforgettable adventure, but it also meant putting structured training on hold. Between hiking through mountains, exploring new places and long travel days, there simply wasn't room for a proper training routine.
There wasn't enough time to build fitness from scratch, so the goal was simple—to wake the body up and remind it how to race. During those thirteen days, I managed to complete ten training sessions: a couple of harder running workouts, two open-water swims in the lake, one longer 80 km bike ride, and several shorter sessions. It wasn't ideal preparation, but it was enough to make me feel like an athlete again. When race day arrived, I felt relaxed rather than nervous...
The weather was completely different from Kaunas Marathon. Instead of battling freezing wind and snow, Trakai welcomed us with sunshine and real summer heat. For an Olympic-distance triathlon, however, heat can become another opponent that has to be managed wisely.
One of the things that makes the Trakai Triathlon so special is its location. Trakai is one of the most beautiful places in Lithuania, and the race takes full advantage of its unique scenery. There are not many races where you can swim with a medieval castle almost within arm's reach...
The swim began exactly as expected - with hundreds of people trying to fit into the same piece of water. I have never been a particularly fast swimmer, and I know from experience that if you are not among the fastest swimmers, the first few hundred meters usually become a wrestling match rather than swimming...
Instead of fighting for every possible second, I moved to the far left of the main group and chose a wider, calmer line around the buoys. The route was slightly longer—my watch later showed almost 1,600 meters instead of the official 1,500 - but I avoided the constant kicking, pulling and collisions that usually drain both energy and concentration.
I finished the swim in 33 minutes, leaving the water in 71st place. It wasn't my fastest swim, but it was probably one of my smoothest...
Shortly after leaving transition I caught the first fast group of riders. Since drafting is allowed in this race, riding in a group is a completely different experience than riding alone. Sharing the work against the wind saves a surprising amount of energy, and when everyone cooperates, the average speed increases almost effortlessly.
The biggest surprise came after getting off the bike. Usually, the first kilometers of the run feel awkward as the legs try to remember how to run again. This time they felt surprisingly fresh. The energy saved during the bike leg allowed me to settle into a comfortable pace almost immediately, and instead of simply surviving the final 10 kilometers, I was actually enjoying them...
Well... almost. During the run I had to make an unexpected stop at the penalty box. I received a 15-second penalty because after finishing the bike leg I left my helmet hanging on the handlebars instead of placing it inside my transition box. A small mistake, an easy rule to forget, and fifteen seconds standing still while everyone else kept running. Fortunately, it didn't change much...
This is a funny meme-like photo depicting how I felt during the running segment of the triathlon..
I crossed the finish line in 2:24, in 37th place, overtaking 16 participants during the run, satisfied not so much with the time or result, but with how strong I felt throughout the entire race and how much I enjoyed it.
More importantly, this race confirmed something I have been noticing for a while. Even after a month away from structured training, my body still handles endurance events remarkably well. I recover steadily, pace consistently and seem to become stronger as races get longer.
Olympic-distance triathlons and marathons are exciting challenges that make my sporting journey more diverse, but deep down I continue to believe that my real strengths lie in longer events. Ironman races, ultramarathons and long endurance adventures still feel like home. Sometimes it takes an imperfect preparation to remind you what kind of athlete you really are.
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