World Triathlon

This weekend, the Tiszaujvaros ITU Triathlon World Cup will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the hosting the World Cup. Over the last two decades, the epic festival atmosphere has become a beloved stop on the World Cup circuit amongst athletes and spectators alike. We asked athletes to share some of their memories of the race with us, and here’s what they said.

“Tiszy was a new race on the World Cup circuit. I had the unenviable task of beating Hungary’s favourite triathlete on home soil. The crowd didn’t seem to mind, it was was massive, very loud and supportive and turned the event into one of my favourites that I was lucky enough to be a part of.”’ - Emma Carney, winner of the inaugural 1997 Tiszy World Cup women’s race

“Tiszy World cup was one of my favourite races on the circuit. The whole town gets behind this race and there is a party atmosphere all race week like no other race. I had the sprint in 2005 with Gaag and coming into the finish I gave it my all as I wanted to win my first World Cup. I lost momentum up the finish ramp and both Gaag and I had to dive for the line. It was quite close. I told myself I want to return and win this event. I was in another sprint with Jan Frodeno the following year and I was happy to come away with the win. It’s an iconic race that all athletes should experience in their career.” - Brad Kahlefeldt, winner of 2006 Tiszy World Cup men’s race

“Tiszy will always be one of the most memorable races I’ve ever done! Not just because of the unique two-day format, or the incredible crowds, or even the epic awards ceremony/concert, but because out of all the places in the whole world, that’s where I met my wife, Katie Zaferes!” - Tommy Zaferes

“For me, Tiszy was just an overall incredible race and experience. It’s amazing how big of a triathlon atmosphere there. The amount of hype is unmatched. I had thought that nothing could get better than winning it, but then I met Tommy that night. I remember the theme song of that whole trip being “Wake me up” by Avicii. I was playing it before the race, it played on the podium, at the awards and then again afterwards. Such an epic race and one of my finest memories.” - Katie Zaferes, winner of the 2013 Tiszy World Cup race

“Out of all the races I did on the triathlon World Cup series, Tiszy was my all time favorite. It has an unbelievable atmosphere! The entire town and neighboring towns came out to support the four-day festival. It was unbelievable. They treated us all like superstars, and made our World Cup race feel like the greatest sporting event on earth! The course was always technical, and fast through the spectator-lined streets. And the crazy frog music always playing at the finish line with the super enthused announcer. It was always a race to remember. Just awesome!” - Siri Lindley, two-time Tiszy World Cup winner (‘01, ‘02)