Ohrid, North Macedonia, hosts the 2026 Europe Triathlon Balkan Championships this weekend, with 76 athletes heading to the shores of Lake Ohrid in pursuit of continental honours.

In the Elite Men’s race, Romania’s Carol Popa starts as the top seed wearing bib number one. Popa narrowly missed out on a podium finish at last month’s Development Cup in Mamaia, placing fourth behind Croatia’s Filip Vilenica, who lines up in Ohrid with bib number four.

Popa will also be aiming to defend the Balkan Championship title he claimed last year in Mudanya-Bursa, Türkiye.

Bulgaria’s Alexander Bozhilov arrives in North Macedonia full of confidence after securing gold in Mamaia and will be looking to continue that form in Ohrid.

The host nation will be represented by Stefan Delev and Atanas Naumov, with Naumov set to make his international debut.

Croatia brings a strong squad of nine athletes to Lake Ohrid, led by Gabriel Barac, who starts with bib number five. Barac has enjoyed an impressive season, earning silver in Mamaia alongside a series of strong performances on the Europe Triathlon Cup circuit, including a top-20 finish at the Africa Triathlon Cup in El Galala.

Türkiye also fields nine athletes in the Elite Men’s race following a successful 2025 Balkan Championships campaign that saw Turkish athletes secure both silver and bronze medals.

Among those returning are Burak Cağdaş, who finished sixth last year, and Taha Eren Coşgun, who crossed the line just behind him in seventh.

In the Elite Women’s race, Croatia’s Nika Rimaj will be looking to go one step better than last year after claiming silver in Mudanya-Bursa. She was beaten only by the experienced Sinem Francisca Tous Servera of Türkiye, who produced a dominant front-running performance to take the title.

Slovenia’s Tinkara Stres starts with bib number two and will have her sights set firmly on the podium after finishing fourth at last year’s championships. Ohrid marks her first international race of 2026, with her most recent appearance coming at the Regional Cup in Izvorani, Romania.

Croatia’s Iva Pavlovic, who finished fifth behind Stres in 2025, will be eager to return to form after recording DNFs in both Mamaia and Torremolinos. Drawing on her experience from last year’s championships, she will be hoping for another strong result.

Host nation athlete Magdalena Stankovska will carry local hopes in the women’s field as North Macedonia’s sole representative. She starts the race wearing bib number 20.

Of the 24 athletes entered in the Elite Women’s race, six are from Croatia, while Türkiye and Serbia each bring four competitors.

The championship field is notably young, with only one athlete born before the turn of the millennium. Nevertheless, the event presents an excellent opportunity for emerging talents from across the Balkans to test themselves on the international stage in Ohrid.

Full entry lists can be found here.