Niek Heldoorn doubles up at EmbrunMan 2026

Niek Heldoorn won the 42nd edition of the XXL-distance EmbrunMan Triathlon on August 15. Already victorious in 2022, the Dutchman made it two in a row ahead of Spain’s Jordi Montraveta and France’s Clément Grandy. The women’s race went to Spain’s Saleta Castro Nogueira.

August 15 is a sacred date for the small Hautes-Alpes town of Embrun. For 42 years, the local triathlon has brought the end of summer to life on an XXL course that’s become a true legend.

893 triathletes lined up this year, from 6 a.m., in the welcome chill of Embrun’s Plan d’Eau, still wrapped in darkness at the start. Following the glow of the lead kayaks, the field knocked out 3,800 m of swimming on glass-flat water, surfacing at daybreak…

Out of the water in 5th place in 47:11, Dutchman Niek Heldoorn, 27, winner here already in 2022, quickly took control of the 188 km bike leg featuring the Col d’Izoard and the Chalvet climb. The infamous Pallon climb was removed after a late-July wildfire near L’Argentière, which “softened” the course slightly, though it remained brutally selective.

Heldoorn blasted through the bike in 5:23 at over 33 km/h average speed, hitting T2 with a six-minute cushion over Spain’s Jordi Montraveta, third last year. Two-time defending champion, Frenchman Louis Richard, had come out of the swim in 109th. The Monaco-licensed athlete (and former pro cyclist) then launched a huge ride back through the field, passing around a hundred competitors.

On the final marathon, Montraveta clocked the best run split of the day in 2:42. Hit by vomiting at the 28th km, Heldoorn still managed to hang on and keep roughly 1:30 in hand at the line, winning in under nine hours (8:59:46 precisely, albeit on a “softened” route) ahead of Montraveta and Bourg-en-Bresse’s Clément Grandy (France), runner-up again after finishing second last year. After his wild comeback, Louis Richard took 4th.

Saleta Castro Nogueira pounces in the women’s race

In the women’s field, Swiss favorites Alanis Siffert and Nina Derron, the winning duo from the 2025 edition, were absent, setting up a more open race. After a long battle with American Marni Sumbal, Spain’s Saleta Castro Nogueira, partner of six-time winner Marcel Zamora, finally made her move on the Col d’Izoard and never let go of the lead all the way to the finish.

In a photo finish, Belgian Marine Moulin snatched second place, just 21 seconds ahead of American Marni Sumbal.

Men’s podium:

1 Niek HELDOORN (Netherlands) 8:59:46

2 Jordi MONTRAVETA (Spain) 9:01:04

3 Clément GRANDY (France) 9:03:52

Women’s podium:

1 Saleta CASTRO NOGUEIRA (Spain) 12:03:11

2 Marine MOULIN (France) 12:28:04

2 Marni SUMBAL (United States) 12:28:25

Full results

A total of 751 triathletes made it to the finish within the time limits at EmbrunMan 2026, 84% of starters, in kind conditions, with a few raindrops late in the day to cool the field.

The Gillodts siblings strike gold in the Quart

The event also featured the “Quart” race (an M-distance triathlon), with a 1,500 m swim, 44 km bike with 110 m of elevation gain, and a 10 km run mostly along the Durance. The Gillodts brothers and sisters, from a big family of triathletes in northern France, took turns winning on this format.

Quart podiums:

Men

1 GILLODTS Thomas (France) 2:05:29

2 CASILE Raphaël (France) 2:08:13

3 PLATIAUX Robin (Belgium) 2:10:15

Women

1 GILLODTS Clara (France) 2:28:48

2 DELBARRE Louise (France) 2:35:10

3 CANOVAS ALONSO Georgina (Spain) 2:41:03

Full results