Nagyatád hosts the Croatian, Serbian and Slovenian Long Distance Triathlon Championships in 2025.

We are proud to announce a historic milestone: the eXtremeMan Nagyatád race has been honored with the opportunity to host the 2025 Croatian, Serbian, and Slovenian Long Distance Triathlon Championships as part of the Friendship Series. With this, Nagyatád is becoming one of the most prominent triathlon events in the region, playing a key role in the regional development of the sport.

This exctiting news was announced by Kindl Gábor, the president of the Hungarian Triathlon Federation on a press conference held on thursday. In addition to representatives of the Hungarian Triathlon Federation, delegates from the triathlon federations of neighboring countries also attended the event. As an expansion of the Friendship Series launched last year in cooperation with the Romanian Triathlon Federation, Hungary and Nagyatád will uniquely host the first Croatian, Serbian, and Slovenian Long Distance Triathlon National Championships in 2025.

(In the photo, from left to right: Dr. Gyula Herr, Ljudmilla Medan, Gábor Kindl, Mitja Mori, and Dorian Pavlisa.)

The foundational goal of the "Friendship Series" is to provide athletes from the participating nations with easier and more cost-effective access to each other's races, thereby strengthening professional ties, elevating the standard of competitions, and fostering sportsmanship and international friendships.

– Triathlon is the sport of the present and the future, a sport of friendship, where elite and amateur athletes go hand in hand, often involving entire families. Through the expanded Friendship Series, we hope to find even more friends. This agreement is a key milestone in a consciously built strategy, through which Hungary is undeniably becoming the regional hub of triathlon. We thank our partners for their trust and are ready to fulfill this responsible role by providing high-quality opportunities for athletes in the region – said Gábor Kindl, President of the Hungarian Triathlon Federation.

– One of the most important goals in Hungarian sports governance is to strengthen Hungary’s presence not only on the field but also in sports diplomacy, ensuring our country takes part in as many initiatives as possible that promote the future of sport. That is why this current agreement is a great joy for us. We support every opportunity that can strengthen both domestic and European sports, so that Europe – and within it, Hungary – can maintain its prominent position at the forefront of the sports world – emphasized Dr. Balázs Baji, Director General of the National Institute for Sport Development and Methodology.

Representatives of partner countries and international federations also spoke at the press event:

– I am grateful and proud that Croatia can be part of this cooperation. Although we have hundreds of athletes, this will also be our first long distance national championship, which will certainly have a positive impact on the development of the sport at home. We can only grow in the region through cooperation. Thank you for the opportunity! – said Dorian Pavlisa, representative of the Croatian Triathlon Federation.

– The Friendship Series shows that small countries working together can achieve great results – even becoming a triathlon superpower. I believe that thanks to this collaboration, the next Olympic triathlon champion could come from our region – highlighted Vlad Stoica, President of the Romanian Triathlon Federation.

– It’s an honor to be here. Regional development and such cooperation are key to the growth of national federations and the sport itself. Races move the sport forward, and there’s no better tool for development in these countries than this collaboration. As a Hungarian, I am especially proud of this announcement. Congratulations to the HTF and everyone involved! – said Zita Csovelyák, Sport Development Director of World Triathlon.

– This is an excellent, innovative model that could be adopted by other regions as well. The fact that multiple national federations are jointly organizing their championship in Nagyatád is a brilliant idea, perfectly aligned with the goals of the European federation. I wish the initiative great success! – praised the collaboration Herwig Grabner, Vice President of Europe Triathlon. Herwig Grabner, who is also Secretary General of the Austrian Triathlon Federation, announced: – Austria would also like to join the Friendship Series program.

– We are very happy to join the series. This is a historic moment for Slovenia, as although our federation has existed since 1991, this will be our first official long distance national championship. At last, in Nagyatád, we will have this opportunity – thank you to the Hungarian Triathlon Federation! – said Mitja Mori, President of the Slovenian Triathlon Federation.

– I am very grateful to be here and to be part of this collaboration. Serbian triathlon owes a lot to its ties with Hungary, going back to the 1990s. This agreement and the joint national championship are an extremely important opportunity for us – said Ljudmilla Medan, representative of the Serbian Triathlon Federation.

Following the speeches, Gábor Kindl (HTF), Mitja Mori (Slovenian Triathlon Federation), Ljudmilla Medan (Serbian Triathlon Federation), Dorian Pavlisa (Croatian Triathlon Federation), and Dr. Gyula Herr, Race Director of the eXtremeMan Nagyatád, ceremoniously signed the cooperation agreements.

(The signed document is visible on the picture) 

The significance of the event was further underscored by the presence of several distinguished guests in addition to the speakers, including Éva Szántó, Sports Diplomacy Advisor at the National Institute for Sport Development and Methodology; László Fábián, Secretary General of the Hungarian Olympic Committee; and Dr. László Ludas, Mayor of Nagyatád.

The eXtremeMan Nagyatád team is honored to accept the invitation. We believe that the 2025 eXtremeMan Nagyatád open international race — which will also serve as the Croatian, Serbian, and Slovenian national championships — promises to be a defining event in the promotion of our traditions, the rise of the sport, and the life of our city, Nagyatád.

(Friendship Series Award)