Chris Lill Crushes Season 2 in Triathlon!

PONTEVEDRA 2026 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RACE REPORT

By: Chris Lill

It was a successful year, all built around one primary goal: a strong finish at the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Finals (Olympic Distance) in Pontevedra, Spain.

The build-up over the summer was everything I could have asked for:

• 1st place (Age Group) at the Gravenhurst Triathlon.
• 3rd place against strong competition at the Toronto Triathlon Festival. Qualified for World's in 2027.
• A new Olympic distance PB of 2:09 at the SAIL Esprit Triathlon in Montreal.
• New PBs in both the 5km run and 15km bike TT just weeks before heading to Spain.

(Okay, that’s a little braggy, but it took a lot of hard work—so yeah, I’m claiming it!)

Then, one week before departure, my walking petri dish of a three-year-old brought home the latest version of the plague. Training came to a screeching halt. I tried not to look at my dropping TSS, and fought every urge to squeeze in a hard run while trying to recover.

We landed in Spain a week before race day—on the tail end of being sick and now thoroughly jet-lagged. Thankfully, having those extra days to chill and rebuild was a lifesaver. A couple of shakeout runs in Madrid had me feeling back on track, with strong legs after the forced rest.

Then came the travel day from Madrid to Pontevedra. Total train station chaos. They were only allowing four bikes per train—not per car, per train. Scores of athletes were being turned away, forced to rent cars or scramble for buses. Fortunately, I had pre-booked my bike slot, so we dodged that bullet. (Definitely a lesson learned for future international races!)

Once settled in Pontevedra, I sorted a minor bike mechanical issue and settled into race prep. A few light activation sessions later, it was go time.

The Swim

A 60-person mass start in my wave meant an immediate, chaotic washing machine of arms and legs. I surged early to find clean water and felt great. The first 750m flew by, and in my head, I was convinced I was on pace for a swim PB. Then I exited the water, glanced at my watch, and saw 27 minutes—my worst swim time by far. A massive mental blow. (I later found out our wave hit the worst tidal flow of the entire event, driven by a full moon and a brutal current on the return leg.) Still, as I headed out of T1, I was sitting 29th out of 120.

The Bike

Legs felt strong out of transition. The course was two laps: 10km up, 10km down. The first climb went smoothly—pushing solid power and making passes. The descent was absolute madness, hitting 80 km/h while navigating past riders clinging to their brakes and others managing even more mental speeds. On the second climb, a UK rider clipped a Portuguese athlete and crashed directly in front of me. Thankfully, my mountain biking instincts kicked in: I managed to bunny-hop him, somehow landing right on his disc wheel and riding away completely unscathed.

The Run

I came off the bike feeling good, holding 26th position. And then... the wheels fell off.

The run course wove through the old city—four laps with a punchy hill right in the middle. Lap one was manageable, but then the heat hit like a wall, and that hill completely tore me down. I watched helplessly as runner after runner with my age group stamped on their calf surged past. It took pure willpower to grind through to the finish, but the damage was done: I crossed the line in 36th place.

Final Thoughts

Overall, an incredible experience. It wasn't my best execution on the day, but given the build-up and conditions, I'm proud of the effort. More than anything, it left me super motivated to get stronger and come back. Representing Canada on an international stage alongside athletes from over 60 countries is something truly special. If you ever get the opportunity to race a World Championship, do not hesitate. Special shout-out to my amazing partner Joanie for handing so much of the load, as well as our daughter. I could not have done this without her support.