Tyler Mislawchuk, elite Canadian triathlete, describes the triathlon sport as “an ever-moving jigsaw puzzle.” It is all about the art of mastering the three sports (running, cycling and swimming) but also finding the perfect balance between them all. “But the fun part is that if you get bored of one, you can just do the other one.”
He was playing hockey before the triathlon sport peaked his interest at 15 years old. And his first ever competition was the 2011 Edmonton PATCO Triathlon Junior Pan-American Championships. “I am from Manitoba, but Edmonton is the biggest race I’ve ever had since I started my career,” says Mislawchuk. “It is about as close to a home race as I’ll ever get and I am happy to be coming home.”
He will be back in Edmonton this July for the 2026 World Triathlon Cup.
Edmonton has been building and developing young triathletes since before triathlon was a major Olympic sport, says Stephen Bourdeau, the CEO of Do North Events, the longest running major international sports event organization in Edmonton. This year will be the organization’s ninth time hosting the World Triathlon Cup in our city.
“Not everyone has the luxury to host races that big or have that good of a location to have them in,” says Mislawchuk about Hawrelak Park as the host venue. “If you are an Edmontonian, having something that big in your backyard, you must feel pretty lucky.”
After its three-year massive rehabilitation project, the revitalized Hawrelak Park will welcome elite competitors and age-group racers from all over the world. From July 16 to 18, you can expect international competitions, like the Elite Sprint and Mixed Relay World Cup, and various community and age-group multi-sport races (that you can also register for).
“Major sporting events like these are like lightning rods for so many different things within a community and a sports system,” Bourdeau notes, explaining how the 2026 World Triathlon Cup acts as a catalyst for the 2027 World Triathlon Multisport Championships, by running age-group qualification races during the tournament.
And Edmonton does international sports well. On the Burson 2025 Ranking of Sports Cities, Edmonton is ranked 22 out of 100 international cities, and it’s the top Canadian city to make the list. The list is founded on perception and in-depth quantitative analysis. It consults representatives from the sports media, international sports leaders, industry experts and enhanced social media and media coverage analytics.
“There is a whole ecosystem built around this long-term hosting strategy,” says Bourdeau. The mission is not just about hosting big televised spectacles, it focuses on community capacity building, drawing attention and bringing resources in. By securing government backing, university partnerships and a strong volunteer network, Edmonton is not just opening a space up for sports but for people to feel at home.
Beyond the title of Canada’s Triathlon City, it is a gift to have Edmonton be known for its welcoming nature. Bourdeau recalls many international athletes commenting on the city’s warmth, describing their experience as feeling like “racing at home, but in another country.”
“Edmonton is a beautiful place to race,” says Mislawchuk, “but what makes it special is having all those connections.”
