Lost Dot, the organiser of the Transcontinental Race (TCR), has officially launched the route for TCRNo12, a self-supported ultra-distance race covering approximately 5,000km from Norway to Greece.
The race is scheduled to start on July 19, 2026, in Trondheim, Norway, which will be the most northerly starting point in the race’s 12-year history. Riders will head south towards the finish on the beaches of Kalamata, Greece, facing 64,000m of climbing along the way.
This edition of the TCR will have a distinct Olympic theme, linking the start in Norway, a prominent Winter Games host, with the finish at the site of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece.
The four mandatory Control Points (CPs) and Parcours are:
- CP1: Flåm, Norway – Riders must climb out of the fjord on the Rallarvegen.
- CP2: Tatra Mountains, Slovakia – A twin parcours takes riders over the Czech giant Praded, then to the foot of Chopok mountain in Slovakia.
- CP3: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina – The third parcours hurls riders onto the banked tracks of the graffitied 1984 Winter Olympic bobsleigh track on Mt Trebević.
- CP4: Leskovik, Albania – Located in a remote corner of Albania, the parcours here winds through a landscape of ‘no shortcuts’.
This year’s route also includes another major ferry crossing early in the race, taking riders from the Scandinavian Peninsula to mainland Europe.
This follows the buzz generated during the 2025 race when a Mediterranean ferry crossing between Italy and Albania shaped the final stages for the leading competitors.
Lost Dot is continuing its #100TCRWomen campaign into 2026, which aims to increase the number of women and non-binary riders. The 2025 race saw 79 women and non-binary riders, doubling the previous year’s numbers. The company stated the campaign will persist until it reaches 100 participants.
For the fifth successive year, the event will offer the Mike Hall Bursary to support riders from lower-income households. Here, recipients are given a free place on the race, a grant, and coaching.
“We believe that the differentiator in adventure racing should be the aptitude, athleticism and attitude of the individuals, not their budget,” said a Lost Dot spokesperson.
The organisation is also committed to reducing its carbon footprint, offering the Low Carbon Travel Fund to help riders travel overland to and from the race, and celebrating sustainable travel efforts through a Green Leaderboard.
Rider applications for the race and applications for the Mike Hall Bursary are now open.