HAPPENING 10 JUL '27 | ROTTERDAM, 5 November 2026 - After raising an impressive €514,588 for ALS research during its debut, Rotterdam's TriALSlon will return on Saturday 10 July 2027. The unusual sporting fundraiser combines swimming, water cycling and running, with organisers hoping to turn it into an annual Rotterdam tradition.
Photo: Jeannet Koomans
The second edition will once again take place at the Willem-Alexanderbaan in Zevenhuizen, just outside Rotterdam. Initiators Lucille Luijkx and Barry Lassche are aiming even higher this time, hoping to double both participation and donations while retaining the atmosphere of solidarity that made the first edition so memorable.
More than half a million euros raised in 2026
The inaugural TriALSlon took place on 11 July 2026, attracting nearly 400 participants to the Willem-Alexanderbaan. Together, they raised €514,588 for Stichting ALS Nederland, supporting scientific research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related motor neurone diseases.
Unlike a conventional triathlon, the event featured a distinctly Dutch twist. Teams competed in a relay combining 500 metres of swimming, 2,500 metres of water cycling and a five-kilometre run.
The water cycling, known in Dutch as supfietsen, became one of the day's biggest attractions. Participants pedalled across the water on specially designed floating bicycles, providing plenty of entertainment for the spectators cheering them on.
Well-known Dutch personalities also joined the activities, including television presenter Natasja Froger, former Olympic swimming champion Inge de Bruijn, journalist Sander de Kramer, television personality Rob Goossens and former Feyenoord footballer Michael Mols.
Our report on the inaugural TriALSlon looks back at the fundraising result and some of the day's most memorable moments.
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What makes the TriALSlon different?
Although fundraising is the main objective, the organisers want TriALSlon to offer more than a sporting competition.
The event brings together people living with ALS, their families, friends, volunteers, businesses and supporters. Its central message is about focusing on what remains possible, even when living with a serious illness.
Participants with ALS can also take part in sporting activities with assistance, making inclusion an important element of the event rather than an afterthought.
For its second edition, the organisers are planning another festival-style gathering around the sporting programme, with entertainment and activities for participants and visitors.
A group of swimmers sets off on the 500-metre course. Photo: Jeannet Koomans.
Lucille Luijkx hopes to swim again in 2027
Behind TriALSlon is a particularly personal story.
Lucille Luijkx has been living with ALS since 2003. The progressive neurological disease affects the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. Although Lucille now uses a wheelchair and requires assistance with many everyday activities, she has lived with the disease considerably longer than is typical.
During the inaugural TriALSlon, she completed the 500-metre swimming course together with her husband, Barry Lassche. Their achievement became one of the day's most emotional moments.
Lucille now hopes to repeat that experience in 2027, while encouraging more people to participate.
Her motto, ALS niet, dan toch!, captures the spirit of the event: finding ways to keep going, even when ALS presents enormous obstacles.
The organisers hope the message will encourage people to support ALS research while also giving those affected by the disease an opportunity to enjoy a positive day with family and friends.
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Could TriALSlon become a Rotterdam tradition?
For Lucille and Barry, the ambitions extend beyond a successful second edition.
They want TriALSlon to earn a permanent place on the Rotterdam region's annual events calendar, combining the city's sporting enthusiasm, relationship with water and willingness to support charitable causes.
The first edition received support from Rotterdam-connected companies including HAL Investments, SBM Offshore and Vopak, alongside numerous sponsors and ambassadors.
The organisers now want to build on that foundation. Their target for 2027 is to double participation and donations compared with the inaugural event, an ambitious objective given the more than half a million euros already raised.
The spectacle of people cycling across the water could eventually become one of TriALSlon's most recognisable traditions. Lucille has even suggested that participating might one day become a bucket-list experience for Rotterdammers.
Organisers Barry Lassche and Lucille Luijkx after their remarkable swimming achievement. Photo: Jeannet Koomans.
When and where is TriALSlon 2027?
The second Rotterdam TriALSlon takes place on Saturday 10 July 2027 at the Willem-Alexanderbaan, the Olympic-standard rowing course in the Eendragtspolder recreation area near Zevenhuizen.
- Date: Saturday 10 July 2027
- Location: Willem-Alexanderbaan
- Address: Nely Gambonplein 1, 2761 EH Zevenhuizen
- Activities: Swimming, water cycling and running
- Purpose: Fundraising for Stichting ALS Nederland
- Website: www.trialslon.nl
The detailed 2027 timetable, participation arrangements and registration information have yet to be confirmed in the announcement.
Getting to the Willem-Alexanderbaan
The Willem-Alexanderbaan is located in Zevenhuizen, northeast of Rotterdam, in the Rottemeren recreation area. The venue is easiest to reach by car or bicycle, as public transport connections to the rowing course are limited.
Visitors planning to use public transport should check whether the organisers will provide any special shuttle services for the event.
How to support TriALSlon
Whether you want to participate, support a team or contribute as a business, the organisers are encouraging people to become involved in the fight against ALS.
Donations and sponsorship support the work of Stichting ALS Nederland, which funds research aimed at developing treatments for ALS and related diseases.
Further announcements about the 2027 programme and opportunities to participate will be shared through the official TriALSlon website.
After a debut that brought together hundreds of participants and raised more than half a million euros, TriALSlon has already demonstrated what a Rotterdam-style sporting fundraiser can achieve. The next challenge is making that success an annual tradition.
