Portland, OR, WPH Press, 10/4/26
The 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic marks the 105th event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour, with the tour spanning eighteen states and two countries in the Race 4 Eight’s fifteen seasons.
The 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic will feature four-time defending Portland Classic champion and seventeen-time Race 4 Eight champion Martin Mulkerrins aiming to five-peat in the City of Roses. Martin will have to contend with Race 4 Eight Elite pros Mark Doyle, Lucho Cordova, Leo Canales, Ivan Burgos, Danos Cordova, Sean Lenning, in addition to many of the tour’s top names outside the Elite 8 to defend his title at the famed Multnomah Athletic Club.
Handball players from across the country will compete in men’s and women’s singles and doubles brackets at the MAC in downtown Portland, one of the world’s most prestigious athletic clubs. The MAC hosted the Race 4 Eight Player’s Championship in 2016, producing electrifying handball on the most fan-friendly two-wall glass exhibition court in the sport. The 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic will be the eighth edition of the Portland Classic and the eighth Race 4 Eight stop at the MAC.
“I am really looking forward to playing in Portland for a fifth consecutive year,” stated four-time defending Portland Classic champion and R48 #1 Martin Mulkerrins. “The MAC is an amazing venue and I have many memories from there, including my first trip to the US for the 2009 World’s, Collegiate Nationals, USHA Four Wall Nationals and of course, the last four R48 Portland Classics. It is shaping up to be a very deep draw, and like everyone else, I will be aiming to win the tournament.”
Race 4 Eight Portland Classic and JR WPH Clinic and Tournament
JR WPH, alongside the MAC handball coaches, will proudly present a junior handball clinic and junior handball tournament after the Men’s Pro Final on Sunday. “JR WPH is thrilled to involved with the exciting MAC junior handball initiatives and we are looking forward to watching and coaching the MAC’s future handball stars at the 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic,” stated the WPH’s David Fink.
Check out all of the important 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic tournament information below.
2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic
- Date: October 9-11, 2026
- Site: Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 SW Salmon St., Portland, OR 97205
- Tournament director: Conor Casey, Hank Marcus, WPH
- Tournament sponsor: JR WPH, Portland Donors
- Pro Events: Race 4 Eight pro singles
- List of Portland Race 4 Eight Men’s pro champions: Carroll (2016), D. Cordova (2018), L. Cordova (2019), M. Mulkerrins (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
- Defending Portland Classic champion: Martin Mulkerrins
- Number of Elite 8 Race 4 Eight pros entered: 7
Important Links:
WPH homepage: wphlive.tv
2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic Press Release HERE
Follow the draws and results from the 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic HERE
WPH Destination Series Portland HERE
Handball Terminology + Instruction and R48 Rules HERE
Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios HERE
WPH Race 4 Eight Power Rankings and Rules Methodology HERE
2026/27 Race 4 Eight Schedule HERE
Updated Race 4 Eight Fun Facts + Race 4 Eight History of Champions HERE
WPH Coaching Center Instructional Videos HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2026/27 Race 4 Eight Powered by ESPN features nine Race 4 Eight stops from California to Mexico, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in St. Louis, MO in May of 2027. Similar to NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight title sponsor opportunity, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer