diff --git a/.github/workflows/pixi.yml b/.github/workflows/pixi.yml
index b4f3a605192..54491225c40 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pixi.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pixi.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ jobs:
       runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
       timeout-minutes: 0
       strategy:
+        fail-fast: false
         matrix:
           os: [ubuntu-22.04, windows-2022, macos-15]
       steps:
@@ -136,11 +137,14 @@ jobs:
         - name: Configure
           run: pixi run configure-ci
 
+        - name: Fetch ExternalData
+          run: pixi run --skip-deps build-external-data-ci
+
         - name: Build
           run: |
             echo "****** df -h /  -- pre build"
             df -h /
-            pixi run --skip-deps build
+            pixi run --skip-deps build-ci
             echo "****** df -h /  -- post build"
             df -h /
 
@@ -160,7 +164,7 @@ jobs:
             df -h /
 
         - name: Test
-          run: pixi run --skip-deps test
+          run: pixi run --skip-deps test-ci
 
         - name: Disk space reporting AFTER (optimize free-disk-space)
           run: |
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a5c5a2ab289..263466a1cc9 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ cmd = '''cmake \
   -Bbuild \
   -S. \
   -GNinja \
-  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=RelWithDebInfo \
+  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=Release \
   -DBUILD_TESTING:BOOL=ON \
   -DITK_USE_CCACHE:BOOL=ON \
   -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER:STRING=ccache \
@@ -105,6 +105,22 @@ cmd = "ctest -j3 --test-dir build"
 description = "Test ITK"
 depends-on = ["build"]
 
+[tool.pixi.feature.cxx.tasks.build-external-data-ci]
+cmd = "cmake --build build --target ITKData"
+description = "Fetch ITK ExternalData for CI (fails fast on download errors)"
+depends-on = ["configure-ci"]
+
+[tool.pixi.feature.cxx.tasks.build-ci]
+cmd = "cmake --build build"
+description = "Build ITK for CI"
+outputs = ["build/lib/**"]
+depends-on = ["configure-ci"]
+
+[tool.pixi.feature.cxx.tasks.test-ci]
+cmd = "ctest -j3 --test-dir build"
+description = "Test ITK for CI"
+depends-on = ["build-ci"]
+
 [tool.pixi.feature.cxx.tasks.configure-debug]
 cmd = '''cmake \
   -Bbuild-debug \