Hayden Wilde is planning another audacious racing double, with the defending T100 World Champion targeting WTCS Abu Dhabi next Friday before lining up at the newly arranged Dubai T100 the following morning.
The New Zealander headlines the T100 men’s race at Al Mamzar on Saturday November 14, with Mika Noodt also confirmed for his comeback following his horrific crash at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea in July.
The PTO and World Triathlon have announced 18 names for Dubai, with two more still to be added. The men’s race has been arranged at short notice following the postponement of Saudi Arabia T100, and entries remain subject to change.
Wilde: “If there’s a chance… then I’m all in”
Wilde was crowned the 70.3 World Champion on September and also leads the T100 Race To Qatar standings – he will face his nearest challengers, Australia’s Jake Birtwhistle and Germany’s Lasse Nygaard Priester, in Dubai.
But before that, he plans to contest the sprint-distance WTCS Abu Dhabi race on Friday afternoon, November 13.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to racing,” said Wilde.
“I enjoy coming to Dubai to train and race, so next week will be no different. If there’s a chance to have a crack at both the WTCS Abu Dhabi and Dubai T100, then I’m all in.
“Doing the shorter race first should actually help. On the French Riviera last year it was the other way around. But we’ll see how we go.”
Wilde is therefore aiming to race twice in less than 24 hours, which will require an exemption from World Triathlon.
Noodt returns after Swansea crash
For Noodt, reaching the start line will have significance far beyond the result.
The German suffered a small fracture and muscular damage when he collided with an ambulance while leading IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea in July. He subsequently spoke openly about the psychological impact of the accident as well as his physical rehabilitation.
Now he has confirmed that Dubai will mark his return to racing, while acknowledging that his preparation is still a work in progress.
“Stoked to announce that I’ll be back on a start line at T100 Dubai next week!” he wrote on Instagram.
“While a little more training time certainly wouldn’t hurt physically, we believe that getting back to racing sooner rather than later is an important step in processing what happened and moving forward.
“Some pretty special memories from a very weird race there last year, so let’s see what next Saturday brings.”
That final reference recalls one of the most confusing finishes in T100 history, which also heavily involved Wilde as confusion first reigned on the bike where he appeared to ride an extra lap.
Noodt crossed the line first after the run and took the tape in Dubai last November, having followed the lap counter’s instruction to finish. Morgan Pearson, who had been ahead, continued for another lap.
Following problems with lap counting and timing, the official result was determined at the end of the seventh run lap, with Pearson confirmed as the winner and Noodt second.
Birtwhistle and Priester lead the challengers
The confirmed line-up includes the top three athletes in the Race To Qatar standings, with Birtwhistle second and Priester third behind Wilde.
Rico Bogen, Menno Koolhaas and Kyle Smith also feature, alongside Noodt, while Will Draper and Thomas Davis are the two British athletes named in the announcement.
The race follows the decision to move Saudi Arabia T100 and the World Triathlon Cup in Jeddah from November 27–28 to April 16–17, 2027.
Dubai will now host both men’s and women’s T100 races on Saturday November 14.
Dubai T100 start times and coverage
The men start at 10:03am local time, which is 6:03am GMT in the UK. The women follow five minutes later at 10:08am local / 6:08am GMT.
For North American viewers, the men’s start is 1:03am Eastern on Saturday November 14, or 10:03pm Pacific on Friday November 13.
Both races will be shown live through the PTO’s global broadcast network.
It does mean they will run concurrently but given the late notice and the fact road closures and other infrastructure was finalised months ago, there was minimal leeway on that score.
Dubai T100 men’s announced field
The following 18 athletes have been named by the PTO and World Triathlon, with two further names to be added.
| Athlete | Nationality |
|---|---|
| Hayden Wilde | NZL |
| Jake Birtwhistle | AUS |
| Lasse Nygaard Priester | GER |
| Rico Bogen | GER |
| Gregor Payet | LUX |
| Menno Koolhaas | NED |
| Kyle Smith | NZL |
| Kurt McDonald | AUS |
| Henry Räppo | EST |
| Mika Noodt | GER |
| Will Draper | GBR |
| Antonio Benito López | ESP |
| Jannik Schaufler | GER |
| Andrea Salvisberg | SUI |
| Kieran Storch | AUS |
| Filipe Azevedo | POR |
| Thomas Davis | GBR |
| Quentin Barreau | FRA |
