Dubai T100 2025: Morgan Pearson confirmed as winner after day of triathlon chaos and confusion leaves more questions to be answered

Morgan Pearson has finally been confirmed as the winner of Saturday’s Triathlon T100 World Tour event in Dubai – after a chaotic, incident-packed race.

A joint announcement, issued by the Professional Triathletes Organisation and World Triathlon, came hours after both the men and women had crossed their respective finish lines; however, the controversy will likely rumble on for many more weeks to come.

With three athletes seemingly riding an extra lap when at the front of the race, and then another looking as though he had run one lap more than everyone else, the result of the men’s race was unsurprisingly delayed, pending an ‘athlete protest’. 

Wrecked their chances of a podium finish

Kiwi Hayden Wilde, Frenchman Mathis Margirier and Belgian Marten Van Riel wrecked their chances of a podium finish as they missed the exit for T2, while on the run Pearson continued to race on whereas some of his fellow competitors headed for the finish line.

As German Mika Noodt rather apologetically took the tape and Vincent Luis of France and Britain’s Sam Dickinson completed the provisional podium, there was a real sense, even among the athletes themselves, that things were not going to stay that way.

Eventually, the PTO and World Triathlon confirmed that Pearson had indeed won the race, with Noodt coming second and Italy’s Gregory Barnaby listed as finishing in third. 

The statement read: “Due to a technical issue with the lap counting board and timing, the official result for the Dubai T100 Men’s race was determined after the 7th lap, which was the last known timing and follows World Triathlon guidelines.” 

‘They were looking much stronger’

Noodt openly admitted to having mixed emotions as he took to Instagram after the announcement to confirm his second place, but to also say how he felt for Wilde, Margirier and Van Riel for their mishap on the bike, ‘because they were looking much stronger’.

“There are mixed emotions. Professionally, I am super happy with the second place, but personally, I really feel for those three guys, especially,” he said.

Explaining the issues on the run laps, he added: “With three laps to go, I started asking people how many laps were left for me to do. The lap counter had not been working at the start of the run, but then I saw that it said I had one more to go.

“Then the lap counter said, ‘Go to the finish’, and that is what I did. I don’t run with a watch and I thought I was in second place behind Morgan. Then I saw the officials getting the tape ready for me, and I was a bit confused. 

“I assumed it was what they do at Challenge Roth when the first three people who finish get the tape, so I raised the tape and someone shouted to me that I had won… I was like ‘what is going on here’.

“I will take the outcome, but that was a crazy day out here… crazy day.”

Wilde well placed for sixth win in a row

All seemed to be going to plan when Kiwi legend Wilde hit the front after one lap of the bike section and settled in for what everyone watching fully expected to be a sixth T100 Tour win on the bounce.

However, as he approached the exit for T2 at what should have been the end of his ride, he bizarrely continued straight on and was forced to embark on another 8km lap. What made matters worse was that riders Margirier and Van Riel followed him.

With a deep sense of confusion in the air, the three riders, seemingly oblivious to their situation, headed off around the circuit, while the likes of Dickinson, Noodt and Pearson took advantage.

A clearly upset Wilde could be heard expressing his disbelief at the situation as he finally reached T2 and joined the run, shouting to Dickinson – who was already a full lap into his run – ‘What the hell is going on?’ and shaking his head in anger.

Rattled and unhappy, he immediately set about his task and ran the fastest lap of 06:55 on lap 1, and was running at five seconds a lap faster than the group, but not even this superstar of triathlon was going to recover sufficiently to catch the leaders.

Having already secured maximum points for the season with five wins on the Tour, he knew he couldn’t better his score but that wasn’t the point. 

More controversy as Pearson runs on

Had that been the end of the controversy, then there might not have been such a bizarre finale, but the chaos was only just getting started as Pearson strode out purposefully and seemingly in control at the head of the running pack.

As TV footage showed the American carrying on his merry way around the course, pictures quickly cut across to the finish line, where Noodt was, almost apologetically, standing with the finishing tape around his shoulders.

In a mad minute of complete confusion, nobody knew if he had won or whether, once again, one or more of the athletes had experienced distance difficulty.

Noodt was followed over the line by Luis, and then Dickinson, as Wilde then crossed for what originally seemed like a remarkable fifth place.

Still clearly angry and upset as he finished, Wilde asked TV crews to leave him alone and immediately sought explanations from his fellow competitors and race officials.

The bizarre scene of athletes standing around, unsure of what was going on, and indeed, who had actually won the race, was made even more surreal as Pearson rounded the final bend still believing that he was the race leader.

As he crossed the line, he protested that he had ‘run eight laps’ as he too sought explanation from his colleagues.

Hours later, he was justified in his belief that victory was rightly his.

The confirmed and final top ten reads as follows: