Supertri have announced plans for 2026 and there’s a stronger emphasis on their mass participation events rather than separate professional races which have helped innovate and galvanise short-course racing in recent years.
Dynamic, rapid-fire racing was the hallmark of first Super League Triathlon and then Supertri, with many iconic moments, talking points and epic sprint finishes involving some of the sport’s biggest stars.
Short-course legends like Vincent Luis and Katie Zaferes were the stand-out names in the early days but more recently it’s helped the likes of Hayden Wilde become a triathlon great and showcased his rivalry with current Olympic champion Alex Yee. And no one has been more successful in the format than Georgia Taylor-Brown, the most decorated female Olympic triathlete.
So it will be fascinating to see how merging – or “unifying” to use the Supertri press release parlance – the professional and amateur athletes plays out in 2026 and beyond but it does feel like something of a pivot, albeit a logical one on the back of significantly increasing their portfolio of mass participation events both in Europe and the United States.
‘A long-term, financially sustainable future’
The press release reads: “Supertri will stage more short-course triathlon festivals than ever before in 2026, with more professional and amateur athletes participating more frequently, in more races.
“A new unified race format will see 30,000 athletes, from elite to first timers, competing together under one Supertri brand at festivals across North America and Europe.
“Supertri’s reputation for trusted, high-quality events in iconic venues will be supported by increased participation in 2026. The new approach will bring more people into triathlon and cement in place a robust and resilient commercial structure for Supertri and accelerate its long-term sustainable growth strategy.
“In the new unified format, the world’s best triathletes will be competing in a Supertri League series integrated into select Supertri mass participation events. The leading elite athletes will qualify for a new Supertri League final, featuring Supertri’s unique formats and innovations and carrying the biggest one-day purse in triathlon.”
Michael D’Hulst, CEO and co-founder of Supertri, described is as “doubling down on premium quality events and inspiration as well as expanding”.
He added: “We’re proud to be growing triathlon with a structure that delivers a long-term, financially sustainable future for the sport.
“Elite and mass participation athletes competing together can inspire even more people into the sport as well as increase world-class racing opportunities for professional athletes.”
No Supertri E world champs in 2026
Supertri’s 2026 race calendar will include events at its newest acquisitions: the iconic Blenheim Palace Triathlon in the UK and the New Jersey State Triathlon in the US.
Ownership of the Blenheim Palace event, alongside the Chicago Triathlon, means Supertri owns two of the ‘big five’ events in world triathlon, measured by participation.
Supertri believe the changes will more closely align pros and amateurs to grow the sport – and say they are backed by Supertri’s Athlete Advisory Group.
That body is composed of world-class professional athletes and they added: “As elite athletes we want to have the best options for our careers and to grow the sport we love for future generations to enjoy.
“Since its inception, Supertri has been at the cutting edge of innovation in the sport and its plans to bring professionals and amateurs closer together in a way that champions elite level racing and uses that as a platform to inspire new people into the sport is very exciting and the next natural step in its journey. We believe this new model will deliver for all for the long-term and we are excited to be part of it.”
More details are set to follow in the coming weeks but one thing that has been confirmed is that as part of the new structure, Supertri is pausing its Supertri E world championship in 2026 after the decision by the International Olympic Committee to cancel its Esports Games.
