Unprecedented prize money for triathlon is on the line when the first-ever T100 Triathlon World Tour reaches its climax in Dubai this weekend.
It’s the seventh and final race in a season-long series which has seen the best race the best with a frequency which has never been seen before at middle or long distance.
And with that has come the sort of riches which the sport couldn’t have dreamed of a few years ago.
What’s on offer at T100 Dubai?
Here’s what’s on the line in Dubai in terms of the women’s (Saturday) and men’s (Sunday) races:
$2million in end-of-season bonuses, with the two overall winners each walking away with $210,000.
$250,000 in the race purses, whoever comes out on top takes home $25,000 each.
$1.5million in contract payments. The top 10 women and men will all be offered contracts for the 2025 T100 season which promises to be the biggest yet with eight races all but confirmed already.
That last figure is approximate and could easily be higher. This season’s contract payments were $3million, though that was for the top 20 in each, which is why we’ve halved it for the top 10.
And of course getting a lucrative spot next year means the chance to compete in at least eight $250,000 races, contend for the end-of-season prize pool and also get a massive leg up in the PTO’s world rankings and all that brings.
How does it compare to other races?
For triathlon these are unchartered – but hugely welcome – waters. And even better, the T100 opportunities aren’t an isolated case.
Arguably in response to the PTO’s initiatives [the PTO is the Professional Triathletes’ Organisation which has created the T100], the IRONMAN Pro Series was born this year.
And, after the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in New Zealand in mid-December, $1.7million in end-of-season bonuses will be shared by those leading the way.
supertri arguably comes next in the pecking order, with short-course stars sharing well over $1million after this season’s five races which culminated in their Grand Final in Neom – where the bulk of the money was determined by the team standings, a typically innovative approach from them.
The WTCS prize money pool is significant too and before we get too carried away with money, it’s worth mentioning that the sport’s most prestigious title – that of Olympic champion – doesn’t come with an accompanying financial reward, at least not directly.
Challenge Family’s World Tour Bonus pool is pretty much settled too – with $100,000 poised to be shared out there.
But all of that is still a significant way behind the near $4million-plus that’s effectively up for grabs this weekend in Dubai. To find out who’s in the running for the biggest pay cheques ever click on our women’s and men’s race previews.
Are we in a triathlon boom, or hurtling towards burnout? Laura Siddall on the growth of the sport
