**This is a preview of the T100 Triathlon World Tour race on the Gold Coast. For the race report, click HERE**
The T100 Triathlon World Tour gets underway today as the women line up on the Gold Coast of Australia with a glorious opportunity to get some early points on the board.
With so many big-name athletes now missing from the pro start list, it leaves the race very much wide open in what is sure to still be a thrilling start to the new campaign.
In a break with previous years, only one pro race will now be hosted at each venue, with the women kicking things off in Queensland and the men starting their 2026 season in Singapore on April 25.
Here’s all you need to know…
Start time and how to watch live
The women’s pro race takes place on Saturday, March 21, at 13:35 local time out on the east coast of Australia. Viewers around the world will be able to watch the event live and for free by downloading and registering for an account via Triathlonlive.tv.
TNT Sports will also be showing the race live in the UK and Ireland, while discovery+ (Europe, Asia-Pacific and Indian Sub-Continent), Max (US) and Eurosport (Europe, Asia-Pacific and Indian Sub-Continent) are screening it around the world.
Outside of Europe you can also watch for free on the PTO’s YouTube channel.
Race start times around the world are as follows, with the various broadcasts beginning five minutes earlier: UK – 03:30; Central Europe – 04:30; East Coast – 22:30 (Friday); Central US – 21:30 (Friday); Pacific Coast – 19:30 (Friday).
The Gold Coast course
The Gold Coast T100 begins with a stunning 2km swim off Broadwater Parklands, where the average water temperature is expected to be around 24C-27C, before the athletes then head out on a fast and scenic 80km bike course along the Coast’s iconic beachfront – four out-and-back 20km loops which should play right into Taylor Knibb’s hands.
A flat 18km run through the vibrant coastal precincts of the region brings this race to an end as the athletes head for the tape in the very heart of Surfers Paradise on the Esplanade.
Pro women’s field
The opening race of the T100 season has seen several big names drop out over recent weeks. Lucy Charles-Barclay was never going to start, given that she has recently had surgery on a tendon issue, but it will undoubtedly have been a blow for race organisers to have lost the likes of Kate Waugh, Ashleigh Gentle, Julie Derron and Lucy Byram from their start list.
Waugh and Derron have said they hope to be back for the second race in the schedule when the T100 bandwagon rolls on to Spain on May 23.
It leaves the field very much open in a race which still promises to be a spectacle with some of the world’s top competitors ready to do battle in the wonderful surroundings of eastern Australia’s coastline.
American Taylor Knibb, home-favourite Ellie Salthouse, Spaniard Sara Perez Sala and Belgian Hanne De Vet will all be looking to make the most of a weakened field as they go in search of early points in the Road to Qatar series.
New-look T100 for 2026
This season sees a number of changes to the old T100 format, with the largest of those being that all races have now been split into specifically men’s and women’s events for the pros.
The women will race in four events, kicking off with the Gold Coast this weekend, before heading to Spain on May 23, Vancouver on August 15, and Dubai on November 14. The men start in Singapore on April 25, then head to San Francisco on June 6, the French Riviera on September 19, and then Saudi Arabia in November.
Both men’s and women’s finals will take place on the same day, with the Qatar T100 Final due to take place on December 11.
There are no athlete contracts this season, meaning there’s no guaranteed payday for any of the pros. Instead, it’ll all come down to performances on the day, with each race having an increased prize purse of $275,000 – the winner taking $50,000, double the amount compared to last year.
A further $725,000 per gender is up for grabs in the end-of-season T100 standings, with each T100 World Champion adding $100,000 to their winnings.
Each athlete’s final end-of-season score will be made up of their best three regular-season results plus their Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final points.
Hostilities in the Middle East region are being monitored closely, with venues in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Qatar under threat, should the conflict extend into the latter part of the year.
Matt Hauser hoping for a 10k PB
While no men are competing in the pro T100 event this weekend, one of the world’s leading triathletes has confirmed that he will be taking part in the associated 10k event, which is being held on Sunday at 06:00 local time.
Short-course star and WTCS world champion Matt Hauser will line up for the race as he bids for a new PB at the distance. And as if that wasn’t enough, there are rumours that he has managed to entice British Olympic gold medallist Alex Yee along to be his pacer.
While there has been nothing in the way of official confirmation, news has been flying around social media that Yee, who is out in the region on a training camp, could be set for a special guest appearance.
Now that will be some pace for the rest of the field to keep up with!!!
Places are still available for runners to join the 10k, which starts at Broadwater Parklands and finishes along the esplanade to Surfers Paradise. Those interested in signing up for Sunday’s race can do so HERE.
