Elite triathlon comes in various forms. Broadly speaking, racing at the elite level in short course can be broken down by distance and by the category of race.
To start with distances, the races all follow a similar logic. The Olympic distance was the original distance having been standardised over thirty years ago as part of triathlon’s pitch to be included in the Summer Olympics. This format consists of a 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run.
The Sprint distance evolved a little later. This format involves a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run; essentially, it represents a half-distance of the Olympic race.
The Super Sprint has been an even more recent introduction and is not yet set in stone. Generally it falls around 300m swim, 8km bike, 2km run and it actually finds its roots more in the amateur side of the sport. The Super Sprint has long been a classic entry distance for newcomers to the sport and youth and junior athletes. Nowadays, it is increasingly becoming a feature at the highest levels of the sport and is an instance of how all levels of triathlon are intertwined.
The Mixed Relay follows the same distances as the Super Sprint. The difference between the Super Sprint and the Mixed Relay is that the Mixed Relay is contested by two men and two women (it currently runs in a male-female-male-female format). In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics, the Mixed Relay made its debut in the Olympic Games, some 21 years after triathlon’s original debut at Sydney.
The Olympic distance and Mixed Relay are the two events that are contested at the Olympic Games. Aside from the Olympics, though, there are several categories of racing.
World Triathlon Championship Series
The WTCS is the premier circuit in triathlon. As the format that determines the world champion for each year, it is virtually on par with the Olympic Games. The Series consists of around 6-8 races across the season where the best triathletes in the world go head-to-head. At the end of the season, a Final is staged over the Olympic distance.
The Final is worth more points than the rest of the races and it is here, by adding an athlete’s total score across races in the Series and Final, that the World Champion is determined. For example, in 2022, athletes could score from 4 WTCS races in the season and have a 5th result at the Final.
World Cups
The World Cup series is the tier below the WTCS. It is a legacy of the old structure of triathlon that began in the 1990s and ran through to 2008 in which world champions were determined in a single-day race. The World Cups were designed to afford elite triathletes racing opportunities throughout the season and to drive the growth of the sport.
Like the WTCS, World Cup races take place around the world. There are generally more World Cup races each year, often numbering around 12. The WTCS and World Cups are currently separate circuits. World Cup races do not count towards the WTCS rankings.
One crucial point to note is that World Cups offer points to athletes that count for both the World Triathlon Rankings and the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Rankings. While WTCS races offer more points, World Cups are consequently one vital path upon which athletes can try to qualify for the Olympics.
Continental Cups
The Continental Cups are the third and final tier of international triathlon. These events take place on all continents and are an introductory race for aspiring elites.
They count towards the World Triathlon Rankings, although they are worth fewer points than WTCS or World Cups, and the do not count towards Olympic qualification.
Junior Continental Cups
The Junior Continental Cups follow the same pattern as the Continental Cups and often the events take place at the same location over the same weekend. The key distinction is that Junior Continental Cups are exclusively for Juniors athletes aged 19 and under (their age as of 31 December of the year is used to determine their eligibility). Generally these races are contested over the Sprint distance.
Continental/Regional Championships
Lastly, we come to the Continental Championships. Continental Championships take place for Europea, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. World Triathlon group North America and South America together for the Americas Championships.
Examples of Regional Championships include the South East Asian Games. These events are races limited to certain regions, but not quite continents.
At Continental Championships, Junior and U23 athletes often have their own category. Throughout the year, there will usually be different Championships for each distance. The Olympic and Sprint races are most common and as such there are usually two Continental Championships per continent each season.
Continental Championships are important events for most athletes. In 2022, athletes could use a Continental Championship race over the Olympic distance as a score towards their WTCS total. They were, however, worth fewer points than a WTCS race.
