T100 Triathlon partners with Visit Qatar for season rebrand and new finale
The T100 Triathlon World Tour has partnered with Visit Qatar in a deal that will see the expanded nine-race season rebranded the T100 Race to Qatar.
Doha and Lusail will also stage the finale to the tour, where 20 of the best men’s and women’s triathletes will battle to be crowned T100 World Champions, for the next five years.
“We’ve been very clear with our strategy for the T100 Triathlon World Tour to visit iconic locations, along with our desire to position the series as a race to one ‘hero’ destination, as happens in many other professional sports,” said PTO CEO Sam Renouf.
“This five-year partnership with Visit Qatar allows us to do exactly that, with the season-long series now being known as the T100 Race to Qatar in one of the fastest growing, family friendly tourist destinations in the world, which saw more than 5m visitors last year.”
The deal is a major milestone for the T100 World Tour and echoes the Race to Dubai, the season-long narrative that drives the men’s European golf circuit.
The T100 World Tour is run by the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO), backed by celebrated investor Sir Michael Moritz and part-owned by its athletes.
It features 40 of the best triathletes in the world, including Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay and reigning champions Taylor Knibb and Marten Van Riel.
Other stops on the tour are London, Singapore, San Francisco, Ibiza, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Dubai, France and Spain, with mass participation events taking place on the same weekend as elite races.
T100 deal adds to Qatar’s sporting portfolio
Qatar’s partnership marks the latest step in its investment in sport, following the hosting of the men’s Fifa World Cup in 2022 and a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The Gulf state, which owns French football giants Paris Saint-Germain, was also an early mover in the fast-growing sport of padel, launching professional tour Premier Padel.
“We are delighted to partner with the Professional Triathletes Organisation to host the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final in our vibrant cities for the next five years,” said Abdulaziz Al-Mawlawi, CEO of Visit Qatar.
“This event underscores Qatar’s growing reputation as a premier sports destination, showcasing our commitment to hosting world-class international sporting events. Qatar’s infrastructures, state-of-the-art facilities, and rich sports culture offers the perfect environment to host this event.
“This collaboration further strengthens Qatar’s position as a global hub for sports tourism, inspiring both professional athletes and enthusiasts alike.”
As part of the deal, the T100 Triathlon World Tour season finale in December will also introduce finals for amateur participants at different age groups.
“Qatar’s local population and visitors are also showing a strong demand not only to attend world class sports events, but also, increasingly, to participate in them – following the influx of events like the Fifa World Cup and Formula 1 in recent years,” added Renouf.
“So, as well as being a spectacular venue for the climax of our new professional series, the weekend will also host events for amateur swimmers, cyclists and runners – from first-timers through to our inaugural T100 Age Group World Championships.”