Abu Dhabi, Edmonton to Host Future World Triathlon Multisport Championships

The World Triathlon Executive Board has awarded the 2026 World Triathlon Multisport Championships to Abu Dhabi, while the 2027 edition will travel to Edmonton, Alberta, while also adding several new events that start in 2024.

“We are delighted to see the continued commitment of Abu Dhabi with our sport,” said World Triathlon President Marisol Casado. “They have shown year after year the desire to grow triathlon and to host the world’s best athletes in a remarkable setting. After years of hosting outstanding WTCS action, it is hugely exciting to know that the Multisport World Championships will be the next top-level event to benefit from the formidable experience and dedication of Abu Dhabi as well as Edmonton.”

The Multisport World Championships bring together duathlon, cross duathlon, long-distance triathlon, long-distance aquabike, aquathlon and cross triathlon world championship races in a week-long festival. In 2023, the event was in Ibiza, Spain, with the 2024 event scheduled for Townsville, Australia, and 2025 championships in Pontevedra, Spain.

“On behalf of Modon, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the UAE Triathlon Federation, the Department of Culture and Tourism and all Abu Dhabi stakeholders, we are delighted to acknowledge that Abu Dhabi Hudayriyat Island has been awarded the 2026 World Triathlon Multisport Championship,” said Bill O’Regan, chief executive officer of Modon.

After going to Abu Dhabi in 2026, the event in 2027 will head to Edmonton. The Multisport Championships 2027 are the latest in a long line of triathlon events hosted by Edmonton, including the World Triathlon Championships 2021, PTO Canadian Open 2022, the Americas Triathlon Cup 2023 and over 20 years of hosting World Cups and World Series events.

“What an exciting day for Edmonton as we welcome back a sport that has taken centre stage so many times in our great city,” said Janelle Janis, executive director, events and business development at Explore Edmonton. “The World Triathlon Multisport Championships will bring thousands of the world’s best athletes and their fans to town and we know that our city will shine as a host on the international stage. We’ll be counting the days until 2027 and we look forward to building on our hosting experience to deliver a truly world-class event.”

World Triathlon also confirmed that the 2024 Mixed Relay Championships will be held in Hamburg, Germany, during the weekend of the World Triathlon Championship Series with modifications made to the previously announced 2024 calendar. Tongyeong, Korea, will host a Standard distance race on the weekend of October 26–27, 2024. The 2024 World Triathlon Cup in Valencia, Italy, planned for September 21, 2024, will now take place on the weekend of September 14, 2024.
Four World Triathlon Para Cups have also been added to the 2024 calendar, three of them during the Paralympic qualification period: Yenihesir, Turkey, on April 20, 2024, before Vigo, Spain, will make its debut on the Para circuit hosting a Para Triathlon Cup on June 1–2. The Para triathlon circuit will go to Taranto, Italy, for the second annual Para Cup on June 8–9, 2024. The last addition to the Para calendar will be Alhandra, Portugal, on October 12, 2024, a week before the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Malaga that will also award this year’s Para triathlon world titles.