What will be the first race of the WTCS season? Plus, how to watch the 2026 series

The World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) is a pro triathlon racing series across sprint and Olympic distances organised by World Triathlon. The 2026 season will feature 10 WTCS races in settings around the world, bringing together some of the sport’s best athletes for head-to-head racing.

This year is off to a rocky start after the postponement of the season opener in Abu Dhabi (28-29 March) due to the Iran war. It’s unclear whether the race will be rescheduled for a later date. Meanwhile, the second scheduled race of the season, Samarkand on 25 April, acted as the opener.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 WTCS, the race locations, and how to watch.

What happened in the 2025 series?

The first round in Abu Dhabi saw victories for Hayden Wilde in the men’s sprint race, and a German podium sweep for the women, with rising star Lisa Tertsch taking the top step.

The second round in Yokohama, Japan, saw a debut WTCS victory for Luxembourg pro Jeanne Lehair in the women’s standard-distance race. In torrential rain and strong sidewinds, Lehair pulled clear out of T2 to run 10km solo to the tape. For the men, Matt Hauser put in a stirling performance to take the win and lead the championship.

Alghero in Sicily, Italy, hosted its first-ever WTCS event at the end of May, where Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand smashed out a characteristically impressive performance in 1:55:55, 38secs clear of Italy’s Bianca Seregni in second and GB’s Olivia Mathias in third – the latter two in their WTCS podium debuts. In the men’s race, Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo was a class act en route to his first-ever WTCS victory.

Hamburg welcomed back the world’s best short-course athletes for the fourth round in the middle of July. In the men’s race, Hauser was back on top, while for the women, Léonie Périault got the better of her Olympic champion teammate Cassandre Beaugrand, who finished second, and Paris bronze medalist Beth Potter, who took third, to take her second WTCS victory.

What’s happened so far this year?

Beth Potter clinched the win in Samarkand by nine seconds ahead of Léonie Périault, who finished another minute before third-place Jeanne Lehair. Vasco Vilaça ended his long wait for a WTCS win in the men’s race. Henry Graf and Charles Paquet took the remaining podium spots.

When and where is the next WTCS taking place?

Yokohama in Japan will host Olympic-distances races for women and men on 16 May. Tertsch, Beth Potter, Taylor Knibb and Lehair headline the women’s start list. They should fiercely contest the podium in the absence of Cassandre Beaugrand, Périault and Georgia Taylor-Brown, who have all decided not to race.

The men’s field is also strong despite the withdrawal of Hayden Wilde. Reigning champion Hauser returns to racing along with Olympic champion Alex Yee while Miguel Hidalgo (second place in the 2025 series) is the likeliest to finish third out of a long list of contenders.

Which athletes are racing in Yokohama?

Tertsch, Beth Potter, Taylor Knibb and Lehair headline the women’s start list. They should fiercely contest the podium in the absence of Beaugrand, Périault and Georgia Taylor-Brown, who have all decided not to race.

The men’s field is also strong despite the withdrawal of Hayden Wilde. Reigning champion Hauser returns to racing along with Olympic champion Alex Yee while Miguel Hidalgo (second place in the 2025 series) is the likeliest to finish third out of a long list of contenders.

The 2026 WTCS Yokohama pro Olympic course

WTCS Yokohoma Olympic triathlon races will take place in and around Yamashita Park. The 1.5km swim comprises two laps in the Yokohama harbour before the 40km bike. The ten-lap course in the centre of Yokohama features sharp corners and a punchy climb on each lap, making positioning and bike handling critical. The fast 10km run course consists of four laps of the Yokohama waterfront.

How can I watch the 2026 WTCS?

You can watch all races live on TriathlonLive.tv – subscription required.

When do the 2026 WTCS Yokohama events start?

All times are local (Japan Standard Time), which is nine hours ahead of the UK (GMT).

Elite women: 11am start (2am GMT)

Elite men: 1:45pm start (4:45am GMT)

2026 World Triathlon Championship Series

The 2026 series will visit 10* different locations during the season, culminating at the Grand Final in Pontevedra, Spain, on 23-27 September.

*if the postponed Abu Dhabi race is cancelled and no alternative provided, there will be nine season races

WTCS 2026 overview

• 28-29 March: WTCS Abu Dhabi, UAE (sprint and mixed relay) Currently POSTPONED
• 25 April: WTCS Samarkand, Uzbekistan (Olympic) COMPLETED
• 16 May: WTCS Yokohama, Japan (Olympic)
• 30 May: WTCS Alghero, Sardinia, Italy (Olympic)
• 20-21 June: WTCS Quiberon, France (sprint and mixed relay)
• 11-12 July: WTCS Hamburg, Germany (sprint)
• 25 July: WTCS London (Olympic)
• 29 August: WTCS Weihai, China (Olympic)
• 13 September: WTCS Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic (Olympic)
• 23-27 September: WTCS Finals Pontevedra, Spain (sprint, Olympic, mixed relay)

Paratriathlon elite racing in 2026

• 13 March: World Para Series (1/4) Devonport, Australia
• 27 March: World Para Cup Abu Dhabi (POSTPONED)
• 25-26 April: World Para Cup Samarkand, Uzbekistan
• 16-17 May: World Para Series (2/4) Yokohama, Japan
• 20-21 June: World Para Cup Besancon, France
• 27 June: World Para Series (3/4) Montreal, Canada
• 4-5 July: World Para Cup Tegernsee, Germany
• 11-12 July: World Para Series (4/4) Hamburg, Germany
• 18 July: World Para Cup Tata, Morocco
• 5-6 September: World Para Cup Alhandra, Portugal
• 12 October: World Para Cup Chiba, Japan
• 24-25 October: World Para Cup Alanya, Turkey
• 30-31 October: World Para Cup San Pedro de la Paz, Chile