The World Triathlon Championship Series 2024 is set to kick off in Abu Dhabi, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council from 8 to 9 March 2024. Following the success of hosting the Championship Finals in 2022, and opening race in 2023, Abu Dhabi will be the venue for the MENA region's only World Triathlon Championship opening event. It marks the ninth consecutive year that the capital city will host this prestigious event before the series continues to Yokohama, Japan; Cagliari, Italy; Hamburg, Germany; Montreal, Canada; and concludes with the Championship Finals in Malaga, Spain.
Underscoring Abu Dhabi's status as a hub for international sporting events, the opening round of the World Triathlon Championship Series will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit. Athletes will navigate the waterways, tracks, and roads, concluding their race on the iconic F1 start line, right in front of the Main Grandstand.
The event village in the F1 Pit Lanes will return in 2024 and be open to the public on Friday and Saturday. It offers a range of family-friendly entertainment and amenities for spectators of all ages. With expectations to draw the world's top athletes racing for crucial Olympic or Paralympic qualifying points ahead of the Paris Games, the event will see 270 elite and para elite triathletes competing across four categories: the World Triathlon Championship Men’s and Women’s Sprint race, the Para World Cup, and the Elite Mixed Team Relay.
In addition to the elite races, the event will feature thousands of age group and junior triathletes, cyclists, and runners participating in community races. The schedule includes fifteen different community race categories catering to various ages, abilities, and fitness levels, with dedicated races for athletes of determination. Notably, the 2024 edition introduces single discipline community running and cycling races, providing an opportunity for runners and cyclists to be part of this global triathlon event.
Aref Alawani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are excited to once again open the global World Triathlon Championship Series here in the capital in March. Kicking off the 2024 season, the hosting of this important event as elite athletes prepare for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games further reaffirms Abu Dhabi’s standing as a leading destination for major global and international sporting events. We also look forward to welcome our community athletes, who travel from across the region, back for more competition in March. This year’s addition of single discipline running and cycling events, alongside the triathlon events, makes this wonderful weekend more accessible than ever before.”