Hayden Wilde Shows Dominance Once Again: Rock-Solid Victory At Dubai T100 Triathlon
Al Mamzar, Dubai: New Zealand superstar Hayden Wilde has won the Dubai T100 Triathlon at Al Mamzar Beach Park after a thrilling duel, primarily with Kyle Smith. Wilde raced from the front all day and once again demonstrated his dominance.
Following earlier victories this season at the Singapore T100 Triathlon and the Ekoï French Riviera T100 Triathlon, Wilde now has three wins under his belt, heading into the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final with a perfect score. Just one day before his victory in Dubai, he also raced in the WTCS Abu Dhabi yesterday, where he finished third.
Kyle Smith made a particularly strong impression today and was at the front during both the swim and the bike. During the first ten kilometres of the run, he set the pace and took the lead in the race. Over the past two months, the New Zealander had already achieved a third-place finish at the Ekoï French Riviera T100 Triathlon and a first-place finish at Challenge Barcelona. His second place at the Dubai T100 Triathlon once again confirms his excellent form.
Mika Noodt rounded out the podium, taking bronze today. For the German, the Dubai T100 Triathlon marked an emotional comeback after he suffered a serious crash in mid-July in a different race series and underwent a long rehabilitation period.
The result means that Wilde extends his lead in the T100 Race To Qatar to 105 points, with Smith NZL in second on 63 points and Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) in third on 59 points. Athletes select their best three finishes plus the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final.
Next up for the men and women is the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final on 11-12 December.
Key Quotes
Winner: Hayden Wilde (NZL)
On racing the WTCS Abu Dhabi one day before the Dubai T100 Triathlon:
“It’s a lot easier to first do the sprint and then the T100 than doing it the other way around. I still felt my quads at the end of the ride, but I paced myself through the run and felt pretty strong.”
On training and racing with Kyle Smith:
“He worked really well on the first two laps of the run, and then I made my move, but he was very strong today. It was really cool to see him doing so well. We are spending three weeks in Abu Dhabi now for some hard training, enjoying some sunshine, and getting some indoor snow before racing the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final.”
Second: Kyle Smith (NZL)
On race dynamics and expectations to win:
“Hayden is just so good. At the 10km mark of the run, I was feeling great, but I knew he was just waiting and waiting. It’s great to be training together and to see us finish first and second today.”
On his chance to get closer to the top position, before racing the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final:
“We’re both going to Abu Dhabi for a training camp and some heat prep. You definitely need that. I’m feeling confident and good. What works for me works for Hayden, so we’re both going on a training camp, and he is getting better as well.”
Third: Mika Noodt (GER)
On his comeback after a heavy crash earlier this season:
“Physically, I was sure I was able to get back on the podium, mentally definitely not. I was not sure I could do it, but I’m very happy.”
On how the race unfold:
“The swim was quite easy. I didn’t take it out too hard, and didn’t want to push too much. The bike was pretty polarised, except for Rico Bogen’s surges. The bike was a mental challenge after what happened. Physically I felt great; it was one of the easiest bike rides physically. On the run I felt really good. Very happy – I felt pretty in control.”
On his preparations towards the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final:
“I’m still on my way up, still not 100% training. I’m going to the Sierra Nevada for altitude training. I enjoy the silence up there. I’m going to push it a bit more on the run to get the speed back, hopefully to keep up with the guys in Qatar.”
HOW THE RACE UNFOLDED
Al Mamzar beach was the setting for the swim leg of the Dubai T100 Triathlon. It was not entirely unexpected that the consistently strong swimmer Menno Koolhaas (NED) took the lead during the two swim laps and led the field halfway through the swim; however, the Dutchman was closely followed by Rico Bogen (GER), Enzo Bourdon (FRA), Antonio Benito López (SPA), Andrea Salvisberg (SUI), and Hayden Wilde (NZL), among others. Seventeen men were bunched together at this point, keeping the gaps small during this phase.
The azure-blue water was like a millpond, which suited Bogen well, as on the second swim lap he took over the lead from Koolhaas and the German ultimately exited the water first after 24:18 minutes. Under Bogen’s high pace, the large leading group was stretched out a bit more, though Koolhaas, Benito López, Henry Räppo (EST), Wilde, Salvisberg, Barreau (FRA), and Mika Noodt (GER) still came out of the water within eleven seconds of each other.
Straight out of the water, a 600-meter run to T1 followed, during which Wilde – who was still in action yesterday at the WTCS Abu Dhabi – passed Bogen. However, the fastest transition at the front ultimately went to Koolhaas, allowing the Dutchman to be the first to hop on his bike. The bike course was four laps on the fast and flat roads of the stunning Al Mamzar.
During the first few kilometres on the bike, several men took turns at the front in quick succession, though it was ultimately Wilde in particular who began to dictate the pace. This ensured that increasingly larger gaps opened up after the first twenty kilometres, with only Kyle Smith (NZL), Noodt, Salvisberg, Bogen, Kurt McDonald (AUS), and Räppo following within fifteen seconds. The conditions were perfect; a clear blue sky and virtually no wind kept the pace consistently high, with average speeds of far over 46 kilometres per hour
Meanwhile, a battle of the titans broke out between Smith, Bogen, Wilde, Salvisberg, and Noodt; these five men ultimately stayed together, refused to give an inch to one another, took regular turns at the front – respecting the drafting zones – and above all saw their lead over the rest of the field grow. With 25 kilometres left to bike, only Räppo (+0:44) was still following within a minute, while the rest of the field had already been put a minute or much further behind.
Rico Bogen was ultimately the first to rack his bike back in T2, closely followed by the same four men who had been riding near him the entire time. The German was also the first man to start the final four-lap 18-kilometre run through Al Mamzar Park. Within the very first meters, Wilde passed him, even though the New Zealander dropped a gel along the way, deliberately choosing to turn back and pick it up.
Right from the first of four run laps, it became clear that no one would be handed the victory for free; Wilde was immediately joined by Smith, who had already finished third at the Ekoï French Riviera T100 in September and won Challenge Barcelona last month. The two New Zealanders pushed the pace significantly, with Smith in particular taking the lead. Meanwhile, Bogen (+0:21), Noodt (+0:29), Salvisberg (+0:34), and Räppo (+0:59) were also still following closely behind.
While Salvisberg and Noodt caught up with Bogen with ten kilometres to go – now a minute behind the two leaders and thus in the battle for bronze – Smith kept the pace high at the front in an attempt to drop Wilde. It proved not to be enough, as a kilometre later it was Wilde who put in an acceleration that immediately proved decisive.
In the final kilometres, Wilde pulled away strongly from Smith before winning the Dubai T100 Triathlon. Smith secured a strong second place, while Noodt claimed the bronze.
Race Finish
| Position | Athlete | Finish | T100 Race To Qatar Points | Prize Money |
| 1 | Hayden Wilde | 3:11:43 | 35 | $50,000 |
| 2 | Kyle Smith | 3:12:52 | 29 | $40,000 |
| 3 | Mika Noodt | 3:14:01 | 26 | $30,000 |
| 4 | Andrea Salvisberg | 3:15:12 | 23 | $25,000 |
| 5 | Menno Koolhaas | 3:15:40 | 20 | $21,000 |
| 6 | Henry Räppo | 3:16:07 | 18 | $18,000 |
| 7 | Gregor Payet | 3:17:01 | 16 | $15,000 |
| 8 | Kurt McDonald | 3:17:15 | 14 | $13,000 |
| 9 | Rico Bogen | 3:17:50 | 12 | $10,000 |
| 10 | Antonio Benito López | 3:22:06 | 11 | $7,500 |
| 11 | Will Draper | 3:24:15 | 10 | $6,500 |
| 12 | Jack Hutchens | 3:25:58 | 9 | $6,000 |
| 13 | Thomas Davis | 3:26:36 | 8 | $5,500 |
| 14 | Paul Schuster | 3:27:01 | 7 | $5,000 |
| 15 | Ondrej Kubo | 3:29:12 | 6 | $4,500 |
| 16 | Quentin Barreau | 3:29:39 | 5 | $4,000 |
| 17 | Kieran Storch | 3:31:44 | 4 | $3,500 |
| 18 | Filipe Azevedo | 3:34:11 | 3 | $3,500 |
| 19 | Enzo Bourdon | 3:36:40 | 2 | $3,500 |
-ends-
Note To Editors:
For race pictures go to: https://t100triathlon.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000vnSxYW3NzFs/Media-Selects
How the 2026 T100 Triathlon World Tour works:
- Athletes score 35 points for first place to 1 pt for 20th place at each of the races; 2nd – 29 points; and 3rd – 26 points
- The Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final has increased points to up the ante (55 pts down to 4 pts)
- Each athlete’s best three T100 race scores plus the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final will count towards the women’s and men’s T100 World Championship titles
- $275,000 USD prize fund at each T100, totalling $2,750,000 across the nine races (1st place – $50,000k; 2nd – $40,000; 3rd – $30,000 at each race)
- The series winners following the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final will be crowned T100 Triathlon World Champion and collect $100,000 USD from an additional total prize pool of $1,450,000 (2nd – $80,000; 3rd – 75,000)
- Between the T100 race prize fund and T100 Triathlon World Tour pool, the series provides $4,200,000 in athlete compensation, and is distributed in a way that not only rewards the winners, but also recognises the significant achievement of racing at this level
- For more details, visit https://t100triathlon.com/pro-racing/
For Further Information:
PTO – Anthony Scammell E: [email protected]
About Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO)
The PTO is a sports body that is co-owned by its professional athletes, seeking to elevate and grow the sport of triathlon and take it to the next level. Its T100 Triathlon World Tour was introduced in January 2024 and is designated by World Triathlon as the ‘official World Championship for long distance triathlon’. This is part of a 12-year strategic partnership with the sport’s international governing body to develop the sport and it will grow further in 2027 with the launch of the new Triathlon World Tour. The T100 Triathlon World Tour is a season-long schedule of World Championship level races competed over 100km (2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run), where the world’s best triathletes go head-to-head in iconic locations. In 2026, the T100 Tour has already been to: the Gold Coast (21-22 March), Singapore (25-26 April), Spain (23-24 May), San Francisco (6-7 June), Vancouver (15-16 August), French Riviera (19-20 September) and Dubai (12-15 November) with the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final on 11-12 December. T100 weekends are ‘festivals of multisport’ and feature a range of opportunities for amateur athletes of all levels to get involved. From experienced amateurs tackling the 100km distance to first-time swim, bike and run participants taking on single discipline, untimed events. For more information visit www.t100triathlon.com
World Triathlon is the international governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of triathlon and all related multisport disciplines around the world, including duathlon, aquathlon, cross triathlon and winter triathlon. Triathlon made its Olympic debut in Sydney 2000, with a third medal event, the Mixed Team Relay, added to the programme at Tokyo 2020, while para triathlon was first added to the Paralympic programme at Rio 2016. World Triathlon is proudly committed to the development of the sport worldwide, with inclusion, equality, sustainability and transparency at our core as we seek to help triathletes at all levels of the sport to be extraordinary.
