Women will take centre stage when the Dubai T100 Triathlon Weekend returns from 13-15 November, with the event’s professional race set to feature an exclusively female field as the event moves to its new coastal home at Al Mamzar.
With 50 days remaining, organisers have confirmed that 20 of the world’s leading professional women will race in Dubai as the T100 Race to Qatar approaches its conclusion. The professional line-up will be announced in the coming weeks.
The milestone also falls during Emirati Women’s Month, which runs until September 28. Organisers are using the occasion to encourage more Emirati women to take part, with Sprint, Olympic, relay and 100km options available across the weekend.
Meanwhile, more than 2,000 amateur athletes representing 57 nationalities have already registered for the third edition of the event.
Dubai professional race becomes all-female event
The focus on women’s racing follows changes to the T100 competition format for 2026.
Male and female professionals are racing four separate individual T100 weekends before both fields come together for the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final, taking place from December 10-12.
As a result, Dubai’s professional competition will be an all-female affair, placing women’s elite racing at the centre of the November weekend.
The race will also be carried through a global broadcast feed, giving the 20-woman professional field an international platform as the T100 season enters its closing Middle East stretch.
PTO CEO Sam Renouf said the professional race could also provide inspiration for women and girls watching the event.
Renouf looks to inspire Emirati women and girls
“Emirati Women’s Month is a celebration of what Emirati women achieve, and we’re proud to play our part. The Dubai T100 will feature 20 of the world’s best professional women racing around the city on a global broadcast feed, and we hope that inspires the next generation of Emirati women and girls to take on a challenge of their own. We’d love to see more Emirati women on the start line at Al Mamzar this November, as part of Dubai Fitness Challenge.”
Emirati women encouraged to take on the challenge
Beyond the professional field, organisers are encouraging Emirati women to participate in the amateur races at Al Mamzar.
The expanded programme offers several distances and formats depending on experience. First-time triathletes can enter the Sprint, which consists of a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.
A new Olympic distance has been introduced for 2026, comprising a 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run. Relay options will also be available across both the Sprint and Olympic distances, allowing friends or colleagues to divide the disciplines between them.
More experienced age-group athletes can take on the signature 100km race, featuring a 2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run.
Register for the Dubai T100 amateur races
More than 2,000 athletes already registered
The amateur field is already shaping up to be highly international, with athletes from 57 nationalities registered 50 days before race weekend.
More than a third of those entrants are returning participants.
The figures follow the 2025 event at Meydan, which attracted more than 3,000 triathletes and 15,000 spectators across the weekend.
For 2026, the event moves to Al Mamzar, bringing the professional and amateur programme together at a single coastal venue.
Renouf said the expanded race options should make the weekend accessible to athletes across a wider range of experience levels.
New formats broaden Dubai T100 participation
“Fifty days out, the momentum behind this year’s Dubai T100 is encouraging to see. Moving to Al Mamzar gives us a single venue for the whole weekend, and with the new Olympic distance as well as relay options the Sprint and Olympic, there has never been an easier way into the event, whatever your level. Add the world’s best female professionals racing as the T100 Race to Qatar reaches its climax, and this is shaping up to be a great weekend of swim, bike and run in Dubai.”
Dubai Fitness Challenge returns alongside T100
Race weekend will once again form part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, which celebrates its tenth edition in 2026.
The citywide 30×30 initiative will run from October 31 to November 29, placing the T100 weekend within a month of activities encouraging residents to become more active.
His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, said:
“The Dubai T100 Triathlon Weekend has become an important fixture on our sporting calendar, and its move to Al Mamzar will showcase another distinctive side of the city to audiences around the world. As part of the tenth edition of Dubai Fitness Challenge, the event captures exactly what 30×30 stands for – a world-class sport inspiring people of all ages and abilities across Dubai to get active and take on a challenge of their own.”
Spectator entry to Al Mamzar will be free throughout race weekend.
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