Hayden Wilde of New Zealand and Kate Waugh of Great Britain arrived in Dubai ahead of the T100 event taking place on Saturday, 15 November. Both athletes currently lead their respective standings in the Race to Qatar and approach the penultimate round with an opportunity to strengthen their positions before the season concludes in Doha.
Wilde Targets Sixth Consecutive Victory
Wilde enters the Dubai race with five consecutive wins from events in Singapore, London, the French Riviera, Spain, and Wollongong. His season follows a significant recovery period after a bike crash in Japan in May in which he sustained multiple injuries, including a punctured lung and broken ribs.
“When you’re stuck in a hospital bed after an operation, you’re like, well, can you get back to the level you were in Singapore?” said Wilde, who took part in a T100 Transition Challenge this week in Dubai with local athletes and Kate Waugh. “Just to be able to get back to the start line and race and have that confidence to get back, I’m super excited for that. I’m just taking every race as my opportunity and not taking them for granted, just getting out there and getting amongst it.”
Wilde noted that the Dubai course offers favorable characteristics. “The course suits me really well. Once we get into the lap circuit, it’s relatively technical with a few small climbs. I think the first lead-in lap is going to be quite important for positioning. It’s an iconic location – Dubai is one of the super cities of the world and to be able to close off a few roads and race within the heart of the city is a pretty cool experience.”
Waugh Aims to Consolidate Lead
In the women’s field, Kate Waugh arrives in Dubai following a consistent season that includes podium finishes in every T100 race she has contested and victories in Singapore and Wollongong. She holds a nine-point lead over fellow British athlete Lucy Charles-Barclay, who will not compete in Dubai.
“I’ve been doing triathlon for a very, very long time and I feel like things are finally coming together and I can start to show the work I’ve put in over the years,” said Waugh. “T100 has just allowed me to show that in a new series and it was a new distance for me. I’m incredibly happy and hopefully I can continue on the trajectory I’ve been on this season.”
Reflecting on the season’s progression, Waugh added: “It’s super tight and I think it’s going to require people to have their best performances between now and Qatar. It definitely makes for an exciting end to the year in Qatar and hopefully I can bring my best self to that.”
Season Overview
The 2025 T100 Triathlon World Tour features 100km races (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run) in locations around the world. The season opened in Singapore in April and continued through San Francisco, Vancouver, London, the French Riviera, Spain, and Wollongong.
With Dubai and the Qatar World Championship Final remaining, championship rankings will be determined by each athlete’s best four race scores combined with points from the final, which carries an increased weighting.