The pre-race favorites delivered in spectacular fashion: Hayden Wilde and Kate Waugh dominated the T100 Grand Final Qatar today, securing not only the race victory but also the overall titles – and a hefty $200,000 bonus.
Men’s Race: Wilde Unstoppable Despite ‘Slow’ Swim
From the start, the men’s race was fast-paced, with strong swimmers like Vincent Luis, Morgan Pearson, and Samuel Dickinson leading the way. Representing the Netherlands, Menno Koolhaas stayed well in contention, while other top contenders like Jelle Geens and Marten van Riel were also prominent. Hayden Wilde, however, was a notable absence at the front in the swim, emerging 39 seconds behind in 13th place. But panic was unnecessary – this is a pattern for Wilde, who quickly made up ground on the bike.
Within just a few kilometers on the bike, Wilde surged past the long line of competitors and claimed the lead. A large lead group formed but gradually thinned out. Halfway through the bike, Rico Bogen crashed after a steering error, yet he managed to stay with the front pack, which now consisted of Wilde, Bogen, Margirier, Noodt, and Van Riel.
The biggest surprise came soon after: Geens began to lose contact and dropped significant time. By T2, his deficit had grown to over two minutes.
On the run, there was plenty of action in the fight for silver and bronze, but in the battle for victory, there was only one man in contention: Hayden Wilde. From T2, he immediately broke away from everyone and continued to extend his lead. Behind him, a compelling battle unfolded between Van Riel, Noodt, Bogen, and Margirier, but what stood out most was how strongly Morgan Pearson charged from the back. So strong, in fact, that after eleven kilometers he had overtaken all his pursuers to secure second place.
Wilde won the race in 3:06:08, Pearson took second in 3:07:23, and Van Riel claimed third in 3:08:14.
Overall Standings after Qatar Grand Final – Men:
- 1st Hayden Wilde – 195 points
- 2nd Mika Noodt – 150 points
- 3rd Jelle Geens – 149 points
Women’s Race: Waugh Edges Out Taylor-Brown in Thriller
In the women’s swim, Lucy Charles-Barclay initially set the pace, but impressively, several women – including Jessica Learmonth, Taylor Spivey, Kate Waugh, Holly Lawrence, Sara Perez Sala, Georgia Taylor-Brown, and India Lee – remained close behind. Julie Derron, vying for the overall title, lost a minute in the swim.
The bike quickly shaped the race. Charles-Barclay, Learmonth, and Waugh formed a leading trio that stayed together until T2. Behind them, contenders like India Lee and Georgia Taylor-Brown tried to chase, but never closed the gap. Waugh had a brief scare near the end of the bike when an aid station was empty as all the volunteers suddenly left; she wisely stopped to grap a new bottle and quickly rejoined the leaders.
The decisive moments came on the run. Waugh, opting for a no-socks strategy in a quick T2, immediately surged into the lead and maintained her advantage. Behind her, Taylor-Brown and Derron launched impressive comebacks, making the final kilometers extremely tense. In the end, Waugh held on by just 20 seconds over Taylor-Brown.
Top Finishers – Women:
- Kate Waugh – 3:31:30
- Georgia Taylor-Brown – +0:20
- Julie Derron – +1:01
Overall Standings after Qatar Grand Final – Women:
- 1st Kate Waugh – 183 points
- 2nd Julie Derron – 163 points
- 3rd Lucy Charles-Barclay – 152 points
With the race concluded, Triathlon Today provided live updates throughout the event, capturing every moment of this thrilling finale. You can find that liveblog here.
