Dubai T100 takes place at Al Mamzar from 13 to 15 November 2026, giving age-group athletes three different racing options: Sprint, Olympic and the signature 100 km triathlon.
Each presents a different performance challenge. The Sprint starts later in the day and may expose athletes to warmer conditions; the Olympic rewards controlled speed across the standard distance, and the 100 km format places unusual emphasis on sustaining an 80 km bike without compromising the final 18 km run.
| Event dates | 13–15 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Start location | Al Mamzar, Dubai |
| Olympic race | Saturday, 14 November 2026, at 06:45 |
| 100km race | Sunday, 15 November 2026, at 06:45 |
| Sprint race | Sunday, 15 November 2026, at 10:45 |
| Swim | Ocean |
| Bike | Described by the organiser as undulating |
| Run | Described by the organiser as flat |
| Average water temperature | 28°C–29°C |
| Average air temperature | 25°C–31°C |
| Official event page | Dubai T100 |
The 2026 course maps, GPX files, race-pack collection and bike check-in details remain unconfirmed. Start times may change with final road closures.
Racing Dubai T100 With a Podium, Qualification or PB Target?
Coach de Bruin can structure your preparation around your chosen distance, current performance data and available training time.
Dubai T100 Race Distances and Entry Options
| Race | Distances | Minimum age | Published entry price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100km Individual | 2km swim / 80km bike / 18km run | 18 | AED 2,194.00 |
| Olympic Individual | 1.5km swim / 40km bike / 10km run | 18 | AED 1,124.00 |
| Olympic Team Relay | 1.5km swim / 40km bike / 10km run | 18 | AED 1,175.00 / team |
| Sprint Individual | 750m swim / 20km bike / 5km run | 16 | AED 624 |
| Sprint Team Relay | 750m swim / 20km bike / 5km run | 16 | AED 764 / team |
Prices include VAT but exclude the stated 4.99% booking fee. Entries include T100 merchandise, closed-road racing, a medal, chip timing, age-group awards and on-course nutrition.
Coach de Bruin’s View: These Are Three Different Races
The Sprint, Olympic and 100 km events share a venue, but they should not share the same preparation, with only the session duration being changed. The required intensity, warm-up, fuelling, pacing tolerance and transition strategy differ substantially.
Coach de Bruin begins by determining which physiological qualities will decide the athlete’s chosen race:
- For the sprint, that may be the ability to tolerate high intensity immediately in higher environmental temperatures.
- For the Olympic, sustaining speed without accumulating excessive fatigue may be the key.
- For the 100 km event, the key question is whether the athlete can sustain power output, remain aerodynamic, and stay well-fuelled for the first 80 km before transitioning to an 18 km run.
Knowing the course will help your pacing and fuelling plan work in your favour. Although cycling makes up the largest percentage of the overall distance, it has the greatest impact on the run. Keeping the effort and discipline to your own fitness levels will pay off.
– Coach de Bruin
One Venue, Three Different Performance Demands
Sprint: Prepare to Race Immediately
The 750 m swim, 20 km bike, and 5 km run leave little time to recover from a slow start, inefficient transition into a faster pace, or poor positioning. Sprint preparation should include race starts, short high-intensity bike efforts, rapid transitions, and running at speed immediately after cycling.
The scheduled 10:45 start is also important. Athletes may experience warmer conditions than other competitors starting at the 06:45 race, so the warm-up must create readiness without adding unnecessary thermal strain on the body.
Olympic: Sustain Speed Without Crossing the Line
The Olympic race requires more restraint than the sprint but more sustained intensity than the 100 km event. Athletes must establish a good position during the 1.5 km swim, settle quickly into an efficient 40 km bike, and arrive at T2 capable of holding a competitive 10 km running pace.
Coach de Bruin would use Olympic-specific bricks to establish how much bike intensity the athlete can absorb before entering a sustainable running form and when pace or heart-rate control may begin to deteriorate.
Explain how Coach de Bruin would adjust bike intensity and simulation duration across the Sprint, Olympic and 100km events.
Once the course is announced, you can see more of the demands of the day. We know there are no big hills in Dubai, so it’s a given that the only challenges will be wind, corners, U-turns and speed bumps, which can lead to dropped water bottles.– Coach de Bruin
100 km: The Bike Shapes the Result
The 2 km swim, 80 km bike, and 18 km run make the signature T100 format more bike-heavy than an IRONMAN 70.3. That does not give strong cyclists permission to be overzealous in over-exerting their power output throughout the bike part of the race.
It makes aerodynamic durability, controlled power, and appropriate, well-timed fuelling at speed even more important.
The correct bike target should be tested specifically for 80 km. Copying a 70.3 percentage or trying to predict an Olympic race ignores the different durations, bike-to-run ratios, and overall accumulated postural fatigue that may set in.
Why the Sprint May Present the Greater Heat Challenge
The shortest event is not automatically the easiest in terms of what you may experience with the environmental temperature. The Olympic and 100 km races are scheduled for 06:45, while the sprint begins at 10:45, where the overall temperature will definitely increase.
With expected air temperatures of 25 to 31°C, sprint athletes may start in warmer conditions and at a much higher and costly intended intensity.
Coach de Bruin would adapt the warm-up, fluid intake, and pre-start cooling to the athlete’s distance and start time. A long warm-up that suits an early race could create an unnecessary thermal load before the later sprint in T2.
I find a late start is always a tricky one for the athletes. Should they have one or 2 breakfasts? When should they have it, and also how long do you wait at the race venue before the race starts.
Occasionally there are road closures, so you have no choice but to wait. Ideally you want to have your breakfast at least 3 hours before your race start time. For sprint, the meal can be lighter compared to full Ironman distance. But then topping up with a carb drink and electrolytes, like Rekrd hydration, will keep you topped up.
– Coach de Bruin
One Nutrition Plan Will Not Work Across All Three Distances
Sprint athletes will rely heavily on pre-race preparation and carefully timed fluid or carbohydrate intake. Olympic athletes need a simplified plan that supports sustained intensity output without disrupting rhythm.
The 100 km athlete must repeatedly fuel while remaining aerodynamically positioned and working at a sustainable race output that will put you ahead of the race, rather than leaving you behind with potential fatigue setting in.
Coach de Bruin tests whether the nutrition plan remains practical at the required speed. The relevant question is not only how much an athlete can consume but also whether they can access it strategically, tolerate it without gastrointestinal discomfort, and continue producing the intended running output afterwards.
Coach de Bruin’s Dubai T100 Performance Checks
Sprint Athlete
- Can you reach race intensity quickly without losing swim or bike control?
- Can you execute both T1 and T2 transitions at competitive speed?
- Can you run close to the 5 km target pace immediately after an intense 20 km bike?
- Has your warm-up been tested for the 10:45 start?
Olympic Athlete
- Can you sustain the planned 40 km output without excessive power variability?
- Can you reproduce the 10 km target mechanics after the bike?
- Do you know where controlled intensity becomes unsustainable?
- Can you maintain speed through both T1 and T2 transitions?
100 km Athlete
- Can you sustain the intended 80 km output in an aerodynamic position?
- Does heart-rate drift remain within an acceptable range?
- Can you fuel without repeatedly leaving the race position?
- Can you produce the intended 18 km run after a full race-specific bike?
If the athlete cannot answer these questions without extensive prior training, Coach de Bruin resolves the uncertainty before adding more volume.
Racing in HOT conditions like the UAE has taught me more about pacing and ego in racing than my last two decades of racing. Sometimes you just need to go into the elements and survive the conditions rather than having a racing mentality that could lead to negative self-talk as you fade through the magic numbers you prepared.
– Coach de Bruin
Racing for a Top-10 Qualification Place
A qualification attempt requires more than setting a personal target time. Athletes need a plan for balancing their age-group position with their own physiological ceiling. Coach de Bruin would establish which competitive steps the athlete can afford to follow, where restraint remains necessary, and what results throughout training should trigger a change in strategy during the race.
Which Dubai T100 Distance Fits Your Performance Goal?
Choosing the shortest or longest option is not the same as choosing the right race. The athlete’s endurance base, speed, swim ability, cycling durability, heat response, and available preparation time should determine this decision.
Prepare for Dubai T100 With Coach de Bruin
Coach Gerhard de Bruin can assess your current performance data, identify the most suitable distance, and build the required preparation through TrainingPeaks programming, targeted bricks, pacing analysis and environmental testing.
Dubai T100 2026 FAQs
When is Dubai T100 2026?
The event takes place at Al Mamzar from 13 to 15 November 2026. The Olympic race is on Saturday, while the 100km and Sprint races take place on Sunday.
Will the Dubai T100 be wetsuit-legal?
The expected water temperature is 28°C to 29°C, but official measurements and race rules will determine whether wetsuits are permitted. Athletes should prepare to race without one.
Does Dubai T100 qualify athletes for the World Championships?
The 100km event is a qualifier for Qatar. Top-10 age-group and gender finishers may qualify, subject to the final rules and National Federation endorsement. The Olympic and Sprint races are not listed as qualifiers.
Which Dubai T100 distance should I enter?
The correct choice depends on your endurance base, sustainable bike output, run durability, open-water ability and available preparation time. The longest event is not automatically the best performance target for every athlete.
Can I use my IRONMAN 70.3 bike pacing for the Dubai T100?
Not without testing it. The 100km race uses an 80km bike and 18km run, changing the proportional demands of the event. Your race target should be established through T100-specific simulations completed during prior training sessions.
Why could the Dubai T100 Sprint be challenging in the heat?
The Sprint is currently scheduled for 10:45, considerably later than the 06:45 starts for the Olympic and 100km races. Athletes must prepare to race at a higher intensity and in potentially warmer conditions.
How should training differ between the Sprint and 100km races?
Sprint preparation prioritises high-intensity output, transition speed and fast running after a shorter bike. The 100km event demands aerodynamic durability, sustainable power, nutrition execution and the ability to run effectively after 80km.
Can Coach de Bruin prepare athletes for every Dubai T100 distance?
Yes. Preparation can be adapted to the Sprint, Olympic or 100km event, including distance-specific pacing, brick sessions, nutrition intake and environmental preparation.
