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Melbourne to host 2026 Commonwealth Games – Tri and Para Tri part of schedule

The Commonwealth Games are heading back to Australia for the third time in 20 years

Photo by: DarrenTierney/ Getty Images

The 2026 Games will be hosted by the State of Victoria in Australia, and triathlon and Para triathlon have both been confirmed to be part of the program. The triathlon events will take place in Geeolong.

The Games will take place in March, 2026 “across multiple cities and regional hubs including Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland,” according to a release from World Triathlon today. “The Opening Ceremony will take place at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.”

Sixteen sports have been confirmed for the program, including Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Beach Volley, Cricket T20, Cycling, Gymnastics, hockey, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby Sevens, Squash, Table Tennis, Triathlon and Weightlifting. More sports will be added later this year.

Australia was the only country to bid for the 2026 Games, so Victoria was allowed to negotiate its bid to host the events. This will be the 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games, which started in Hamilton, Ont., in 1930. Australia has hosted the Commonwealth Games on five different occasions starting in Sydney in 1938. The last time the country hosted the Games was in 2018. That year Joanna Brown took the bronze medal.

Canada has a strong track record of success at the Commonwealth Games when it comes to triathlon since it was added to the games in 2002 (triathlon was not included at the 2010 Games), having won four medals. In addition to Brown’s bronze in 2018, Simon Whitfield and Carol Montgomery took gold in 2002, while Kirsten Sweatband took the silver medal in 2014.

With files from Marley Dickinson at Canadian Running Magazine.