The 10 minute indoor triathlon race set to launch this season
Select number of age group athletes to race at inaugural event
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Photo: Professional Triathletes Organization
Short, fast and heart pounding. An indoor, rapid fire swim, bike run event that expects elites to complete in about 10 minutes is now part of the Indoor World Cup circuit.
The T1 Indoor Triathlon World Cup is a 200 metre swim, 2.8 kilometre bike and 1 kilometre run. The first of its kind takes place March 22 in France.
Athletes will use a unique indoor 25 metre pool for the swim followed by the bike and run on an indoor oval track. Â The race will include an exclusive number of age group athletes. Registration for age groupers will be announced soon. Youth races will also be part of the action packed event week.
The Lievin Trialthon Club, which brought the Indoor World Cup to triathlon racing, will host the event in partnership with Professional Triathlete Organization (PTO) and World Triathlon. The Lievin club has hosted an indoor triathlon festival for the past three years.
Increasing opportunities for short course
The announcement aligns with the PTO’s previous claim that it would explore options to add shorter distance events alongside its T100 World Tour series.
“We’ve seen huge progress in our inaugural year, surging past our previous broadcast records and growing out social media viewership to the largest in the sport, with over 500 million video views of our content last year,” said PTO CEO Sam Renouf.
“Our decision to participate in this developing fast and furious format of indoor racing lets us explore further partnership opportunities and seek to further promote triathlon and the incredible performance of its professional athletes.”
The PTO’s flagship series, T100 World Tour, is also open to age group athletes and professionals. The Lievin club is committing to solidifying this type of format as part of short course racing. Popularity and growth in the spectator-friendly format has the potential to expand to include all levels of triathlete.
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Growth in the indoor triathlon format
“In adding the involvement of the PTO together with World Triathlon we are excited for this year’s Indoor World Cup event. We declare ambitions to make Indoor Triathlon a fixture of the professional calendar – and Lievin as its spiritual home,” declared Lievin Triathlon Club president Lolo Szewczyk.
The new venture adds another option for fast action indoor racing. London-based Supertri E World Championships happens in April, with a longer swim in a 50 metre pool, cycling on static bikes and running on treadmills.
Supertri E emerged as a partnership between Supertri and World Triathlon. Supertri is the reinvention of Super League, which was the original short and fast triathlon format. It eventually opened its race courses to age group athletes as triathletes flocked to this new form of outdoor racing with shortened swim, bike and run legs and shuffled up the order of the three disciplines.
A new indoor triathlon that could take age group athletes under 20 minutes (estimating double the elite’s times) to complete is an extreme divergence from the concept of triathlon as the “hardest sport on earth” because of its three disciplines and overall length, up to the Ironman distance.
The future for age group athletes
Interest from the amateur field in opportunities to shake up the age group scene, offer fresh alternatives to the classic distances could spur growth in this area of the sport. It is an enticing option for the increasingly time-strapped triathlete and those thinking about getting into the sport.
With the existence of recreation centers in most communities, it’s an accessible option for almost anyone.
It could appeal to people interested in testing the triathlon waters without committing to long hours of training. It can offer hard, fast efforts and race simulations during the winter and spring in preparation for longer distance racing in summer and fall. For busy triathletes it offers a way to stay in the sport while balancing all the demands of life.
Exciting year to watch triathlon
The 2025 race calendar is shaping up to be an exciting ride with a big mix of racing at the Ironman Pro Series, World Triathlon Champion Series, Supertri E World Championships, the PTO 100 World Tour and now the T1 World Cup, just to name a few of the hottest “ones to watch.”
With increased recognition and interest in triathlon the sport will continue to expand its options to age group athletes as well as the pro field.
“When we launched the T100 Triathlon World Tour, our stated aim was to take triathlon into the mainstream” said Renouf.