The San Francisco T100 Triathlon will set up some intriguing head-to-head battles in the women’s race, with the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and World Triathlon announcing the contracted T100 female athletes racing the Escape From Alcatraz course on Saturday 31 May.
Last month’s Singapore winner Kate Waugh, who took the top step with a record-breaking performance on her first T100 outing, will take on last year’s T100 World Champion and San Francisco winner, American Taylor Knibb, who missed the Singapore race for ‘personal reasons’.
British Olympic star Waugh described the win as ‘the biggest victory of her career’ - and by the biggest T100 winning margin seen to date: 6 minutes 41 seconds. The question in the Golden Gate city as the world’s top 20 female triathletes take on the legendary Escape From Alcatraz course will be: ‘Can she repeat it?’
Ashleigh Gentle will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 6th position in Singapore, having set her sights higher. The Australian has won on this course twice in the past, in 2019 and 2015, and will be looking to channel those past, positive memories. Also looking for improvement will be Swiss star Julie Derron, who came 12th in Lion City, having previously always finished on the podium in her first three T100 races. Bermuda’s Olympic champion Flora Duffy DNF-ed in Singapore and will be looking to open her Race To Qatar points tally. As will Canadian Paula Findlay, who is entering the T100 fray following a convincing win to start her season at the Ironman 70.3 in Oceanside.
Also on the start line is Great Britain’s other Olympian Jess Learmonth, who won lots of admirers and respect for the way she raced in Singapore, pushing the pace hard on the swim and bike to lead going into the run, but then overheating in the humid conditions but refusing to pull out, eventually finishing 13th. American Olympian Taylor Spivey delivered an encouraging start to our 2025 T100 challenge by finishing 5th in Singapore and will be looking forward to racing on home soil.
The line up of contracted women racing in their T100 Race To Qatar rankings order:
1. Kate Waugh (GBR)
2. Taylor Spivey (USA)
3. Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)
4. Grace Thek (AUS)
5. Marta Sanchez (ESP)
6. Julie Derron (SUI)
7. Jess Learmonth (GBR)
8. Flora Duffy (BER)
9. Lucy Byram (GBR)
10. Paula Findlay (CAN)
11. Taylor Knibb (USA)
The men’s race will see Marten Van Riel, Kyle Smith and Rico Bogen line up for a repeat of their 2024 sprint finish after the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and World Triathlon announced the contracted T100 male athletes racing the Escape From Alcatraz course on Saturday 31 May.
The Belgian, Kiwi and German produced the most exciting T100 race last term, in a sensational three-way dash to the line that saw the eventual 2024 T100 World Champion Van Riel edge out Smith by less than a second; with Bogen only a further 3 seconds back. T100 commentator and triathlon GOAT Jan Frodeno, described it as the best finish to a triathlon he’d ever seen.
Also lining up are home favourites Sam Long, Jason West and Morgan Pearson. Long delivered a creditable 8th place in Singapore, but with the strong currents of San Francisco Bay expected to sweep the athletes along and reduce his swim disadvantage – much as they did in 2024 when he emerged less than a minute down to swim leader Rico Bogen – the home crowd will expect him to challenge for the podium.
West begins his T100 season determined to improve on a largely disappointing 2024 series, whilst Pearson will be itching to make his mark having had to pull out of Singapore due to a fractured wrist.
The line up of contracted men racing in their T100 Race To Qatar rankings order is here and below:
1. Marten Van Riel (BEL)
2. Youri Keulen (NED)
3. Antonio Benito Lopez (ESP)
4. Sam Long (USA)
5. Mika Noodt (GER)
6. Rico Bogen (GER)
7. Justus Nieschlag (GER)
8. Vincent Luis (FRA)
9. Nicolas Mann (GER)
10. Jelle Geens (BEL)
11. Jason West (USA)
12. Kyle Smith (NZL)
13. Morgan Pearson (USA)
14. Pieter Heemeryck (BEL)
The remaining slots will be taken by Wildcards announced on T100 social channels soon. The contracted T100 men racing in San Francisco will be announced Tuesday 29 April.
