Less than a day after racing WTCS Abu Dhabi, the 2025 world triathlon champion Lisa Tertsch (GER) and the winner of WTCS Abu Dhabi this Friday, Russia's Diana Isakova, line up for a duathlon world title on Saturday 14 November. They both join a 12-strong women's field and a 22-strong men's field chasing the first elite world titles of the 2026 World Triathlon Multisport Championships.
The 2026 World Triathlon Multisport Championships take over Hudayriyat Island from 13 to 22 November, bringing almost 2000 of athletes from around the world to Abu Dhabi for nine days of racing, celebration and community. Elite, U23, junior, para and age-group athletes all race for world titles across Duathlon, Cross Triathlon, Cross Duathlon, Aquathlon, Long Distance Triathlon and Long Distance Aquabike, with athletes able to stay, train, race and recover within walking distance of the Championship Village.
After Friday's WTCS Abu Dhabi and Opening Ceremony, the Duathlon World Championships open the title racing on Saturday 14 November: Junior and Sprint age-group races at dawn, then the Elite and U23 women at 11:15 and the Elite and U23 men at 13:45. Sunday brings the Para Duathlon and Standard age-group world championships, before the 2x2 Mixed Relay closes the duathlon programme. Cross Triathlon (17 November), Cross Duathlon (19 November), Aquathlon (20 November) and Long Distance Triathlon and Aquabike (22 November) follow.
Elite women: Tertsch and Isakova back up, a new champion guaranteed
A new women's duathlon world champion will be crowned on Saturday, with 2025 winner Giorgia Priarone (ITA) not on the 12-strong start list.
Lisa Tertsch (GER) brings the biggest triathlon CV to the start line, and the shortest recovery together with Isakova. The 2025 world triathlon champion, crowned in Wollongong in October 2025, finished fifth at WTCS Abu Dhabi on Friday afternoon, and she will toe the duathlon start line around 21 hours later. Her 2026 season has been relentless: European champion in Tarragona, silver in Hamburg and London, bronze in Alghero, Weihai and Karlovy Vary, and ninth at the World Championship Finals in Pontevedra. Duathlon is not new to her either; she won the European Junior Duathlon title in Kalkar a decade ago, in 2016.
Diana Isakova (RUS) makes the same double. She took her first WTCS win on Friday, pulling clear of Jeanne Lehair (LUX) in the final 300m, less than a week after winning the Hong Kong World Cup. Two of the strongest runners in the field will start with tired legs; how much Friday's sprint in the heat has taken out of them could decide the race.
María Varo Zubiri (ESP) is the most decorated duathlete in the field. She took silver at the 2025 Worlds in Pontevedra, just 5 seconds behind Priarone, added World Games silver in Chengdu, won the 2025 European title and finished second at the 2026 Europeans in Banyoles. Few athletes know how to win a duathlon better.
Jasmijn Bakker (NED) beat Varo Zubiri by 3 seconds to become European champion in Banyoles in July and arrives as a late entry with real momentum. Emma Wasser (FRA), fifth at last year's Worlds and bronze medallist in Banyoles, leads a French trio with Meghan Bazire, seventh in Pontevedra and fifth in Banyoles, and Fiona Cornet.
Belgium's Jeanne Dupont (ninth in 2025), Slovakia's Ivana Kuriackova, Great Britain's Kitty Shepherd-Cross, Mexico's Selene Martinez Avila and Morocco's Ghizlane Assou complete the field.
Elite men: Choquert defends against the European champion
Benjamin Choquert (FRA) starts as defending champion and the man with the deepest duathlon record in the field. At 40, the Frenchman won the 2025 title in Pontevedra with the fastest final run of the race, 14:30, then added World Games gold in Chengdu two months later. Before that came three straight world silvers, in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
His closest challenger in Pontevedra now arrives as the man in form. Arnaud Dely (BEL) finished just 4 seconds behind Choquert last year and won the European title in Banyoles in July. Choquert was fifth that day, 46 seconds back.
France and Belgium bring the depth. Emile Blondel Hermant (FRA), fifth at the 2025 Worlds and European silver medallist in July, and Adrien Pilleux (FRA), bronze in Banyoles, give France three podium threats. Belgium answers with Thibaut De Smet, fourth in Banyoles and one of the strongest cyclists in the race, Vincent Bierinckx, eighth at both championships, and Jonathan Wayaffe.
Outside the two powerhouses, watch Morocco's Mohamed Nemsi, 11th last year after one of the fastest bike splits of the day, plus Thomas Cremers and Wout Driever (NED), Sebastian Fuchs (AUT), James Hodgson (GBR) and Krzysztof Hadas (POL). In all, 13 nations line up, with Bahrain, Cambodia, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia adding a truly global feel.
You will be able to watch the Duathlon Elite World Championships LIVE on TriathlonLive and on World Triathlon's Youtube.
