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Supertri
Nonstandard triathlon league From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Supertri organises three types of triathlon races under its brand pillars: Supertri League, Supertri E, and By Supertri.
 | This article contains promotional content. (March 2025) |
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Formation and test event
Michael D'hulst met Chris McCormack while running the Challenge Taiwan event, and the pair struck up a friendship and often discussed their shared passion for elevating the sport. As they worked together on multiple projects in Asia, they started to refine the concept behind what was to be christened as Super League Triathlon.
A chance encounter with Leonid Boguslavsky, who had been inspired to take up the sport at the age 62 after reading McCormack's book 'I'm Here To Win', led to a full meeting at a hotel in London, and the three quickly decided to launch a one-off test event to see whether their concept that professional triathlon could be an inspirational spectator sport could be achieved.[1]
They held the test event on Hamilton Island, and it was hailed a success[citation needed], leading them to decide to grow the concept into an annual series, initially known as the Championship Series, and later Supertri League. D'hulst took on the role as the permanent CEO of the company.
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Building a series
The key differentiator for Supertri was its short formats, tight broadcast times, stadium-like courses with technical elements often missing from triathlon racing, and a closed-league.
The Championship Series quickly grew, as did the business behind it, with 3 events per Series in 2018 and 2019 before COVID.
In 2019, the business moved its headquarters from Singapore to London.
COVID and the birth of Supertri E
The spread of COVID and the associated lockdowns saw the cancellation of sports events worldwide. D'hulst, Boguslavksy and McCormack opted against hibernating the business, and instead found a way to innovate by creating an indoor Esports racing series that could be successfully run even with social distancing rules in place.
Arena Games Triathlon, now Supertri E, debuted in Rotterdam in 2020 and has gone on to become hugely successful and core part of the business.
By 2021 and the end of lockdowns, the indoor Esports series and the Championship Series immediately mushroomed to seven events, and to eight in 2022.
Move to participation events and a rebrand
Super League Triathlon first dipped its toe into the mass participation world in 2020 when it acquired the Malibu Triathlon. At that stage the theory was to trial a participation offering while also acquiring an established US base for a Super League professional event.
After three events in Malibu local permitting laws saw the event change operator, but the concept of expanding mass participation focussed on short and accessible race formats had been proven, with a flywheel of inspiration and participation driving both fandom of the professional racing and a desire for competing among amateurs.
In 2023, the company acquired Chicago Triathlon, New York City Triathlon and established the Long Beach Legacy Triathlon at the site of the LA 2028 Olympics. It went on to acquire Austin Triathlon and Kerrville Triathlon in 2024.
Super League Triathlon was also no more, as the company rebranded to Supertri, with three clear pillars: Supertri League (professional outdoor racing), Supertri E (indoor Esports hybrid racing) and By Supertri (mass participation).
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Supertri League
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The Supertri League season normally runs between August and November. Over the course of the season, Rounds are held at locations around the world. There are Women's, Men's and Teams Supertri League champions each year.
Contracts
Being a closed League, only athletes who have a contract for the current season compete. Athletes are recruited either by the League or by the Teams where franchises are owned, aiming for a blend of the world's best and most high-profile athletes and up and coming stars of the future.
Teams
Triathlon has traditionally been an individual sport but Supertri has introduced Teams. Athletes race together and accumulate points as a team, increasing tactical depth to the racing, different stages to win points and a redistribution of prize money of all athletes who contribute and are supported. It aims to increase fandom of the sport and encourages outside franchise owners to help drive the League forward.
After its early trial years, Supertri opened franchises up to potential ownership in 2024, with would be owners vetted to ensure they will bring value to growing the League and the sport. Two initial franchises were acquired by Brownlee Racing, led by Jonathan Brownlee and Alistair Brownlee, and Podium Racing, led by John Anthony and managed by Tim Don.
The Teams all have managers, who oversee the athletes and make tactical decisions during the racing. In 2024, Brownlee Racing was managed by Non Stanford, Crown Racing by Chris McCormack, Podium Racing by Tim Don, and Stars & Stripes Racing by Parker Spencer.
Courses
Supertri League courses are built on 1 mile loops so that spectators get to see athletes multiple times per stage, making it a viewing and hospitality experience, as well creating a compelling broadcast product with genuine atmosphere. It also minimises disruption for hosts without widespread road closures associated with endurance sports events, and makes it possible for city centre locations. All courses are unique, from cobbles and lakes, to seas and open desert and each have tight and technical elements to push athletes to their limits and ensure action.
Format
Supertri League is raced over the Supertri format, which is three back-to-back rounds of swim, bike and run with no breaks. The distances for each discipline are 300m swim, 4 km bike and 1.6 km run. The format places an emphasis on athletes being able to produce both speed and endurance, as well as on transitions with eight required during the course of a race, rather than two in a traditional triathlon.
Over the years Supertri has also used other formats, including the Triple Mix, Eliminator and Equalizer, but in 2024 moved to standardise racing under the Supertri format.
Short Chute
The Short Chute is an opportunity for athletes to win a shortcut on the course for their team through their racing, which is then allocated to an athlete of their choosing by the Team manager. Each team can only allocate one Short Chute per race regardless of how many they win. In the Supertri format, there are three Short Chutes available. All are won during the first swim, bike and run legs and taken on the final run as follows:
- First across the Mount Line after the first swim
- First across the Mount Line after the first bike
- First across the Dismount Line after first run
Points
During each Round athletes are awarded points depending on where they finish in the race. The points are accumulated to crown the champions of the Women's and Men's Leagues at the end of the League season. In addition, there are separate discipline Leagues to recognise the fastest swim, bike and runners across the season.
Each athlete's individual points plus points any won by athletes in each discipline all go towards the overall Teams League to crown the Teams champions at the end of the season. In the case of a tie in the Leagues, the athlete or Team with the best result in the final race of the League will finish ahead of the other athletes or Teams
Discipline Leagues are awarded as follow:
- Swim: Points allocated at each Round based on time of the first or second swim discipline of the day measured at the swim exit.
- Bike: Points allocated at each Round based on time of the fastest lap measured from Mount to Dismount Line of the first or second bike discipline of the day.
- Run: Points allocated at each Round based on time of the fastest lap measured from Mount Line to Dismount Line of the first or second run discipline of the day
90 Second Rule
Any athlete that falls 90 seconds behind the leader is eliminated from the race. This is implemented every lap, measured from the first athlete passing the Mount Line, executed at the Mount Line and prevents lapping.
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Supertri League champions
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Men's League Champions
*There were two test events held in 2017 which were raced as one-offs. Hamilton Island:[2] 1) Richard Murray, 2) Mario Mola, 3) Jake Birtwhistle. Jersey: [3]1) Kristian Blummenfelt, 2) Jonathan Brownlee, 3) Richard Murray.
Women's League Champions
*There was one event held in 2017 which was raced as a one-off. Jersey:[3] 1) Katie Zaferes, 2) Summer Cook, 3) Nicola Spirig.
Teams League Champions
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Supertri League individual race results
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2017
Men
Women
2018
Men
Women
2019
Men
*Due to extreme weather conditions the event took place as an aquathlon over 3 x swim and run
Women
*Due to extreme weather conditions the event took place as an aquathlon over 3 x swim and run
2021
Men
Women
Teams
2022
Men
Women
Teams
2023*
Men
Women
*From 2023 onwards all races were over the Supertri format
Teams
2024
Men
Women
Teams
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Supertri League Hosts
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Supertri E
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Supertri E
Supertri E is a triathlon series that fuses the worlds of real life and virtual racing, offering a dynamic and immersive experience for athletes and spectators. It is one of sport's most innovative and award-winning formats and featured at the IOC's Olympic Esports Week.
The Supertri E World Triathlon Championship, powered by My Whoosh and in partnership with World Triathlon, crowns official Esports triathlon World Champions. It features a unique, sustainable format where athletes compete in packed arenas, swimming in Olympic pools, and completing bike and run segments on smart trainers and self-powered curved treadmills. This setup transforms the event into a virtual race, delivering an exhilarating experience and new depths of data for both participants and viewers.
In 2024, the World Championship took place at the London Aquatic Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on April 13. The event achieved record-breaking viewership, underscoring its rapid growth and innovation in the world of triathlon. British triathlete Beth Potter[18] clinched the women's title and American athlete Chase McQueen[19] secured the men's championship.
Supertri E History
Originally named Arena Games Triathlon, Supertri E was born in the COVID pandemic-era, when lockdowns and restrictions saw global sport forced to either adapt of shut down entirely. As a mass sport that required mass gatherings, triathlon was a sport heavily effected.
Supertri CEO Michael D'hulst had been speaking to technology platform Zwift[20] about the idea of a hybrid real life and virtual event for some time, but the companies agreed to accelerate their development of the concept during the COVID lockdowns, and the concept was established.
Athletes would swim in an indoor pool, and could cycle and run at stations positioned far enough apart that they adhered to social distancing rules. The technology enabled a real race to happen and a global broadcast that was innovative and safe. The first Arena Games Triathlon took place in Rotterdam in 2020, and the event was so successful it won multiple awards and a new triathlon race format was created.
After several years of refining the concept, Supertri partnered with World Triathlon to create official Esports World Champions from the event, and to get it into the IOC's Olympic Esports Week. The event now runs with a MyWhoosh as the technology platform under the title Supertri E World Triathlon Championships powered by MyWhoosh. It is aiming to be a medal event at the IOC Esports Olympics.
Supertri E Race Format
Supertri E blends real life racing and virtual racing. The swim portions of the race take place in an Olympic standard pool, while the bike and run sections take place on the pool deck or pool's surrounding area, utilizing static bikes and self propelled treadmills. The bike and run sections of the race are then brought to life by use of in-your-face cameras, capturing the athlete's reactions and emotions as the race unfolds, and through utilizing the training platform MyWhoosh. This includes athletes each having their own race avatar (so that spectators can see the athlete's positions, in relation to each other, on the route selected on Zwift) and real time displays of power output and heart rate data.
At Supertri E, each swim is 200 m, each bike is 4 km, and each run is 1 km. Supertri E events are competed over heats and a final. Heats see two stages of swim-bike-run, which determine which athletes proceed to the final. 10 athletes qualify for each event final. From 2025, the final is competed over the Supertri race format. This means 3 back to back stages of swim, bike, run. with minimal rest between each stage. Previous editions saw a pursuit style start adopted for the final stage, and the second stage taking the form reversed triathlon (run, bike, swim).[21]
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Supertri E results
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2020
Men
Women
2021
Men
Women
2022: World Championship Final Standings
Men
Women
2022: Race results
Men
Women
2023: World Championship Final Standings
Men
Women
2023: Race results
Men
Women
2024
Men
Women
2025
Men
Women
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By Supertri
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Supertri launched the By Supertri brand in 2025 to house its mass participation events. The stated aim of By Supertri is to elevate Supertri into being the global leader in short course triathlon thanks to its Supertri League, Supertri E and By Supertri brand pillars which go across professional, Esports and amateur and corporate participation.[24]
In its announcement, Supertri said: "By Supertri delivers the biggest series of urban short course triathlon participation events in the world and its events have raised millions for charity. By Supertri looks to ensure that participation celebrates triathlon for all, from first-time racers to experienced athletes searching for a new personal best. By Supertri events will be driven by the same guiding principles of delivering excellence and creating moments as Supertri’s global professional racing brands, while respecting and promoting the local heritage."
By Supertri currently encompasses the Ascension Seton Austin CapTex Triathlon, Long Beach Legacy Triathlon on the course of the LA 2028 Olympics, Chicago Triathlon - the biggest triathlon in North America, which Supertri is aiming to grow to be the biggest triathlon in the world - Kerrville Triathlon, Toronto Triathlon and Toulouse Triathlon.[25]
Supertri has also established charity relationships with its By Supertri events. Highlights include Long Beach Legacy Triathlon and its tie-up with Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2024, this raised more than $600,000 for pediatric cancer research. In Chicago it partners with Lurie Children's Hospital, and in Toulouse with the Oncopole.
At these events it also hosts a Corporate Challenge event, which has seen the likes of Amazon, Netflix, Google and Disney compete while raising money for good causes.
Supertri has said it intends to expands its portfolio of By Supertri events.
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References
External links
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