The first of three major multisport championships in 2026 is only weeks away. From the Italian snowy peaks to the UAE desert, there will be a diverse range of formats, courses, terrains and climates to navigate this year. All will be united, though, through the chance for the winners to call themselves a world champion. Read on to find out the key dates, locations and details of this year’s major multisport events.

27^th Feb-1^st Mar: Winter Triathlon and Duathlon Championships, PadolaEmpty heading

Coming off the back of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, triathlon’s very own winter disciplines will soon take centre stage. Winter Duathlon involves running and cross-country skiing over multiple short, sharp laps, while Winter Triathlon throws off-road cycling into the mix. The two thus pose a challenge unlike anything else in triathlon.

Across elite, U23, junior, relay and age-group events, there will be plenty going on. Last time out, Cogne combined a series of brilliant races with a truly spectacular location. More of the same will therefore be highly welcome in Padola.

6^th Sep: World Triathlon Powerman Long Distance Duathlon Championships, ZofingenEmpty heading

Later in the season, the Long Distance World Duathlon Championships return to their ancestral home of Zofingen. In this event, World Triathlon continues its partnership with Powerman to put on one of the highlights of the multisport calendar.

Taking place in the verdant Swiss countryside, the racing consists of a 10km run, 150km bike and another 30km run. It will thus be a very different proposition to winter showdowns in Padola. With some of the fastest cyclists and toughest athletes in the sport on display, this will not be an event to miss.

13^th-22^nd Nov: World Multisport Championships, Abu DhabiEmpty heading

And then we come to the big one. The World Multisport Championships have become one of the greatest festivals of sport going, bringing together an array of disciplines in one centralised format. Following on from last year’s superb bonanza in Pontevedra, this year Abu Dhabi will take on hosting duties. As a regular stop on the WTCS circuit and the host of the 2022 WTCS Final, Abu Dhabi brings plenty of experience and will doubtless put on a terrific series of events.

First up will be the duathlon events; whereas Zofingen tests the sturdiest endurance athletes, the fastest duathletes around will be on call in Abu Dhabi. An off-road double-header of cross triathlon and cross duathlon follows. In 2024, Townsville saw gold in both events go to the same athletes. However, in Pontevedra it was a very different story with new faces stepping up in the cross duathlon.

A day after the cross duathlon will be the aquathlon event, a familiar format to practically everyone that has dipped their toe into competitive triathlon. The swim and run task may be simple enough; the speeds at which they are completed at this level are another matter altogether.

Rounding things off will be the hunt for the long distance triathlon title, an event that has a storied history. First held in Nice in 1994, the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships were a foundational race in the sport. Whoever should claim gold this year will be adding their names to a long list of illustrious champions.  

Be sure to catch all of these major multisport moments throughout 2026 across all World Triathlon channels.