San Francisco T100 Triathlon World Tour: Start time, preview and how to watch live as Sam Long, Brownlee and Knibb head an all-star cast

This is a preview for the San Francisco T100, which was won by Belgian Marten Van Riel and home favourite Taylor Knibb.

The T100 Triathlon World Tour returns to America today (Saturday June 8, 2024) for the third round of the series, with the San Francisco T100 welcoming the best athletes in the world to one of the sport’s most iconic locations.

Competing on the same weekend as the famous Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, athletes will swim to shore from a ferry in San Francisco Bay, bike six laps of a course that passes the famous Golden Gate Bridge and run along the Marina Boulevard.

In our preview of the race below, you can find all the information you need including start times, streaming information and a preview of both professional fields.

Start times and how to watch live

In San Francisco, both races will today (Saturday June 8), with the professional men kicking things off at 06:00 local time (PST). This corresponds to 09:00 on the East Coast, 14:00 in the UK and 15:00 in Central Europe. If you are watching in Australia the time to earmark is 23:00 AEST.

Starting just 45 minutes later, the women will begin at 06:45 local time (PST). This corresponds to 09:45 on the East Coast, 14:45 in the UK, 15:45 in Central Europe and 23:45 AEST in Australia.

The broadcast will begin at 05:45 local time. The broadcast is available globally on PTO+, on Eurosport and Discovery+ in Europe, on YouTube (outside Europe) or via regional broadcasters (see the full list on the T100 website).

Pro Men – Who is racing?

In the men’s race, American home favourite and World #1 Sam Long leads the start list, with the 28-year-old chasing a third successive podium after successive second-place finishes in Miami and Singapore.

With a podium streak which dates back to September 2023 and spans seven races, Long is the in-form athlete coming into the event, and will hope he can finally clinch a maiden T100 win after finishing on the podium on three separate occasions.

He will face some stiff competition, however, with Miami T100 winner Magnus Ditlev returning from injury, after the Dane sustained a broken wrist during race week at the Singapore T100. The 26-year-old, who sits at PTO World #2, will relish the hard bike in San Francisco.

Other athletes to watch out for include Pieter Heemeryck, Mathis Margirier and Jason West, who have all finished on a PTO podium in the last twelve months. West, who has struggled so far this season, will be particularly eager to kickstart his T100 Tour campaign this weekend.

Wildcards Kyle Smith, Mika Noodt, Menno Koolhaas and Jackson Laundry will also likely feature, with Smith looking to build more momentum on a magnificent win at The Championship in Slovakia last month.

PTO stalwarts Aaron Royle of Australia and American Ben Kanute, who was won the Escape from Alcatraz race four times, will hope that they can impress, and will bank on a strong swim-bike to get away from danger men like Long, West and Ditlev.

Marten Van Riel, a real dark horse, could also have a sizeable impact on the way the race plays out. A terrific swimmer and a fearless biker, the Belgian Olympian is a firm fan favourite and should garner a lot of support out on the course.

Finally, veterans Alistair Brownlee and Javier Gomez, who 12 years ago finished 1-2 at the London Olympic Games, are sure to make an impact on Saturday, given the hard nature of the race that favours both of their strengths.

Brownlee, who has been at the front of both T100 races early on in the run prior to this weekend, will hope to have a complete performance in California and finally get on to the podium. Gomez, who has had a tough year so far, will likely prioritize making it across the finish line.

Pro Women – Who is racing?

In what might be the most competitive women’s middle-distance field of all-time, seven of the top 10 ranked athletes in the world are racing in San Francisco, led by Australian Ashleigh Gentle, who in April won the Singapore T100.

Widely recognized as the “Queen” of the 100km distance, Gentle has the run pedigree to reel in anyone over 18km.

Gentle’s main threats will come from Taylor Knibb, the two-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, and India Lee, the Miami T100 winner who recently defended her The Championship title in Slovakia.

Knibb, perhaps more than Gentle, is the favourite for this race, thanks to her unrivalled strength on the bike and phenomenal ability in the water. After cruising to the win at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside earlier this season, the Olympic medalist appears to be almost unstoppable over this distance.

Unfortunately Germany’s Anne Haug has decided not to race, saying on Instagram: Due to my severe medical history the last few months, I’ve still not completely recovered yet, the exposure to extreme cold water conditions (expected 12-13 degrees) would endanger my health and healing process in a way, we can not justify at the moment.”

But the presence of other top athletes like Laura Philipp, Emma Pallant-Browne, Paula Findlay and Kat Matthews means that no position can be taken for granted.

Outside contenders who could be within touching distance of the podium are Denmark’s rising star Laura Madsen, who recently finished second behind Lee at The Championship, and Tamara Jewett, the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside champion.

The 2022 IRONMAN World Champion Chelsea Sodaro is a late withdrawal from the race but others to watch include IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship podium finisher Imogen Simmonds, plus Britain’s Lucy Byram.

Prize Money and Points

Racing for a total prize purse of $250,000, plus valuable T100 Tour points in SF, there is plenty at stake. On race day, the winners will take home $25,000 and 35 points, with the prize money and points for each position outlined below.