PTO strikes deal with IMG to put San Francisco on its New T100 Tour

The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and World Triathlon are pleased to announce that the California leg of its new T100 Triathlon World Tour will take place in San Francisco at the iconic Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon on 8-9 June, in a partnership with IMG.

Known as the San Francisco T100, the 100km race (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run) will be set in the stunning San Francisco Bay area and feature the world’s top 20 female and top 20 male professionals, who will start in time-honored fashion by plunging into the icy water adjacent to Alcatraz Island.

“Escape From Alcatraz is one of the world’s most celebrated triathlons and on any self-respecting triathlete’s bucket list of races,” said PTO CEO Sam Renouf. “So to secure it as one of the eight stops on the new T100 Triathlon World Tour is a huge coup for us. When we sat down to discuss the opportunity with IMG, they immediately understood our vision for these races representing the very pinnacle of our sport, which is why they wanted to get involved and work with us to secure the necessary permissions from the City.”

“We are excited to partner with the PTO to bring the T100 Triathlon World Tour to San Francisco and the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon,” said Jennifer Lau, Vice President of Action Sports Events at IMG, the sports, events and representation company that owns the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. “Seeing the Escape course attempted at the elite level will only solidify the perseverance and tenacity the race requires from our age group athletes, inspiring past, present and future competitors to reflect on and re-imagine what their limits are. We’re excited to see how our partnership with PTO will help to redefine triathlon. A huge thank you must also go to the Presidio, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, National Park Service, and SF Travel, who have all been instrumental in making this possible.”

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of the San Francisco T100 to the T100 Triathlon World Tour calendar, proving once again the great collaboration that marks a significant milestone for World Triathlon. This partnership with the PTO represents an unwavering commitment for all of us, and the athletes, to elevate the sport. The race, with its iconic backdrop, will serve as the perfect location for another great event in 2024. Together, we aim to redefine excellence and create an enduring legacy for the global triathlon community with this Tour”, said World Triathlon President and IOC Member, Marisol Casado.

Since the first race in 1981, the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon has hosted top professional and amateur triathletes to attempt the impossible – Escape from Alcatraz Island. The infamy of Alcatraz Island is part of the attraction that draws more than 2,000 triathletes to San Francisco year after year. The mystique of the island and technicality of the course, most notably the challenging open water swim in the San Francisco bay, continue to draw competitors for the chance to make their Escape. The challenging course has continued to be a bucket list race for triathletes for more than 40 years.

Leading American professional triathlete and four-times Escape From Alcatraz winner Ben Kanute was quick to share his excitement at the news.

“This is huge news for the new T100 Triathlon World Tour. This race has always been special to me because of the rich history and the legends of the sport that have won there. It is a weekend I am really looking forward to, and cannot wait to chase another title on one of the most iconic triathlon venues,” said Ben.

2021 Escape From Alcatraz Champion and current PTO World #10 Emma Pallant-Browne from Great Britain agreed, saying: “2021 was my first time competing in this race as well as my first-time visiting San Francisco, and I absolutely loved it. So the opportunity to return and take the start line in one of the new T100 races is very motivating.”

Whilst the PTO will not be running any T100 Age Grouper races over the weekend, IMG will be running the usual amateur race opportunities which involve the challenging 1.5 mile swim through the San Francisco Bay, followed by the technical 18 mile bike through the Presidio, and finishing with an 8-mile run out to Baker Beach and up the infamous 200-plus step Sand Ladder. The action will take place Sunday, June 9 and spectators are invited to watch from the Fitness Festival taking place on Saturday and Sunday at Marina Green.

This news follows the PTO’s launch of the new T100 Triathlon World Tour last month in London’s Docklands, when it announced that 40 of the world’s best triathletes will compete over eight 100km races across three continents. The tour starts in Miami on 9 March before finishing with a Grand Final in the Middle East at the end of November, where a women’s and men’s World Champion will be crowned – thanks to the PTO’s partnership agreement with World Triathlon, which has designated the tour as ‘the official World Championship of long distance triathlon’.

The full T100 Triathlon World Tour calendar for 2024 includes:

9-10 March – Miami T100 at CLASH Endurance Miami

13-14 April – Singapore T100

8-9 June – San Francisco T100

27-28 July – London T100

28-29 Sept – Ibiza T100

19-20 Oct – Lake Las Vegas T100

16-17 Nov – Dubai T100

29-30 Nov – Grand Final – location to be announced soon