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After Nearly Folding, T100 Ready to "Play Offense"

After Nearly Folding, T100 Ready to "Play Offense"

T100 CEO opens up, protein as fuel? And avoid race week regret!

Matthew Sharpe
August 22, 2025

Good morning everyone,

I’m packing my bags this morning, but not for a race! I’m taking a quick trip across the pond to Germany for a friend’s wedding. A friend whom I was lucky enough to meet through this wonderful sport.

It’ll be a fantastic weekend filled with celebration. And I’m already celebrating not having to hand off my bike to the TSA! 🥳😆

In today’s edition:

😤 After Nearly Folding, T100 Ready to "Play Offense"
🥩 Is protein training fuel?
😩 And how to avoid race week regret!

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.

ONE BIG THINGS

After Nearly Folding, T100 Ready to "Play Offense"

What is it: In a wide-ranging interview with The Triathlon Hour podcast, T100 CEO Sam Renouf opened up about recent challenges that almost ended the upstart Triathlon World Tour.

He also touched on topics like when he expects the T100 to be profitable and why the T100 has such a significant presence in the Middle East.

The Reasons Behind the T100’s Struggles

According to Renouf, the last 12 months were extremely difficult for the organization for two reasons:

The last-minute reversal of a major sponsor, who, Renouf says, would “have been bigger than any sponsor in all of triathlon.”
The T100’s fundraising initiatives required an incredible amount of organizational manpower - up to 50% of the organization’s time was dedicated to closing the recently announced $40m fundraise.

Go deeper: Learn more about the T100’s huge Saudi-led investment

A fundraise that, Renouf admits, would have sunk the T100 had it not ultimately come through.

T100’s Future Profitability

After the T100’s recent struggles, Renouf now feels that “we survived and now we’ll thrive!” And that the T100 is in a “great position financially.”

When asked when he expected the T100 to be profitable, the CEO stated that by 2027, the Triathlon World Tour should be in the black. However, he also brought up the possibility of producing more events like the innovative T1 Triathlon Indoor World Cup, or even a longer T200 distance, which would push back the projected date of profitability.

Learn more: What is the T100-produced T1 Indoor Triathlon World Cup?

He also touched on the necessity of the organization to have a larger volume of events to generate sufficient revenue.

T100’s Middle Eastern Footprint

When pressed, why the T100 finish will finish its season with two races in the Middle East, Renouf had a few reasons:

Climate - With the T100 season extended through to December, they needed locations that have favorable environmental conditions. T100 Dubai (November) and the T100 Grand Final in Qatar (December) both feature such conditions.

Economic - According to Renouf, “anyone who has been asleep for the past few years would have realized how important sport has become to Middle Eastern governments.”

Their willingness to invest is centered around tourism and global exposure, plus, these governments are also incredibly focused on ways to inspire their citizens to be healthier.
And Triathlon - with its three sports, and mass participation - is seen as a perfect vehicle to catalyze this change.

Learn more: T100 and Qatar announce five-year partnership for Grand Final

Renouf also later admitted that the considerations for putting on events, such as permitting and operational support from a jurisdiction, are also favorable due to Middle Eastern governments’ focus on mass participation events.

Tempo’s take: This was a great interview, and Renouf comes off as someone who has been beaten up, but not broken, by a challenging period. He projects confidence for the organization’s future, and even emphasises that “we’re ready to play offense.”

Which you would hope after 18 months focused on raising money.

But is the T100 actually ready to be aggressive and play offense? They fumbled the T100 French Riviera race date numerous times, and had to change the age group course at the last minute - leaving many athletes demanding a refund.

Which is marginally better than the athletes who thought they would be racing in Lake Las Vegas this October…

To be fair, when the T100 has been able to execute an event this year, like in Singapore, Vancouver, and San Francisco, it’s been a success. And Tempo subscubers have raved about the T100 event quality. But many athletes feel like signing up for a T100 race is a bit like roulette - red you race, black is bust...

They’ll need to do whatever it takes to rebuild trust with age-group athletes.

In the interview, Renouf remarks that “we’ve been focusing on getting our shit together.” The incoming second half of the T100 season will show if that truly is the case…

FAVORITES

🍬 Sweet science: Think one gel an hour is enough to fuel your endurance? Not so fast. Research shows the body can actually absorb up to 90–120g of carbs per hour, and the latest science-backed fuels are designed to power longer, harder, and faster performances without the dreaded GI distress. But which sugars really matter? This article explains! [TrainingPeaks]

⚡ Glute connection: Your gluteus maximus is a key source of power on the bike and propulsion during running. But are you getting the most out of this crucial muscle? As it turns out, there’s a critical connection between your big toe and your glute. This thread explains how to optimize this connection and get maximum glute momentum! [Conor Harris]

🥩 Protein as fuel? Yes, you heard that right! As it turns out, your body burns carbs, fats, AND protein during training and racing. But how much do you burn? And how do you ensure you’re refueling properly? Find out here! [Addra Labs]

😩 Race-week regret: Think cramming one last hard workout will boost fitness before your big race? Haha, no. Experts say fitness gains stop about 10 days out from race day. Any sooner and your legs could be toast on the big day! This article outlines how to taper well and hit the start line primed, not drained! [Canadian Running]

REEL TIME

“Hey buddy! Is this what you want?!” 🚲❤️

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TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

What Does a New Study Say About How You Should Train?

And what do the IRONMAN World Championship start lists mean for the sport?

All this and more in the latest episode of the Tempo Talks Podcast!

Together with The TriDoc, we bring you the biggest stories in Triathlon,

Training tips to make you faster,
And breakdowns of the latest in sports science and performance!

Don’t miss a moment; listen to Tempo Talks on Apple, Spotify, and more!

QUICK NEWS

Title sponsor: Precision Fuel and Hydration has been named the title sponsor of this year’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships. [IRONMAN]

T100 confirmed: The cancelled T100 Valencia has now been moved up the road to Oropesa del Mar and will take place on the same weekend. [World Triathlon]

Triathlete on tour: Pro cycling’s Team Visma Lease a Bike has made the surprising signing of a new member of their team - a former triathlete! [Idl Procycling]

Reign in Spain: Tarragona, Spain, will host next year’s European Triathlon Championships. [World Triathlon]

Big Z flies: Stanley Cup-winning defenseman and Boston Bruins stalwart Zdeno Chara clocked an impressive sub-five-hour half-IRONMAN! [Canadian Running]

Champion coach: The Arizona State University triathlon team has announced its newest assistant coach. Former Junior and U23 World Champion Tamara Ferdinand. [The Sundevils]