T100 Sees Trillion Dollar Tailwind as it Lands New Investment

Good morning everyone,

This past weekend I raced at IRONMAN 70.3 Boise. And as I went through my pre-race motions everything seemed to be going well. My tires were pumped, nutrition locked in, and body glide would soon be applied. But as I reached into my bag for my bike computer, a wave of dread washed over me.

My Garmin was gone. I’d left it in my hotel room! 😱

With race start fast approaching, the reality set in I’d be flying blind on the bike. No wattage, cadence, or distance.

• And after a mini freak-out, I accepted my fate and prepared myself to race off a new metric - vibes.

And with how hard I pushed to stay with the leaders on the bike, it was probably good I couldn’t see my exact output!

• In the end, I still had a solid effort on the bike, and was able to finish strong in fourth overall.

It was a good reminder that even though things won’t always go to plan, our performance is often defined by what we do next!

In today’s edition:

• 🤑 T100 Sees Trillion Dollar Tailwind as it Lands New Investment.

• 🧬 What is your unique training type?

• 👮‍♀️ And an insane mid-race arrest!

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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ONE BIG THING

T100 Sees Trillion Dollar Tailwind as it Lands New Investment

What is it: The Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) - organizers of the T100 Triathlon World Tour - have announced the completion of a Series C funding round led by SURJ Sports investments.

The new funding is expected to support:

• The T100’s international expansion.

• Innovation in race formats,

• And long term athlete/fan engagement.

It will also accelerate the T100’s expansion into the MENA (Middle East, North Africa) region, and sets the stage for a future Saudi Arabia stop on the T100 Triathlon World Tour.

Surjing Saudis: SURJ Sports Investments - the firm spearheading the funding round - is a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s $940B Public Investment Fund (PIF).

• SURJ was developed to acquire and create new sports events IP, own commercial rights of popular and prominent sports competitions, and host major global events in Saudi Arabia.

• Recent investments include The Professional Fighters League (a UFC rival), and The Kings league (an innovative, digital-native Football league).

Capital collaborators: Although SURJ is the headline financier, the announcement also highlights the addition of Verance Capital alongside previous backers Sir Michael Moritz, and Cordillera Investment Partners.

According to Danny Townsend, the CEO of SURJ, “The PTO is redefining endurance sport for modern audiences - blending elite racing with inclusive, mass participation formats, global storytelling and community engagement.

• We’re proud to support this next phase of growth and to explore how the model can inspire more people across the region to get active.”

Tempo’s take: With momentum already building, this latest funding injection could supercharge the T100’s global ambitions.

It’s age group races in Singapore and Vancouver have seen significant participation, and received glowing reviews. And the 2026 T100 Gold Coast has already sold out many months in advance.

But how much money is SURJ actually in for? Earlier rounds touted tens of millions.

• Have they actually determined a figure. Or are they keeping it quiet for a reason?

A typical Series C could see the T100 receive anywhere from 10-100m dollars. If SURJ, and by extension the PIF is feeling generous, a little of the almost 1 trillion dollars under management, even a crumb of that capital could radically reshape the upstart series.

But is this cash infusion enough to actually deliver on the T100’s desperate pivot from pro-centric racing to full-blown mass-participation festivals?

• Whatever the case, this is also a win for previous investors, especially Sir Moritz, who could see the value of his stake elevated significantly.

So what does this mean for IRONMAN? Probably not much. For every headline the T100 makes, IM sees a last-minute race cancellation (like Lake Las Vegas) as proof the upstart still has a LONG way to go.

And will this investment be the catalyst that convinces age group athletes to immigrate from IRONMAN and turn toward T100?

• We might not have to wait too long to find out!

FAVORITES

🧬 Your training type: Are you a fast trainer, or a slow trainer? Weird question, we know. But this article explains how athletes who perform similar on race day can train vastly differently. So, which one are you?! [McMillan Running]

👮‍♀️ Tri behind bars: You’re crushing your IRONMAN after a PB swim and bike. And as you’re about to head out on the run…handcuffs! We imagine this was the scenario for Harvey Tong before he was arrested during IRONMAN Lake Placid. You gotta read this story to believe it! [Adirondack Daily Enterprise]

⌛ One hour IRONMAN: Could you race a full distance triathlon on one hour of training a day? Well, according to this video, it can be done! It’s an incredible journey from start to finish, and filled with lessons we can all benefit from!

🗜️ Cramping, explained: Cramping can really… cramp your (race) style! It’s not been easy to understand why they happen, but this article from Dr. Jeffrey Sankoff does a deep dive into exercise-associated muscle cramping, shines light on why they happen and how you can prevent them! [TrainingPeaks]

🤝 Election corruption: It’s official, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has determined corruption in last year’s World Triathlon elections. So how did the dirty deed occur? And why is there outrage over the punishment? Find out here! [ESPN]

🌟 Legend retires: Former IRONMAN World Champion Anne Haug (GER) was one of the most-feared runners in the sport. But why did she suddenly retire? This article explains. [Slowtwitch] 

REEL TIME

Just remember…it could always be worse! 🤣

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TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

What does IRONMAN’s new World Championship qualification actually look like?

And what do recent Pro results say about World Championship season?

We break it all down 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!

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