The International Federation of Triathlon – World Triathlon – confirmed this Wednesday the approval of the Fitness Racing and Swim Run disciplines during its Congress held on 18 October in Wollongong, Australia. Both disciplines are now formally recognised by the federation and by the IOC, which has been notified of the decision and has acknowledged their inclusion under World Triathlon’s governance.
This update, communicated from Lausanne, marks the beginning of the process to integrate both disciplines into national sporting structures. World Triathlon underlined that these modalities fall exclusively under its authority within the Olympic Movement and will be regulated according to its technical and governance standards.
Clarifying the process with National Federations
World Triathlon has requested that its National Federations take the initial step of formally recognising the disciplines within their respective sporting systems. The aim is to initiate regulated activity in each country, ensuring that the development of Fitness Racing and Swim Run follows consistent criteria in both competitive structure and governance.
The organisation also confirmed that it is in dialogue with private entities currently delivering events in both disciplines. The objective is to clarify future coordination, define roles and responsibilities, and prepare for the adoption of specific regulations, which will be communicated in upcoming updates to members.
Technical camps ahead of Dakar 2026
The announcement comes as part of an active period for education and development. The Education, Development and Member Services teams continue to deliver programmes for athletes, coaches and technical officials, strengthening the capabilities needed for the future implementation of the new disciplines. Highlights this month included a CPD course on nutrition for long-distance events, delivered by World Triathlon specialists.
In the field of athlete development, November featured regional camps held in Saly (Senegal) and Kilifi (Kenya), organised in collaboration with Africa Triathlon. Both gatherings brought together emerging athletes preparing for international competitions and for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, reinforcing technical support and long-term progression pathways.
Competitive context and next steps
These activities were complemented by a series of competitions within the World Triathlon Development Regional Cups, held in Limon (Costa Rica), Saly and Kilifi. These events helped consolidate international racing experience and strengthened the foundation from which the newly approved disciplines may evolve within the global development pathway.
World Triathlon has announced that, in the coming weeks, it will outline to its members the necessary steps for adopting the Competition Rules for Fitness Racing and Swim Run, as well as practical guidance for National Federations aiming to formalise activity or initiate new programmes in both modalities. The letter issued from Lausanne confirms that the organisation will maintain continuous communication to support this process.
