Belgian Olympic star Marten Van Riel is in pole position to win the inaugural T100 Triathlon World Tour, as the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) and World Triathlon confirmed the men’s line up for the first Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final on 16-17 November.

The two-time T100 winner is currently top of the T100 series standings following wins in San Francisco and Ibiza, along with a second place in Lake Las Vegas, and goes into the season finale needing to finish in any top three spot to be crowned the first ever men’s T100 Triathlon World Champion on Sunday 17 November.

But with increased points available for the final – 55 pts for the win versus the normal 35 pts – it really is all to play for given 55 points separate the top 14 athletes. From Denmark’s Magnus Ditlev in second, to France’s Sam Laidlow in fourth, American Sam Long in fifth, British double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee in eleventh and American Jason West in fourteenth.

Kiwi Kyle Smith, Holland’s Youri Keulen and German Mika Noodt have also qualified for the Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final as wildcard athletes due to their performances so far this season. Sadly Noodt is injured and will not be taking up his place, but Smith and Keulen are very much in the mix for podium places as well.

Whoever triumphs in the T100 series victory will be awarded World Champion status by World Triathlon, as well as also scooping a cool $210,000 for topping the season-long standings.

The 100km (2km swim, 80km bike, 18km run) pro course starts with a swim off the scenic Sunrise Beach in Jumeirah, with its breathtaking skyline views and beach-side location. The bike segment will take in Meydan and includes the Royal Bridge and surrounding area. Whilst the run will be around the Meydan Racecourse – the home of the world famous Dubai World Cup.

Staged and organised with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Sports Council, the men’s broadcast will begin at 1315 local time on Sunday 17 November, with the athletes starting at 1330 and it will be shown live locally on beIN Sports across the Middle East as well as North Africa and the US. In Europe it will be live and exclusive on Eurosport and then available locally and regionally through a range of other deals that will see the final broadcast in 195+ territories.

The Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship Final will also be an important part of the 30×30 Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) – an initiative driven by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, to integrate physical activity into everyday life for the population and make Dubai one of the most active cities in the world.

In addition to the professional races, there are set to be up to 10,000 amateur participants taking part in 100km and Sprint triathlons (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) as well as the Dubai debut of The Music Run – an un-timed, energy filled fun-run, perfect for participants of all ages and abilities. For more information, including registration details visit www.t100triathlon.com For more information on The Music Run please visit https://themusicrun.ae