The final countdown is on until the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport World Championships Townsville with the event now just under a year away.

The 2024 World Triathlon Multisport World Championships, Townsville is set to be the largest event ever held in the region, with thousands of athletes and supporters from around the world to attend.

The 12-day event is set to be held from 14-25 August and will include 19 World Championship races across five different levels of athletes, including Age Group, Para Triathletes, Junior, Under 23 and Elites. The Multisport World Championships will see Sprint and Standard Duathlon, Cross Triathlon and Cross Duathlon, Aquathlon, Long Distance Triathlon, and Aquabike, World Championship races organised together, with all events to be held in close proximity to the centre of Townsville.

The Parade of Nations, Opening Ceremony and Check In, Merchandise and the Event Expo are located in the prime central location of Strand Park, with the Closing Ceremony and afterparty to be hosted in Palmer Street.

Racing will be split across two venues, with road based events of Duathlon, Aquathon, Long Course Triathlon and Aquabike to be based out of Jezzine Barracks. Offroad events of Cross Triathlon and Cross Duathlon are to be hosted at the beautiful Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park.Both venues are within easy reach of the event hub at Strand Park, with Jezzine Barracks a 10-minute walk and Pallarenda Park a 12-minute drive.

Member for Townsville Scott Stewart said on the runway to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Queensland and Townsville is ready to host major world-class events.  

“We are thrilled to have secured this event for Townsville which will generate more than $16 million for the local economy and shows the city is the events capital of Northern Australia,” Mr Stewart said. “The one-year countdown is on until we welcome thousands of people to the state who have travelled from all over the world and will stay more than 57,000 nights.  

“The event has formerly been staged in Spain, Denmark and Canada so this is a huge win for North Queensland,” he said. “People who are visiting for the event to explore will get the chance to see more of this beautiful region and our iconic tourism experiences from the magic of the Great Barrier Reef to the laid-back North Queensland lifestyle on the coast.” 

Townsville Deputy Mayor Mark Molachino said Townsville was thrilled to be home of the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport World Championships Townsville.

“The clock is now ticking down on The Strand counting down the days until the Multisport Championships kick off right here in Townsville,” Cr Molachino said. “As the events capital of Northern Australia we’re all about fostering sporting excellence in our locals and giving our community the opportunity to see the world’s best compete right here on our home soil.

“An event like this is a coup for Townsville and I know our locals are going to throw their support behind all of the competitors during the 12-day event.”

Leanna Ali, Regional Director of The IRONMAN Group Oceania, organisers of the event, said that preparations were in full swing ahead of next year’s World Championships.

“With just under a year to go until we welcome the triathlon world to Townsville preparations are well underway for the biggest event the region has ever held,” said Ali. “Our team has been working hard with numerous event stakeholders to put plans in place to put on an event that will be memorable for athletes and the local community, as well as having a lasting positive impact.”

The World Triathlon Multisport World Championships made its debut in the World Triathlon calendar in 2017 in Penticton (Canada), a successful event that was followed by Fyn (Denmark) in 2018 and Pontevedra (Spain) in 2019. The event had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic and in 2021 was split in three different locations: Almere (The Netherlands) hosted the Long Distance and Aquabike races, while the Duathlon World Championships were organised in Aviles (Spain), and the Cross Triathlon World Championships took place in El Anillo (Spain).

The 2022 World Triathlon Multisport Championships took place in Targu Mures and Samorin (Slovakia), while the 2023 event went back to its traditional set up of one location hosting all events: Ibiza (Spain), hosted the Multisport World Championships from 29 April until May 7, 2023.

The World Triathlon Multisport World Championships Townsville is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.