Category: News

The 25th Anniversary of the Busselton Festival of Triathlon (BFOT) is set to be an even bigger celebration, with the addition of the Australian Long Distance Triathlon Championships for elite, under 23 and age groups and the Long Distance Aquabike National Championships for age groups.

Up to 3,000 participants are expected as the event celebrates 25 years in Busselton from Friday 1 May – Sunday 3 May 2026.

2026 will be the first time since 1997 the Australian Long Distance Championships have been held in Western Australia. The men’s winner that year was Warren Milward, who is one of only five people to have completed all 24 long course events at Busselton.

The Australian Championships status adds to an already expanded festival for 2026 which, along with the iconic Busselton 100 and Busselton Aquabike events, will include four exciting new formats over two days;

– Busselton 5: 100m swim, 4km cycle, 900m run. Ages 7-15 (Kids Triathlon)
– Busselton 25: 500m swim, 20km cycle, 4.5km run. Ages 14+
– Busselton 50: 2km swim, 40km cycle, 8km run. Ages 16+
– Busselton Duathlon 100: 8km run, 80km cycle, 12km run. Ages 18+

The Festival is more than just a race – it’s a gathering of athletes, spectators, and supporters, all united by a love for multisport.

With multiple race distances and offerings, there is something for everyone aged from seven and up to enjoy.

Team options are available for the Busselton 25, 50 & 100 events, allowing participants to enjoy the experience with family, friends or colleagues.

The Busselton 100 is also the WA State Long Course Championship, and the finale of each triathlon season.

Two-time defending Busselton 100 winner and Western Australian local Nick Thompson, who recently finished fourth overall in the 2025 IRONMAN Pro Series will be aiming for a hattrick of titles as he continues to establish himself as a leading force on the world stage.

Triathlon WA Executive Director Mel Farley said, “We are delighted the Busselton Festival of Triathlon in its 25^th year will crown the Australian Champions for both Long Distance Triathlon and Long Distance Aquabike. Reaching a quarter of a century of the event is a huge milestone and adding Australian Championships to the schedule only reinforces the event’s pedigree and will make the celebrations even bigger.”

“Entries for 2026 have already reached 1,100 and we look forward to welcoming the largest field in a decade to Busselton and the South West Region in May.”

“We extend our thanks to AusTriathlon for awarding us the Australian Long Distance Championships for the first time since 1997, along with our major partners The Western Australian Government through Tourism WA and the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, the City of Busselton and Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association for supporting the event.”

2026 marks a milestone moment for the Busselton Festival of Triathlon (BFOT) as we celebrate 25 incredible years of sport and community. As one of Western Australia’s most iconic multisport events, we’re thrilled to deliver a fresh lineup of races and an even more exciting festival experience.

And what better way to mark this silver anniversary than by introducing four thrilling new race formats: the Busselton 5, Busselton 25, Busselton 50, and the Duathlon 100.

• The Busselton 5 is the new format of our kids triathlon, making it a 5km total race distance.
• The Busselton 25 is the equivalent of a sprint distance, offering a fast and fun option for newer athletes or those looking for a shorter challenge.
• The Busselton 50 bridges the gap between sprint and long course, offering a standard distance that’s perfect for athletes ready to step up from short course racing.
• The Duathlon 100 introduces a non-swimming long course event to the lineup, giving multisport athletes a new way to test themselves across run and bike disciplines.

“We’re evolving alongside the WA tri community to make 2026 a standout year,” said Triathlon WA Executive Director Mel Farley.

“Introducing fresh challenges, welcoming new athletes, and reigniting the passion of those who’ve raced before. It’s all about creating space for more stories, more starters, and more unforgettable moments.”

2026 will be a celebration of where we’ve come from, and a bold step toward where we’re headed. Join us on 1 – 3 May 2026 at Barnard Park Busselton and be part of the legacy of this iconic event.

When do 2026 Entries Open?

Triathlon WA Members Only: Entries for Standard and Premium WA members will open at 10am AWST on Monday 13 October 2025. All members will be emailed a code to access the registration portal and purchase their entries at the lowest price available. This is our thank you to the community of members who support Triathlon WA and our clubs year-round. If your membership has lapsed, or you’ve been meaning to sign up for the season – now’s the time to get it sorted.

General Public Entries: Entries for non-members and the general public will open at 10am AWST on Friday 24 October 2025. You won’t need an access code to register from this date onward.

Race Options on Offer:

SATURDAY 2ND MAY 2026

• Busselton 5: 100m swim, 4km cycle, 900m run. Ages 7-15 only
• Busselton 25: 500m swim, 20km cycle, 4.5km run. Ages 14+ for individuals, 13+ for teams.

SUNDAY 3RD MAY 2026

• Busselton 50: 2km swim, 40km cycle, 8km run. Ages 18+ for individuals, 16+ for teams.
• Busselton 100: 2km swim, 80km cycle, 18km run. Ages 18+
• Busselton Aquabike: 2km swim, 80km cycle. No run. Ages 18+
• Busselton Duathlon 100: 8km run, 80km cycle, 12km run. Ages 18+

The Busselton 100 will remain the Triathlon WA State Long Course Championship; the penultimate event of the 2025/26 Triathlon State Series.

Team options are available for the Busselton 25, Busselton 50, and Busselton 100 distances only.

What’s New in 2026?

• Busselton 5 replaces the Kids Triathlon event format. There will not be a parents wave this year.
• Busselton 25 replaces the Foreshore Triathlon (Sprint & Enticer) on the Saturday.
• Busselton 50 and Duathlon 100 are brand-new additions to the Sunday lineup.
• Busselton 50 and Busselton 100 events will each have a single bike lap to make it safer and fairer for all riders. Updated course maps will be released closer to the event date.
• An athlete tee and bumper sticker will be included in the race packs for ALL registered competitors in ALL 2026 BFOT race distances.
• ALL finishers in ALL distances will receive a metal finisher medal
• Exciting 25 years BFOT branded competitor items
• Personalised race photos via Bossfotos are included in the entry fee for all Busselton 100, Duathlon 100 and Aquabike competitors. Competitors in other race distances can add-on a Bossfoto pack during registration for an extra cost (still a discounted rate).
• By popular demand, we’re bringing back fluffy finisher towels and switching to cotton tote bags (instead of mesh) for our Sunday events.
• The Busselton 100, Duathlon & Aquabike awards function on Sunday night is moving to an iconic Busso venue. Make sure you book your accommodation for Sunday night too – you won’t want to miss this.

Travel & Accommodation Info

We recommend that you book your accommodation early to avoid surge pricing and limited availability closer to race day. For those racing on Sunday, please extend your stay to leave Monday morning so that you can attend the post-race awards function.

From first-timers to experienced and elite triathletes, we’re looking for people aged 18 years and older from all places and walks of life. No matter where you’re at in your triathlon journey, if you love sharing your training experience, building community, lending a hand at events, and creating content for social media, we’d love to have you on board.

WA-based, Interstate, and International athletes aged 18+ are all encouraged to apply!

APPLY NOW FOR 2026! 👇

Applications close 11.59pm (midnight) on Sunday 17 August 2025. Please note, we cannot accept athletes under 18 years into the Ambassador Program.

About the Ambassador Program:

As an ambassador, you’ll share your triathlon journey and training milestones in the lead-up to the Busselton 100 and Busselton Festival of Triathlon, create engaging and useful content to educate and inspire others, help us out with fun projects, and document your race experience across socials.

Responsibilities of a BFOT Ambassador include:

• Registering for the 2026 Busselton Festival of Triathlon (ideally Busselton 100) and training toward it.
• Creating engaging, authentic content about your road to Busselton on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok etc. Content creation is a large part of this role.
• Sharing event-specific posts, stories, and reels on social media
• Helping to promote the event and encouraging others to get involved in triathlon
• Representing the event positively, and being a role model for others.
• Not promoting/posting bad language/swearing, misconduct, controversial topics, strong political views, alcohol, drugs or smoking. Remember, you’re the face of our brand as an ambassador and your actions, posts (even past posts) and words reflect on the event.
• Attending event weekend functions and helping out where needed
• Participating in the Ambassador Whatsapp Group and meet-ups, and helping to organise other casual social opportunities for yourself and the other ambassadors to connect.

What Ambassadors get in return:

• Reimbursement of entry fees post-event, if all requirements are met
• Reimbursement of $10 AUD for each Busselton 100 referral discount code used
• Event merch to the value of approx. $100 AUD, to be pre-ordered
• Cross promotion of personal social platforms via shared and collab content
• Chance to represent the event, meet new people and have some cool experiences

How we choose Ambassadors:

1. All applications must be submitted via the official application form.
2. Our team will review all submissions and select up to 20 finalists, based on the information provided and a review of social media presence.
3. These 20 finalist applicants will then be presented anonymously (no names or handles) to our Ambassador Alumni Group.
4. With input from the Alumni, our team will select the final 10 ambassadors who will represent the event in 2026.
5. Successful applicants will be sent an Ambassador Agreement to sign and return.
6. All applicants will be notified of the outcome via email once the selection process is complete. We anticipate this will be before 1 October 2025.

Applications close:

11.59pm Sunday 17 August 2025. For any questions, please email [email protected].

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Ambassador Alumni Group – Our 2025 Event Ambassadors

Thanks to our major partners Healthway and Fuel to Go & Play, the colouring competition is back for 2025! Print and colour in our BFOT colouring page, then return it to us on race weekend for your chance to win 1 of 4 great prizes!

How to enter:

1. Download and print OR grab a colouring sheet at the event and colour in.
2. Fill in your contact details on the back of the sheet
3. Take your masterpiece to the Fuel to Go & Play tent in the expo area on Saturday or Sunday during event weekend and pop your entry in the box. That’s it!

We’ll have some art supplies and printed colouring sheets available across event weekend in the expo area so you can colour in on event day, or you can print the sheet at home and bring your artwork to teh festival already completed.

All kids aged under 14 are eligible to participate in this competition with parent/guardian permission. Each entry must include the entrants name, age, and an email address so that our team can contact the winners.

There will be four (4) fun prize packs up for grabs. Two (2) prize packs will be given to kids under 7 years, and two (2) prize packs will be given to kids over 7 years. Prize packs include the following:

PRIZE PACK – Under 7 years
– $25 sports gift card, thanks to Fuel to Go & Play
– Busselton Festival Hat
– Colouring in pencils and crayons
– Fuel to Go & Play backsack, smoothie cup and water bottle.

PRIZE PACK – Over 7 years
– 1 x Free entry to the 2025 Kids Triathlon
– Busselton Festival Hat
– Colouring in pencils and crayons
– Fuel to Go & Play backsack, smoothie cup and water bottle.

How winners are chosen:
The Triathlon WA team will select three winners from the entries received based on creativity, colouring-in skills, and the age of the entrant. Winners will be notified via the email address provided on the colouring sheet by 1 June 2025. Prize packs will then be posted/mailed to the winners.

THANK YOU!
Thank you to our colouring competition partners: Healthway, Fuel to Go & Play, and Triathlon WA.

The Western Australian Government has renewed support for the annual multisport event for the next three years, with the festival expected to attract up to 8,000 competitors and spectators in 2025 alone.

The extra visitors to the South West will boost the local tourism economy and support jobs and hospitality venues throughout the region.

The 2025 Busselton Festival of Triathlon will be held from 3 to 4 May, and is staged along the picturesque Busselton Foreshore, with events including the Busselton 100, Foreshore Triathlon and Kids Triathlon.

The headline event, the Busselton 100, attracts some of the world’s elite endurance athletes to battle it out as they race through iconic locations of the South West.

The course starts with a two-kilometre swim alongside the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, the Busselton Jetty, then athletes embark on an 80-kilometre bike ride through the Tuart Forest before an 18-kilometre run along the spectacular Busselton Foreshore to take them to the finish line.

The event also features the Busselton 100 Teams Triathlon, an Aquabike event, and a health and lifestyle expo.

Registrations are now open at www.busseltonfestivaloftriathlon.com.au

Comments attributed to Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:

“We’re proud to continue our support of the popular Busselton Festival of Triathlon for the next three years, as we continue to deliver an always on calendar of diverse tourism events to drive visitors to our State and regional towns.

“Mass participation events like this one encourage participants and spectators from near and far to compete and cheer on their friends and family, while also supporting jobs and the local hospitality and tourism industry.

“It is fantastic to continue this annual event, and I encourage anyone heading down to Busselton to extend their stay and explore more of the beautiful South West region.”

Comments attributed to Regional Development Minister Don Punch:

“The Busselton Festival of Triathlon is becoming a firm favourite on the South West events calendar, and it is great to have secured this regional event for three more years.

“As a proud South West local, I know this event adds huge vibrancy to Busselton and surrounding regional towns, while boosting local economies and invigorating local communities.”

Comments attributed to South West MLC Jackie Jarvis:

“We’re very excited to welcome competitors and spectators to this fantastic event for the next three years, helping to create a great weekend atmosphere along and around the foreshore.

“Importantly, these events also provide great benefits for our broader community, bringing in valuable visitor spend and supporting our local operators.”

If you’re one of the first 100 Standard or Premium AusTriathlon members from WA to register for the Busselton 100, you’ll be in the running for an awesome prize pack thanks to our friends at The Goose and Fat Duck Cycles!

Eligibility:
You must be a current financial Standard or Premium member of AusTriathlon who resides in Western Australia at the time of your race entry, and be one of the first 100 eligible members to sign up to the 2025 Busselton 100 event. This event is 18 years and up.

Prize:
There will be one (1) prize pack up for grabs.

PRIZE PACK includes:
– 1 x $100 voucher to indulge at The Goose, Busselton, &
– 1 x $100 voucher to spend at Fat Duck Cycles, Busselton
– 1 x TWA water bottle, towel, and baseball cap

How winners are chosen:
Memberships will be checked prior to the prize draw. The Triathlon WA team will assign all eligible entries a number. A random number generator will be used to select the winner. Winner will be notified via phone or email by 1 December 2024.

THANK YOU!
Thank you to our supporters: Fat Duck Cycles and The Goose, Busselton for their generous donation of these competition prizes

Print and colour in our 2024 Busselton Festival of Triathlon colouring page, then return it to us on race weekend for your chance to win 1 of 3 great prizes.

This year, the colouring comp image features our 2023 Busselton 100 Female Open winner, Rachael Smyth!

How to enter:

1. Download and print OR grab a colouring sheet at the event and colour in.
2. Fill in your contact details on the back of the sheet
3. Take your masterpiece to the Ludlow Tuart Forest Restoration tent in the expo area on Saturday or Sunday and pop your entry in the box. That’s it!

We’ll have some art supplies and printed colouring sheets available across event weekend in the expo area so you can colour in on event day, or you can print the sheet at home and bring your artwork to teh festival already completed.

All kids aged under 14 are eligible to participate in this competition with parent/guardian permission. Each entry must include the entrants name, age (as at 31/12/2023), and a contact (email/phone number) so that our team can contact the winners.

There will be three (3) fun prize packs up for grabs. 1 prize pack will be given to kids under 7 years, and two prize packs will be given to kids over 7 years. Prize packs include the following

PRIZE PACK – Under 7 years
– 2 x Adult and 2 x Child Busselton Jetty Train voucher
– 1 x Wanda’s Ultimate Gift Pack (Unleished Art picture book and sticker pack)
– Busselton Festival Hat
– Colouring in pencils

PRIZE PACK – Over 7 years
– 1 x Free entry to the 2025 Kids Triathlon
– 1 x Wanda’s Ultimate Gift Pack (Unleished Art picture book and sticker pack)
– Busselton Festival Hat
– Colouring in pencils

How winners are chosen:
The Triathlon WA team will select three winners from the entries received based on creativity, colouring-in skills, and the age of the entrant. Winners will be notified via the contact method provided on the colouring sheet (phone or email) by 1 June 2024.

THANK YOU!
Thank you to our colouring competition partners: the Busselton Jetty Association, Unleished Art and Triathlon WA.

Triathlon WA are so excited and humbled to share that the 2023 SunSmart Busselton Festival of Triathlon won the inaugural Community Sporting Event of the Year award at the WA Sport Awards hosted by SportWest on Thursday 29 February 2024!

The Community Sporting Event of the Year award recognises an outstanding sporting festival, event or exhibition that has been delivered successfully in WA, with benefits to the athletes, the sport, and the local community.

It was a really brilliant selection of nominees in our category, so we are stoked to have won. Congratulations to our fellow finalists Bike it to Ballidu Gravel (Cycling), and the Harmony Cup Nines (Rugby League).

We’d like to thank all athletes, volunteers, officials, staff members, supporters, expo retailers, food vendors, charity partners, and everyone else who contributed to the success of the SunSmart Busselton Festival of Triathlon last season.

Thank you to our major partners, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries,Healthway and SunSmart, Tourism Western Australia and City of Busselton. We also sincerely thank our 2023 event partners EventMatrix, KC Australia, Blue Chip Timing, Koda Nutrition, Hit FM, KDK Family Law, Keep on Running, SCODY, The Margaret River Region, Woolworths Busselton, Ludlow Tuart Forest Restoration Group, Cancer Council Western Australia, MiTIME, Clip Media, Outside the Locker Room , FinisherPix, and World Triathlon.

It was so wonderful to celebrate the achievements of the WA sporting community.

Other Award Nominees from our Triathlon WA community included:

• Steve Gleeson: Coach of the Year Nominee
• Gaye McKean: Official of the Year Nominee
• David Budge: Service to Sport Nominee
• Nick Thompson: Sports Star Nominee
• Sally Pilbeam: Sports Star Nominee

Thank you to SportWest (and HBF Stadium / VenuesWest) for hosting such a wonderful event, and congratulations to all winners!