Big. Bold. Fresh. Fun.
The Busselton Festival of Triathlon is gearing up for its 25th year in 2026, and it’s shaping up to be more exciting than ever! A beloved highlight of the triathlon calendar, this iconic event has a deep history, with its Long Course origins spanning Rottnest Island, Collie, and Margaret River before settling in Busselton in 2002. Since then, the festival has flourished into a weekend-long celebration. It’s more than just a race – it’s a gathering of athletes, spectators, and supporters all united by a love for multisport.
In 2022, the festival evolved with the launch of the hugely successful Busselton 100 triathlon. Athletes tackle a 2km swim alongside the iconic Busselton Jetty, ride 80km through the stunning Ludlow Tuart Forest, and finish with an 18km run along the picturesque Busselton Foreshore.
2025 saw the addition of our Busselton Triathlon app, available free on Google Play and Apple app stores, which improved our ability to communicate with competitors and athletes, as well as highlight race content and live tracking.
In 2026, we are shaking up the format of the Festival again for our 25th year celebration, introducing four exciting new events:
- 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+
We’ll also continue running the successful Busselton 100 and Busselton Aquabike formats in 2026.
Teams are available in the Busselton 25, 50 & 100 events, and the Busselton Aquabike (2km swim, 80km cycle) offers a great option for those recovering from injury or simply not keen on running. There really is something for everyone aged 7 years and up!
What makes this event truly special is that it’s proudly owned and operated by Triathlon WA (TWA), the non-profit State Sporting body for triathlon and multisport in Western Australia. The small team at TWA put their heart and soul into creating an unforgettably awesome experience for everyone.
Busselton, the tourism and event capital of WA, provides the perfect backdrop for this unmissable festival. Whether you’re racing, spectating, or exploring the beauty of Busselton, this event is your excuse to soak it all in. Don’t miss your chance – come and be part of something extraordinary! See you on the start line.
Quick Stats! 👇
- 2025 saw 2320 competitors across the weekend – an increase of 10.2% compared to 2024
- It’s estimated that 5800 spectators showed up to cheer athletes on over the two days of racing
- 3424 users downloaded the event app in the first year, with 8318 athletes followed on the tracker
- It was a sell out event, with 2025 Busselton 100 entries reaching capacity in March – nearly 3 months before race day
- In 2025 our youngest competitor was 7 years old, and our oldest competitor was 75. It truly is a sport for life!
History of the State Long Course Championships
The WA State Long Course Triathlon Championship is celebrating its 43rd year in 2026, marking the 25th year of the event being held in Busselton. The race had its humble beginnings in Midland in 1983, before Triathlon WA was established, with just 49 participants completing the inaugural race. It remained there for two years, featuring a 2km swim, 54km cycle, and 20km run.
In 1985, the event moved to Rottnest, maintaining the same race distances. The following year, Triathlon WA was founded as the state governing body for triathlon, and in November, the race continued at Rottnest with the cycling leg extended to 81km for the 83 competitors. In 1987, the event shifted to May and faced extreme weather conditions, including gale-force winds, hail, and heavy rain. Many athletes suffered from hypothermia or injuries after being blown off their bikes at high speeds.
To avoid a repeat of these conditions, the event moved to Collie in 1988 but returned to Rottnest in 1989. That year also saw the introduction of a short course support event to help manage the costs of the Long Course race.
In 1997, the race headquarters shifted from the Rottnest Pub to Kingstown Barracks and served as the Australian Long Course Championships. The final Rottnest Long Course event took place in 2000, although few participants knew it would be the last. After extensive discussions, the event relocated to Margaret River in 2001, but it became clear within a year that it had outgrown that location.
In 2002, WA’s Half Ironman Triathlon found a new and exciting home in the picturesque South West town of Busselton. The course featured calm, crystal-clear waters for the swim, flat and fast roads through scenic landscapes for the cycle, and a run along the stunning Busselton waterfront.
By 2010, the event was rebranded as an Ironman 70.3 triathlon and became part of the global Ironman 70.3 qualification series, a status it maintained until 2022. Over time, the event expanded to span an entire weekend.
In 2022, the State Long Course Championship event evolved into its current format. The Busselton 100 distance now consists of a 2km swim alongside the iconic Busselton Jetty, an 80km cycle through the Tuart Forest, and an 18km run along the Busselton Foreshore, passing through an event village packed with spectators cheering on the athletes. The event continues to grow, now serving as a weekend-long festival celebrating both sport and community, with activities catering to all.
Triathlon WA has been involved with the WA State Long Course Championships since the beginning. As a non-profit organisation, managing the Busselton Festival of Triathlon is crucial in supporting Triathlon WA’s mission to serve over 2,000 members and 19 affiliated clubs, while also fostering the growth of triathlon across Western Australia.
From its modest start with fewer than 50 participants, the event has grown to attract over 2,300 competitors, including elite and age group athletes from around the globe. The success of the event is a testament to the support and passion of the WA triathlon community, the City of Busselton, Tourism Western Australia, DLGSC and the local community, all of whom play a vital role in helping Triathlon WA deliver one of the most iconic and significant triathlon events in the Southern Hemisphere.
