Supertri Expands US Footprint As the Mission to “Make Short Course Cool Again” Continues

Supertri continues to go big in the United States – today the company has announced that it has acquired a couple of races in Texas as it launches a new mass participation brand: By Supertri. It’s all part of an ongoing plan that Supertri CEO Michael D’Hulst describes as making “short course cool again” as the company tries to build on the momentum heading into the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Supertri’s US expansion hasn’t always been easy, but the company hasn’t let challenges like the loss of the Malibu Triathlon to former race owner and director Michael Epstein or having to cancel the New York City Triathlon (Supertri acquired that event from Lifetime along with the Chicago Tri) detract from D’Hulst’s goal. Today’s announcement sees Supertri add the Ascension Seton CapTex Triathlon and the Kerrville Triathlon to a list of mass-participation races that now includes the race in Chicago, the Long Beach Legacy Triathlon and the Toulouse Triathlon in France.

Participation

I caught up with D’Hulst for an extensive interview two years ago during the Arena Games Montreal race, where he explained how Supertri was looking to grow. The professional component to the racing remains a critical component, but D’Hulst really wants to see participation levels increase across the board. An avid triathlete himself, he’s been competing since the mid 90s. He helped create Supertri in 2016 along with Chris McCormack and Russian tech investor Leonid Boguslavsky.

The professional Supertri racing “creates aspiration,” while the mass participation component – By Supertri – will be focussed on inclusiveness.

“We want to grow the sport, to provide new access,” D’Hulst told me at the Supertri event in Boston last year. “The events promote accessibility, safety … you can cross the finish line with your family. We want a celebration of the sport for participation.”

D’Hulst would like to see triathletes race more, as was the norm when he started.

“If I was racing an IRONMAN many years ago, I did every short course sprint distance event that I could do and I used it as preparation and to be in the community, to have fun somewhere,” he said. “I wanna bring that back. Now many athletes are focused on doing one race a year. They train by themselves. I wanna bring that community feel back into triathlon.”

Pro Racing and Mass Participation

All of which leads to today’s announcement.

“By Supertri marks the next phase of our rebrand and represents a big step in our evolution to a triathlon community,” D’Hulst said. “We are shaping the future of triathlon by linking professional racing with mass participation. Through By Supertri, we cater to experienced athletes who want to go fast while also inspiring first-time participants to become lifelong competitors. They are motivated by the race experience and being part of the Supertri community that inspires and connects them.”

“By bringing together high-impact urban events with strong growth potential under one banner, By Supertri transforms the sport,” D’Hulst continued. “We are dedicated to enhancing the race experience, making it unforgettable and highly attractive and drawing more people to triathlon. We will deliver world-class event experiences as an expert global operator but respect that these are local events and embed that into all we do. This is how we expand the sport and elevate it to the next level.”

Supertri Pro Series

There’s no word yet on the pro Supertri racing – the company is working through the challenges of organizing a series in a post-Olympic year where many athletes are looking for some change. Also adding to the challenge of coordinating an elite series is the World Triathlon calendar – many athletes will want to stay in Asia or Australia after the final WTCS race in China in September before the Grand Final in Wollongong in October. We’ll have to wait and see how the Supertri folks weave their way through all those scheduling issues to come up with the pro series. For now, though, we can look forward to the company’s continued move into mass participation triathlon events.

By Supertri 2025 Schedule:

• Ascension Seton Austin CapTex Triathlon – May 26
• Long Beach Triathlon – July 20
• Chicago Triathlon – August 23-24
• Kerrville Triathlon – September 27-28
• Toulouse Triathlon – October 5

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