Triathlon Notables
The people who built and carry triathlon in Bahrain and the Gulf: founders, national team athletes, pioneers and the age groupers who line up every season. Open a name to read the background, the races and the latest news, and follow them on Instagram.
The Gulf states, teams and federations the people on this page race for
Team Bahrain TriathlonBahrain Endurance 13Bahrain Triathlon AssociationUAE Triathlon FederationSaudi Triathlon FederationQatar Pro TeamNo Limits QatarMK Endurance TeamWho is here, and why
Each person on this page is known to the triathlon community in Bahrain and the Gulf for what they have done in the sport over the years. Bahrainis come first, then citizens of the other Gulf states, then expatriates who have made the Gulf their racing home.
Instagram handles are shown where they have been confirmed, and more are added as they come in. If a detail is wrong or a name is missing, write through the contact page.
Bahrainis in the sport
Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al KhalifaFounder of Bahrain Victorious 13, age group world champion at Kona 2018
Background
Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, and the person who turned Bahrain into an Ironman host nation. He founded Bahrain Endurance 13 in 2015, now Bahrain Victorious 13, and races as its captain.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2015, age group silver at the first edition
- Ironman 70.3 Wiesbaden, April 2016, 5:11:59
- Challenge Mogan Gran Canaria, April 2017, third in 4:57
- Ironman North American Championship Texas, April 2018, first in his age category in 9:06
- Ironman World Championship, Kona, October 2018, M30-34 age group world title in 9:19:10
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, 2019, 4:06:51
Latest
Won the Victorious Ultimate Endurance Challenge on 16 April 2026 in 1:28:35, and presented the Bahraini category trophies at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in December 2025.
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Dr. Saqer AlKhalifaPresident of the Bahrain Triathlon Association 2013 to 2019, Ironman and 70.3 World Championship finisher
Background
President of the Bahrain Triathlon Association from December 2013 to December 2019, and general manager of the companies that held the Challenge Bahrain and Ironman Bahrain and Dubai licenses from 2014 to 2016, which brought the Ironman brand to the Gulf. Took up endurance sport after a diabetes diagnosis during his doctorate and has not stopped since.
Races
- Asian Beach Games, Muscat, December 2010, elite men standard distance
- Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, 2013 and 2014
- Ironman 70.3 Salalah, September 2022, qualified for the 70.3 World Championship
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Lahti, Finland, August 2023
- Ironman Kalmar, Sweden, full distance
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Nice, September 2026
Latest
Raced the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice on 13 September 2026 and is registered for Ironman Austria in Klagenfurt in June 2027.
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Mohamed AlQaisNational team since the 2014 Asian Games, first Bahraini man at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in 2018, 2019 and 2025
Background
Bahrain's longest serving national team triathlete and duathlete. He has raced for the country from the Incheon Asian Games in 2014 to the present and has been the first Bahraini man home at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain three times.
Races
- Asian Games, Incheon, 2014, standard distance
- Luxor Duathlon African and Pan Arab Championships, 2018, second
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, 2019, 3:56:43, first in M30-34
- Asia Duathlon Championships, Manama, 2022, ninth
- Gulf Duathlon Championship, Riyadh, December 2024, fifth elite
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2025, first Bahraini man in 4:01:35
Latest
Fourth at the Victorious Ultimate Endurance Challenge on 16 April 2026, after winning the Bahraini men's category at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in December 2025.
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May AlHajiFirst Bahraini and Gulf woman at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain 2025, Middle East age group champion in Muscat 2026
Background
A mother of two who ran a sub four hour Dubai Marathon seven months after her second child, then came into triathlon through the Abu Dhabi Local Heroes program in 2014. She is now Bahrain's most consistent woman over the 70.3 distance.
Races
- Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, March 2014
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022
- Gulf Duathlon Championship, Riyadh, December 2024, silver in elite women
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2025, first Gulf and Bahraini woman in 4:46:47
- Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship, Muscat, 2026, age group gold and the Middle East title in under five hours
- Ironman Kalmar, Sweden, August 2026, 10:42, seventh in her age group and a new Bahrain and GCC women's record over the full distance
Latest
Set the Bahrain national and GCC women's record over the full Ironman distance at Kalmar in August 2026, 10:42, two hours faster than her previous best.
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Sameera Al BitarTwo time Olympic swimmer, 2018 Asian Games triathlete, Arab champion 2016
Background
Swam the 50 meter freestyle for Bahrain at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics, then switched to triathlon and became the country's best known woman in the sport. Part of the national squad backed by Bahrain Endurance 13 from 2015.
Races
- Bahrain National Triathlon Championships, October 2016, elite women's winner
- Arab and West Asian Championship, Jordan, November 2016, Arab champion
- Asian Cup, Aqaba, 2017 and 2018, ninth both years
- Asian Games, Palembang, 2018, thirteenth in 2:21:48
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2018, Bahraini women's winner
Latest
Interviewed on the Inside Tri Show in May 2021 about racing as a woman in the Gulf.
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Abdulla AttiyaFirst Arab triathlon champion from the GCC, Pan Arab and African champion 2016, swam 170 km around Bahrain in 2025
Background
A former national team swimmer who became Bahrain's first serious junior triathlete and the youngest member of the Bahrain Endurance 13 development squad in 2016. He was the first triathlete from the GCC to become Arab champion, and the first from the GCC to race on the ITU circuit, where he started a World Cup. A Royal Guard officer, he set the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon in full military uniform, 3:40:07 at the Abu Dhabi marathon in 2021. Sponsored by Red Bull and Puma, he races triathlon and open water.
Races
- Asian Beach Games, Phuket, November 2014
- Pan Arab Championship, Sharm El Sheikh, 2015, junior Arab winner
- Pan Arab and African Championship, 2016, champion
- ITU Triathlon World Cup, the first GCC triathlete to race on the circuit
- 5150 Subic Bay, Philippines, 2016, first age grouper in 2:26:09
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022, 4:09:14, first in M18-24
- 170 km relay swim around Bahrain, finished 23 April 2025 in 59 hours 59 minutes
Latest
Completed the circumnavigation relay swim of Bahrain in April 2025 with Mariam Binladen, Andy Donaldson and Fatema Al Mahmeed.
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Omar HamzaWest Asian champion 2024 and 2025, Bahrain's triathlete at the 2026 Asian Games
Background
The current leader of Bahrain's elite men. He won the West Asian championship two years running in Fujairah and carried the flag alone in triathlon at the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games.
Races
- West Asian Triathlon Cup, Al Khobar, December 2022, bronze
- West Asia Triathlon Championship, Fujairah, December 2024, first in 1:00:08
- West Asian Championship, Fujairah, December 2025, first in 57:44
- World Triathlon Development Regional Cup, Kampar, June 2026, first
- Asian Games, Aichi Nagoya, September 2026, nineteenth in 56:50
Latest
Nineteenth at the Asian Games on 20 September 2026.
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Abdulrahman AlhassanGulf Youth Games gold 2024, fourth at the West Asian Championship 2024
Background
The leading young athlete of Bahrain's current national team, and the one athlete featured on the Bahrain Triathlon Association's own website.
Races
- West Asian U18 Aquathlon Championship, Saudi Arabia, December 2022, first
- Asia Triathlon Sprint Championships, Al Khobar, November 2023
- Gulf Youth Games sprint triathlon, April 2024, gold in 1:08:10
- Asia Junior Cup, Kampar, July 2024
- West Asian Championship, Fujairah, December 2024, fourth in elite men in 1:05:51
Latest
Fourth in the elite men's race at the West Asian Championship in Fujairah, December 2024.
Dana ZubariHalf Ironman Mallorca 2013, three Ironman finishes, founder of Lettuce Run
Background
A national level track athlete from the age of twelve who went on to the Dubai Marathon and the half Ironman in Mallorca. She co founded Cycling Bees, founded the Lettuce Run women's running group in 2018 and co founded the Tru Active sportswear brand.
Races
- Dubai Marathon, November 2012, 4:35
- Half Ironman Mallorca, May 2013, 7:02
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022
- Three Ironman finishes, as reported by Gulf Weekly in November 2023
Latest
Featured in the Gulf Daily News on 16 July 2026 for her running clubs.
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Rana Al AlawiThird Bahrain and GCC amateur woman at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain 2018, 70.3 World Championship qualifier
Background
Started with the Cross Island race in 2015 and finished her first Ironman event a year later at the age of 24. In 2018 she finished third among Bahrain and GCC amateur women at the Middle East Championship and earned a slot at the 70.3 World Championship.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2016, second Bahraini woman home
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2018, third Bahrain and GCC amateur woman, World Championship qualifier
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Nice, September 2019
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022
Latest
Raced the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice in 2019 and was on the start list at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in December 2022.
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Roya Al SaatiNine Ironman 70.3 finishes and a 70.3 World Championship, second Bahraini woman at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain 2025
Background
A member of the national duathlon squad with nine Ironman 70.3 finishes and one 70.3 World Championship, who finished as the second Bahraini and Gulf woman at the 2025 Middle East Championship at home.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022
- Gulf Duathlon Championship, Riyadh, December 2024, elite women
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2025, second Gulf and Bahraini woman in 5:09:28
Latest
Second Bahraini woman at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in December 2025.
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Nawaf Al DhaenFirst Bahraini home at the first national championships 2016, 2:55 marathoner
Background
A runner and triathlete who finished third overall and first Bahraini at the first Bahrain National Triathlon Championships, raced with the national team at Challenge Mogan, and ran the Barcelona Marathon in 2:55.
Races
- Bahrain National Triathlon Championships, October 2016, third overall and first Bahraini
- Arab and West Asian Duathlon Championship, Jordan, November 2016, fourth at Arab level
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2016
- Barcelona Marathon, 2017, 2:55
- Challenge Mogan, Gran Canaria, April 2017, with the national team
Latest
Qualified for the major marathons with his Barcelona time, reported in April 2017.
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Abdulla AlmuqahwiNational squad, West Asian Cup age group podium 2022, Gulf Duathlon 2024
Background
A national squad athlete in sprint triathlon and duathlon who has stood on the podium at the West Asian Cup and raced the Gulf Duathlon Championship in Riyadh.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022, 4:46:57
- West Asian Triathlon Cup, Al Khobar, December 2022, second in age group and third in the Gulf section
- Gulf Duathlon Championship, Riyadh, December 2024, sixth elite men in 59:44
Latest
Sixth in elite men at the Gulf Duathlon Championship, Riyadh, December 2024.
Abdulla AlbinzayedEleven Ironman 70.3 finishes, two 70.3 World Championships, full Ironman in 10:16
Background
A No Limits team athlete who has built one of the fuller racing records in Bahrain's age groups: eleven Ironman 70.3 finishes with a best of 4:21, two Ironman 70.3 World Championships, and a first full distance Ironman in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 10:16.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022, 4:47:05
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2024, 4:21, a personal best and a World Championship slot
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Taupo, New Zealand, December 2024
- Ironman Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, July 2025, his first full distance race, 10:16
- T100 Qatar, 2026, 4:05, 22nd
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Nice, September 2026
Latest
Raced his second Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice in September 2026.
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Abdulla SalmeenSix full Ironman finishes and ten Ironman 70.3 finishes
Background
One of the most experienced long course athletes in Bahrain's age groups, with six full distance Ironman finishes, ten Ironman 70.3 finishes and two marathons, and a fast runner on the local circuit.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022, M35-39
- Ironman 70.3 Warsaw, Poland
- Half marathon in 1:20:10, fourth overall
- 10 km in 36:16 in the Bahrain heat, third in age group and fifteenth overall
Latest
Recent results include a 70.3 under five hours and a 1:20:10 half marathon.
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Hamad AlMansooriIronman 70.3 World Championship Marbella 2025, West Asian Championship 2025
Background
A Bahraini triathlete who came back to elite racing at the West Asian Championship after more than five years away, having spent that time building toward Ironman. He raced the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Marbella in November 2025 among more than six thousand athletes and carried the Bahrain flag through a bike course he called the hardest part of the day.
Races
- Ironman 70.3, second in his age group after a full year of preparation
- Olympic distance triathlon, first place
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Marbella, Spain, November 2025
- West Asian Triathlon Championship, second edition, Fujairah, December 2025, elite race
- Sprint duathlon, 5 km, 20 km and 2.25 km, second in his age group
- Masters swimming, gold in the 50 meter freestyle
Latest
Raced the elite field at the West Asian Championship in December 2025 and took a sprint duathlon age group silver in 2026.
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Abdulrahman MubarakWest Asian Championship silver 2023, national team since 2018
Background
Born in 2002, one of two brothers on the Bahrain national team and a familiar sight at the front of the sprint races. He took silver at the West Asian Championships in Kuwait City in March 2023 and has sixteen World Triathlon starts, with a fifth place at the West Asian Championship in Fujairah in December 2025 after two years away from the sport.
Races
- Asia Triathlon West Asian Championships, Kuwait City, March 2023, second in 1:01:24
- Pan Arab Championships, Sharm El Sheikh, May 2023, elite sprint
- Africa Triathlon Duathlon Championships, October 2023, eighth
- Asia Triathlon Sprint Championships, Al Khobar, November 2023
- Asia Triathlon West Asian Championship, Fujairah, December 2025, fifth in 59:00
- Nasser bin Hamad cycling tour, with the front group
Latest
Fifth at the West Asian Championship in Fujairah in December 2025, his first triathlon after two years away.
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Mohamed MubarakNational team, Asian junior and West Asian championships 2018 to 2021
Background
The second of the Mubarak brothers on the Bahrain national team, with ten World Triathlon starts from the Asian youth qualifier in Subic Bay in 2018 to the Asia Triathlon Cup in Manama in 2021.
Races
- Asian Youth Olympic Games qualifier, Subic Bay, June 2018, youth men sprint
- Asian Championships, Gyeongju, June 2019, junior men sprint
- West Asian Championships, Bahrain, December 2019, fourth in junior men in 1:03:54
- Asia Triathlon Cup, Manama, December 2021, fourteenth in elite men in 1:05:51
Latest
Fourteenth in the elite men's race at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Manama, December 2021.
Citizens of the other Gulf states
United Arab Emirates
Khalifa Al DarmakiUAE full distance Ironman record holder, 10:12:24 at Hamburg 2025
Background
A lieutenant colonel who heads the sports activities department at the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, a UAE national team member and a member of Asia Triathlon's technical committee. He has set the UAE full Ironman record twice at Hamburg.
Races
- Ironman European Championship, Hamburg, June 2024, 10:37, UAE record
- Ironman World Championship, Taupo, New Zealand, December 2024
- Ironman European Championship, Hamburg, June 2025, 10:12:24, UAE record
- Ironman Tours, France, June 2026, with the UAE national team
- Sir Bani Yas challenge, Al Dhafra, 2026
Latest
Back racing six weeks after surgery following an accident, and named by the UAE Triathlon Federation to represent the country at the full distance Ironman in Barcelona.
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Hana Al NabulsiUAE national team, Asian Games 2023, West Asian silver 2025
Background
A UAE national team triathlete whose aim of becoming the first female Emirati Olympic triathlete was the subject of the 2023 documentary The Iron Woman. She ran a 242 km ultra at sixteen and finished Ironman 70.3 Mexico in 2021 as the youngest Emirati to do so.
Races
- Dubai Women's Triathlon, 2022, first in the Olympic distance
- Asian Games, Hangzhou, 2023, women's individual
- World Triathlon Women's Cup, Dubai, December 2025, fifteenth
- Asia Triathlon West Asian Championship, Fujairah, December 2025, silver in elite women
- World Triathlon Age Group Championships, Pontevedra, September 2026, sprint
Latest
Raced the age group sprint at the World Triathlon Championships in Pontevedra on 24 September 2026.
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Faris Al ZaabiFirst UAE international duathlon medal, 2019
Background
Born in Paris to an Emirati father and an Italian mother, a kinesiology graduate who went full time in 2018 and trained in Galicia. His bronze at the 2019 Luxor championships was the UAE's first international duathlon medal.
Races
- Luxor Duathlon African and Pan Arab Championships, 2019, bronze
- Iberian and Portuguese middle distance championship, Caminha, October 2020, age group winner, seventh overall
- World Games, Birmingham, 2022, elite duathlon
- World Duathlon Championships, Targu Mures, 2022, fourth in age group
- World Duathlon Championships, Pontevedra, 2025, age group sprint
Latest
Raced the age group sprint at the 2025 World Duathlon Championships in Pontevedra.
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Abdulrahman Al HosaniIronman 70.3 World Championship 2017 and 2018
Background
An Abu Dhabi aircraft engineer and former Al Jazira goalkeeper, a father of three, and one of the earliest Emiratis to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. More than thirty triathlons since 2012.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship, Philippines, 2016, tenth in M30-34, World Championship qualifier
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Chattanooga, 2017
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, South Africa, 2018, the only Emirati to qualify
- World Triathlon Age Group Championships, Abu Dhabi, 2022, standard distance
- World Triathlon Age Group Championships, Pontevedra, 2023, standard distance
Latest
Raced the standard distance at the 2023 World Triathlon Age Group Championships in Pontevedra.
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Saud AlzaabiFifteenth at the Asian Games 2023, the only GCC man to finish
Background
A UAE national team athlete who was the only man from the Gulf to finish the triathlon at the Hangzhou Asian Games, and one of the UAE's first two World Games duathletes. His own profile lists a world silver, three Asian and two African medals, and the number one world duathlon ranking in 2024.
Races
- World Games, Birmingham, 2022, duathlon
- Asian Games, Hangzhou, September 2023, fifteenth in 2:07:52
- Dubai Marathon, January 2026
Latest
Raced the Dubai Marathon in January 2026 and the Zayed Charity Run in China.
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Saudi Arabia
Dr. Dina Al TayebFirst Saudi Ironman finisher, Kona 2018 and 2019
Background
A Jeddah periodontist and mother of three who finished her first full Ironman in Canada in 2005, the first Saudi citizen to do so, and went on to become the first Saudi and first Arab woman to qualify for and finish the Ironman World Championship. A board member of the Saudi Triathlon Federation with more than twenty Ironman finishes.
Races
- Ironman Canada, 2005, first Saudi to finish a full Ironman
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021
- Ironman World Championship, Kona, 2018 and 2019
Latest
Profiled by Arab News in January 2024, and reported by the Saudi Tri Community to have finished the 2025 Ironman World Championship.
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Rayan AlkhuwaiterSaudi Games 2023 triathlon gold, first GCC man at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain 2024
Background
From Unayzah in Al Qassim, a microbiologist who started cycling in the United Kingdom in 2016, co founded Riyadh Peloton and rode for the national cycling team before moving to triathlon with the Saudi national team. Gold medalist in triathlon at the Saudi Games 2023.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022, 4:10:31, twentieth overall
- Saudi Games, 2023, triathlon gold
- Ras Al Khaimah triathlon, January 2024, silver overall in the Olympic distance
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2024, 4:04:07, first GCC man and second in his age group
- T100 Qatar, podium with the Saudi flag
Latest
Stood on the podium at T100 Qatar, after taking the GCC men's win at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in December 2024.
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Yasmeen ShaabanSaudi national team, ASICS FrontRunner, type 1 diabetes campaigner
Background
A full time athlete on the Saudi national triathlon team, the youngest member of the 2022 Abha training camp and an ASICS FrontRunner since 2023, with a Saudi Games bronze and two Ironman 70.3 finishes. She races with type 1 diabetes and campaigns for awareness of it, with Los Angeles 2028 as her stated goal.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Oceanside and Ironman 70.3 Egypt, 2021, two weeks apart
- World Triathlon Age Group Championships, Abu Dhabi, November 2022, super sprint
- World Triathlon Sprint and Relay Championships, Hamburg, July 2023, sprint
Latest
Fronted the Ford MYNM 24 hour movement challenge for type 1 diabetes awareness.
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Qatar
Tamim Al KuwariAfrica Triathlon Championships gold 2022, Asian Games 2023, Ironman 70.3 Middle East champion
Background
Qatar's best known elite man of the current generation, racing for Qatar Pro Team and No Limits Qatar. He won the Africa Triathlon Championships in Agadir in September 2022, represented Qatar at the Hangzhou Asian Games, and has since moved up to the 70.3 distance.
Races
- Africa Triathlon Championships, Agadir, September 2022, first
- World Triathlon Age Group Championships, Abu Dhabi, November 2022, ninth in 20-24 standard
- Pan Arab Championships, Sharm El Sheikh, May 2023, eighth elite sprint
- Asian Games, Hangzhou, September 2023
- Samla, 2023 and 2024, bronze both years
- Ironman 70.3 Warsaw, 4:33:53
- Run the Dome 4.8 km, 2026, first
Latest
Ironman 70.3 Middle East champion in his category, posted as his most recent result.
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Kuwait
Mubarak Al-JumahKuwaiti full Ironman record holder, 9:31, Ironman World Championship Kona 2026
Background
An engineer, a World Triathlon level two coach and the founder of the MK Endurance Team in Kuwait. He has qualified twice for the Ironman World Championship and four times for the 70.3 World Championship, holds the Kuwaiti national record over the full distance, and coaches Faisal AlRefaei, the youngest Kuwaiti to finish a full Ironman.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022, 4:34:11
- Oceanic Khor Fakkan Triathlon, UAE, March 2024, first
- Ironman Tours, France, 10:09
- Ironman Kalmar, Sweden, 9:31, Kuwaiti national record and a Kona slot
- Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, October 2026, 10:25
Latest
Finished the Ironman World Championship in Kona in October 2026 in 10:25.
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Abdullah AlRefaeTwo time Kona qualifier, Ironman World Championship 2024 and 2026, Pan Arab sprint champion 2021
Background
A Kuwaiti triathlete with the Threeone team, backed by Kuwait Finance House since 2019, when he finished the full Ironman in Kalmar, Sweden, in 10:58:44. He won both the Pan Arab and the Africa Triathlon Championships sprint races in Sharm El Sheikh in June 2021 and has since qualified twice for the Ironman World Championship in Kona.
Races
- Ironman Kalmar, Sweden, 2019, 10:58:44
- Africa Triathlon Cup and Pan Arab Championships, Sharm El Sheikh, June 2021, first in 1:01:53
- Ironman 70.3 Salalah, 2023, fourth, qualified for the 70.3 World Championship
- Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, 2024
- Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, October 2026, 10:09:15
Latest
Finished the Ironman World Championship in Kona in October 2026 in 10:09:15.
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Hamad Al-KhalidiKuwaiti national record over 70.3, 4:00:55 at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain 2025
Background
An electrical engineer based in London, a USA Triathlon level one coach and a Threeone team athlete. His 4:00:55 at Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in December 2025 set the Kuwaiti national record over the distance, with second overall, first in his age group and first GCC man on the same day.
Races
- Arab Cup Championship, Hurghada, October 2023, gold
- Dubai Triathlon Championship, January 2024, second overall in the sprint and first in age group
- Ironman 70.3 Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
- Ironman 70.3 Oman, 4:07:10
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2025, 4:00:55, Kuwaiti national record, second overall and first GCC man
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Nice, September 2026
Latest
Finished the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice in September 2026.
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Oman
Sulaiman Al AlawiWinner of the first Middle East Triathlon 2005, Asian Games 2006
Background
Oman's pioneer elite triathlete. He won the first Middle East Triathlon in April 2005 in 1:09:50, beating the pre race favorite Roy Nasr on the run, and represented Oman at the Doha Asian Games and the Muscat Asian Beach Games.
Races
- Middle East Triathlon, April 2005, first in 1:09:50
- Asian Games, Doha, December 2006, elite men standard distance, 2:15:12
- Asian Beach Games, Muscat, December 2010, elite men standard distance, 2:07:49
Latest
Raced the Asian Beach Games in Muscat in December 2010.
Reem Al HarthyFirst Omani woman to finish a full Ironman, Barcelona 2025
Background
A working mother who trained twelve to fifteen hours a week with a coach, raced the Gulf's 70.3 events, and in October 2025 became the first Omani woman to finish a full distance Ironman. She is now an Ironman ambassador and a Woven Endurance ambassador.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 events in the Gulf before 2025
- Ironman Barcelona, Calella, October 2025, 11:40
Latest
Finished Ironman Barcelona on 5 October 2025 in 11:40, reported by Muscat Daily in November 2025.
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Expatriates who race from here
Ukraine, based in Bahrain
Olga GorvatTeam Bahrain, Ironman 70.3 World Championship qualifier 2023
Background
A Ukrainian film producer and mother of four based in Bahrain who races for Team Bahrain. By her own account she took up sport at 38 and stood on an Ironman 70.3 age group podium at 42. She qualified for the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Lahti alongside the Bahraini group that travelled to Finland that August.
Races
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022, fourth in F40-44 in 5:13:14
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Lahti, Finland, August 2023
Latest
Her Instagram shows her at the finish line of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, and she notes she qualified for it at her first race and again at her second and third. Recent posts cover T100 Qatar, Ironman 70.3 Oman and a pre-season sprint raced in 33 degree heat.
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Spain, based in Bahrain
Mikel CalahorraBahrain Endurance 13, six time Ironman World Championship finisher, eight Ironman 70.3 World Championships, coach to Shaikh Nasser
Background
An industrial and civil engineer from Bilbao in the Basque Country who first came to Bahrain in 2010 for the SULB steel plant and settled here in 2012. He was long distance world champion under 23 at Lorient in 2007, second in his age group at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship the same year and long distance European champion in his age group in 2010. He has finished the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii six times and raced the Ironman 70.3 World Championship eight times. His Ironman best is 8:59 at Ironman Florida in 2013. He won the 2013 Bahrain Olympic distance triathlon, after which Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad asked him to coach him toward an Ironman, and he joined Bahrain Endurance 13 as its age group representative in 2017.
Races
- Ironman World Championship, Hawaii, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018
- Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Clearwater, 2007, second in M18-24
- Ironman Florida, 2013, 8:59
- Ironman Texas, April 2018, 9:12
- Bahrain Olympic distance triathlon, 2013, winner
Latest
His Instagram now describes him as triathlete and coach at Team Bahrain. Recent posts show HYROX races in Mumbai and Abu Dhabi, a 1:33:01 at the BRR Amex Half Marathon and a win at the Triathlon Festival Oman.
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France, based in Saudi Arabia
Christophe SargisMore than 250 race wins in the region since 2004, Ironman World Championship finisher
Background
A French expatriate in Dhahran since 2004 and one of the most prolific age group racers the Gulf has seen. He told Slowtwitch in 2015 that he had won more than 250 events since arriving, around a hundred of them triathlons in the Middle East, and named the first Challenge Bahrain in 2014 as his favorite race.
Races
- Challenge Bahrain, December 2014
- Ironman World Championship, Hawaii
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, 2018, 4:34:29
- Ironman 70.3 Bahrain, December 2022, M50-54
Latest
On the start list of Ironman 70.3 Bahrain in December 2022.
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Results and dates come from race results, federation records and press reports. Where only a place on a start list could be confirmed, the card says so.
هذه الصفحة متاحة بالعربية أيضاً: أعلام الترايثلون في البحرين والخليج
