Source: https://www.t24-xtremtriathlon.com/
The T24 Xtrem Triathlon is a unique, 24-hour non-stop race format where individual athletes or relay teams (duos, teams of 4, or teams of 6) try to complete the maximum distance possible across three specific time blocks.
🕒 The 24-Hour Race Program (The Format)
Unlike traditional triathlons with set distances, the T24 is governed strictly by time blocks. Every lap completed earns points for the athlete or team.
- Block 1: Swimming (4 Hours)
- Goal: Complete as many 1,000m (1 km) loops as possible.
- Each lap ends with an “Australian exit” (running briefly out of the water and back in) before starting the next loop.
- Block 2: Road Cycling (12 Hours)
- Goal: Transition to the bike and rack up as many loops as possible over a half-day stretch (typically ~20 km per loop depending on the location). This block extends deep into the night.
- Block 3: Road Running (8 Hours)
- Goal: Finish the remaining 8 hours on foot, completing loops (typically 4 km to 5 km) until the 24-hour clock expires.
The 1st Triathlon on 24H 🔥
SAISON 2026 ❤️💙
T24 ÎLE DE RÉ
T24 BREIZH
T24 MONT-BLANC PASSY
T24 BORMES LES MIMOSAS
📅 Remaining 2026 Event Dates
The T24 series features multiple host locations throughout the year. The early summer legs (Île de Ré and Breizh / Carantec) took place in June. Here are the remaining upcoming dates for the 2026 calendar:
🏔️ T24 Mont-Blanc Passy
- Date: Saturday, September 26 to Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Location: Passy (Haute-Savoie, France)
- The Vibe: A stunning alpine lake swim followed by mountain-view loops that feature challenging elevation changes.
🌊 T24 Bormes-les-Mimosas
- Date: Saturday, October 10 to Sunday, October 11, 2026
- Location: Bormes-les-Mimosas (Var, France)
- The Vibe: A seaside edition along the French Riviera, featuring scenic but punishing climbs like the Pas de la Griotte.
🌊 T24 Luxembourg
- Date: T24 Luxembourg: May 29 & 30, 2027
- Location: Luxembourg
- The Vibe: more to come…
📊 The Scoring System
Since the race doesn’t end when you cross a finish line, performance is measured by a point-per-kilometer breakdown:
- Swimming: 15 points per km
- Cycling: 1 point per km
- Running: 4 points per km
The history of the T24 Xtrem Triathlon is a relatively modern and highly innovative chapter in the world of ultra-endurance sports. It was born out of a desire to break away from traditional triathlon formats and create a completely fresh, highly strategic, and community-driven concept.
Here is how the T24 came to be and how it evolved into the major event series it is today.
💡 The Birth of the Concept (The “Anti-Ironman” Formula)
For decades, ultra-triathlon meant one thing: fixed distances (like the Ironman’s 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, and 42.2 km run) where the clock tracks how fast you can finish.
The founders of the T24 wanted to flip that script. Inspired by famous 24-hour endurance motorsport events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, they asked a different question: “How far can you go in exactly 24 hours?” Instead of athletes racing across a massive linear course and finishing hours apart, the T24 concept was built around:
- Time Blocks: A strict schedule of 4 hours of swimming, 12 hours of cycling, and 8 hours of running.
- Loop-Based Courses: Short, repetitive loops that keep all athletes in the same area.
- Shared Finish Line: Everyone—whether a solo elite athlete or a 6-person amateur relay team—crosses the exact same finish line at the exact same second when the 24-hour clock runs out.
🚀 The Launch and Growth in France
The T24 series officially debuted in France, choosing iconic, visually stunning holiday destinations to contrast the extreme physical suffering of the race with beautiful backdrops.
The Île de Ré Pioneer
The very first T24 events took place on the Île de Ré, an island off the Atlantic coast of France. The flat but wind-swept landscape proved to be the perfect testing ground for the format. It allowed individual “Xtrem” racers to test their mental boundaries, while the relay options (duos, teams of 4, and teams of 6) turned the traditionally solitary sport of triathlon into a highly tactical team building experience.
Expanding the Terrain
Following the success on the Atlantic coast, the organizers expanded the circuit to offer different geographic challenges:
- T24 Breizh (Brittany): Introduced rolling, punchy hills and unpredictable Celtic coastal weather.
- T24 Bormes-les-Mimosas (French Riviera): Brought heavy elevation changes, forcing athletes to climb coastal ridges like the Pas de la Griotte repeatedly in the dead of night.
- T24 Mont-Blanc (Passy): Took the event to the French Alps, introducing alpine lake swimming and mountain-grade cycling loops.
📈 Evolution into an International Series
As the community grew, the T24 transitioned from a niche French endurance challenge into a internationally recognized event series.
- The Scoring Record: Over the years, elite ultra-triathletes have pushed the absolute limits of the point system. The standing absolute course record reached a staggering 1,204 points — which required an incredible combination of 18 km of swimming, 442 km of cycling, and 132 km of running within the 24-hour window.
- Inclusivity Movement: A major milestone in T24’s history was opening up all relay formats to paratriathletes with custom-tailored course adaptations, making it one of the most inclusive ultra-endurance events in Europe.
- Going Global (2027): The expansion of the franchise hit a major milestone with the announcement of T24 Luxembourg (scheduled for May 2027), marking the official expansion of the 24-hour triathlon format outside of French borders.
