Can Anyone Beat Hayden Wilde at T100 San Francisco?

This Saturday’s T100 San Francisco might be Hayden Wilde’s first time racing on the famed Escape from Alcatraz course (OK, we know it’s not the same course as the iconic race, but elements are of the event are there), but that hardly seems like it’s going to be an impediment for the Kiwi as he looks to claim a ninth T100 win. Wilde’s record at T100 events is almost perfect – the only time he didn’t win one of the 100 km races was in Dubai last year thanks to a lap-counting debacle. The closest anyone has come to the Olympic bronze (Tokyo) and silver (Paris) medalist was at the French Riviera race, where Jelle Geens was 22-seconds back.

There might be one small hiccup to Wilde’s pre-race situation – he was forced to pull out of the WTCS Alghero last weekend due to illness. As long as the bug wasn’t anything too major, though, look for Wilde to bounce back and be ready for another big day.

“I’m buzzing to be able to race the San Francisco T100 Triathlon this year,” he said. “The Escape From Alcatraz course is a bucket list race for all triathletes which I was gutted to miss out on last season. Everyone knows I love a challenge and looking down the start list, the rest of the boys have certainly answered the call.” 

Geens and Marten Van Riel (who took the first edition of this race in 2024 in a dramatic three-man sprint against Kiwi Kyle Smith and Germany’s Rico Bogen) have both pulled out of race on Saturday, as has Germany’s Mika Noodt, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t lots of firepower in the field ready to keep Wilde honest.

Bogen is the defending champion and has always finished on the podium in San Francisco, so he’ll certainly be one to watch on Saturday. While Bogen is kicking off his T100 race season in San Francisco, he did start 2026 off with a runner-up finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-en-Provence. Bogen loves everything about the San Francisco course and event – the hilly bike and flat run suits him, as does the typically cooler temperatures.

Another man with very viable visions of a top finish is American Morgan Pearson, who took that Dubai race last year and finished second at the T100 Championship in Qatar. Last year he made his T100 debut in San Francisco, finishing eighth, and he’s steadily gaining confidence over the distance, especially with his run prowess.

“Coming second in the Qatar T100 Final and winning Dubai last year was a testament to the progression I’ve made on the T100 series, after racing in San Francisco, Vancouver and the French Riviera,” said Pearson. My run is obviously one of my strengths and I feel I’m now giving myself the opportunity to show that over the 100km distance. Competing in front of a home crowd always gives you an extra boost, so I’m looking forward to racing in San Francisco next month against such a strong field.”

Another America, Ben Kanute, has won the Escape from Alcatraz four times, so he’s no-doubt looking forward to another adventure diving into the water off of Alcatraz island.

As is the norm with T100 races, the small field is jam-packed with talent, so we could go on for a while naming other podium contenders, but the one last name that sparks some interest is Paris bronze medalist Léo Bergère, a former draft-legal world champion who has done well over long distance races in the past, but has yet to have a breakout T100 performance.

Here’s the full pro field for Saturday’s race:

Live Coverage

The race will be streamed live for free on TriathlonLive.tv beginning at 6:30 am local time, 9:30 am EST. You can find the full list of broadcast partners here.

This is the fourth race of the 9-event T100 Triathlon World Tour and the second men’s race. This year’s format splits men’s and women’s races, with the Qatar Grand Final hosting both men and women. Wilde took the first men’s race of the season in Singapore. He’s the only podium finisher from Singapore in the field – Sam Dickinson took second there, followed by Noodt.

The prize purse is US$275,000 with the winner taking home $50,000 of that.

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