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While the cancellation of triathlons and uncertainty due to the Iran War is frustrating, a short pause can provide a moment of necessary perspective.
As the Iran war creates uncertainty around the world, including the triathlon calendar, we must set the record straight, writes senior editor Susan Lackey. (Photo: World Triathlon)
Updated on March 6, 2026 at 03:13 PM
The beauty of triathlon is that it is a global sport – almost anywhere in the world, even in the far reaches of Antarctica, you can find a triathlon race.
But the global nature of our sport also means that it is subject to the whims of the world. We learned this during the COVID-19 pandemic, when races were cancelled, pools closed, and we added “supply chain issues” to our collective vocabulary. We’re learning that again this week, as the war with Iran has forced the postponement of the season-opening World Triathlon Championships in Abu Dhabi. like Tim Hemming reported todayNot only does the war have the potential to disrupt the global triathlon, T100 and Ironman calendar, but it is already affecting triathletes traveling to March races in Australia, where many of the major airport hubs are in the Middle East.
The war is also affecting Camp Pendleton, which hosts the beloved Oceanside 70.3 race on March 28. The Marine Corps base in Southern California is currently on Bravo+ alert level due to the conflict, and we spoke with Camp Pendleton representatives about What does that mean for racing?.
As I was working on these stories this week, I couldn’t help but mutter to myself: We are a triathlon publication. Why should we write about war? I was mad, not because of some silly inconvenience caused by a race being canceled (this sport is a hobby for most of us, after all) but because after the challenge of the past few years, I just wanted to write about swimming, biking, and running without the context of a global crisis. I’m tired of these unprecedented times. I would very much like to provide some precedent.
But here we are, once again, with no clear sense of what lies ahead for the world. To cope, we turn to the comforts of swimming, biking and running. When these unprecedented times become too much to bear, we find 30 minutes or an hour to escape underwater or to the sound of our feet on the dock.
I hope we also take a moment to think about those around the world who cannot do this. If the biggest problem an athlete faces right now is having the race canceled (or possibly cancelled), then that person already has a charmed life.
While cancellations and uncertainty are frustrating, a brief pause can provide a moment of necessary perspective. We turn to triathlon for comfort and escape in these unprecedented times, but we must also remember that the true solace is not in the training itself, but in the privilege of doing it at all.
This comment originally appeared on March 6 Triathlete Newsletter. To get more from our editors, sign up below for our twice-weekly Triathlete emails for the latest articles, behind-the-scenes insights, and more.
