Last year, we tallied up triathletes’ total earnings (notably, based on prize money from races and series bonuses, and excluding sponsorships, appearance fees, and other sources of income). The top earners in 2025 were Hayden Wilde and Kate Waugh, respectively, after winning the T100 Triathlon World Tour, followed closely by Kristian Blummenfelt and Kat Matthews, the 2025 Ironman Pro Series champions.

While 2026 isn’t over yet, we thought we’d share an update on where things stand financially, including the top earners so far. We’ll provide another update following Ironman’s two biggest payouts of the year: the Ironman World Championship in Kona and the Pro Series bonuses. (And the T100 series will, of course, still need to play out, with one final regular-season race for each gender – the women in Dubai and the men in Saudi Arabia – followed by the World Championship Final in Qatar.)

Interim Men’s Top Earners as of October 3, 2026

Interim Women’s Top Earners as of October 3, 2026

*A note that World Triathlon (WT) earnings include WTCS, World Cup races, and series payouts. It does not include the mixed relay.

Earnings So Far

Men

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the short-course athletes are leading the way so far, following the recent WTCS Final in Pontevedra and WTCS series payouts, as well as Supertri’s big earning day in Jersey, with $800,000 USD on the line.

Wilde leads the men’s side with $294,750 in earnings so far, spread across multiple series. Notably, the largest share of his income has come from T100 racing despite being crowned Ironman 70.3 World Champion in Nice, illustrating the impact of T100 as the highest-paying regular-season racing on the calendar.

Next up is Matt Hauser at $251,000, earned predominantly through the short-course circuit (including $130,000 from World Triathlon racing), along with one T100 appearance early in the season.

Vasco Vilaça, the 2026 World Triathlon champion, currently sits third on the list with $164,000 in prize money. And Kristian Blummenfelt is fourth, thus far with “only” $114,600 to his name after collecting more than $300,000 last year. Importantly, however, big movement is expected for Blummenfelt in Kona.

Women

The women’s side is similarly led by short-course stars, with Cassandre Beaugrand at the top with $276,000, earned entirely through World Triathlon and Supertri racing. Georgia Taylor-Brown follows in second at $243,900, with $80,000 of that coming from T100.

Taylor Knibb currently sits third with $170,000 – a number that could climb significantly should she secure her first Kona victory (although she is not in the running for the Pro Series title this year). And Julie Derron sits just behind Knibb in fourth at $155,650, also with plenty of earning potential still on the table between her Big Island debut and the remainder of the T100 series.

Big Movement Is Expected Heading Into Kona (and Qatar)

Men

If Blummenfelt wins in Kona this year ($125,000) and secures the Pro Series crown ($200,000), he would temporarily jump to the top of the earnings rankings with an impressive $439,600. However, Wilde could still pass him as the final T100 races play out. For instance, if Wilde were to win both Saudi Arabia and Qatar ($50,000 each) and successfully defend his T100 series crown ($100,000), his season total would climb to an incredible $494,750.

Other long-course men currently outside the top 10 are also likely to make significant jumps following Kona and the Pro Series payouts. That includes Marten Van Riel, who has a legitimate shot at the $200,000 Pro Series title in addition to being a top contender in Kona. The same holds true for several other long-course specialists, meaning the men’s top 10 could look considerably different by season’s end.

Women

We expect plenty of movement on the women’s side as well. Knibb and Derron, currently sitting third and fourth, both have significant earning opportunities still ahead between Kona and potentially the remaining T100 races. Derron has told us she intends to finish out the T100 season following her Big Island debut, while we haven’t yet heard whether Knibb plans to do the same.

Meanwhile, Solveig Løvseth and Laura Philipp are the leading contenders for the $200,000 Pro Series title and are also among the key names chasing the top finishing positions in Kona. And, as with the men, several other long-course stars could make their way onto the list, so the women’s rankings are also expected to look considerably different by season’s end.

We’ll keep you posted with updated earnings following Saturday’s race. Stay tuned!