Junior National Series
The USA Triathlon Junior National Series is designed to develop athletes ages 13 to 19 in the draft-legal triathlon format. Numerous U.S. Olympians and World Class triathletes got their start in this program. The series typically consists of five qualification races leading to the USA Triathlon Youth & Junior Nationals.
Athletes competing in this series may have the opportunity for additional talent identification and development through USA Triathlon High Performance programs and selection for international competitions, such as the World Triathlon Junior World Championships.
Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
April 12, 2026 | Fort Worth, TX | |
May 3, 2026 | Richmond, VA | |
May 31, 2026 | Pleasant Prairie, WI | |
June 13-14, 2026 | Beaver Falls, PA | |
July 12, 2026 | West Des Moines, IA | |
Aug. 1-2, 2026 | West Chester, OH |
Format
- Competition is conducted in the draft-legal triathlon format.
- The swim begins with athletes lined-up shoulder-to-shoulder on the beach or from a pontoon.
- Swim distances are 375 meters for Youth Draft-Legal and 750 meters for Junior Draft-Legal
- Transitions are flow-through with equipment deposited in bins following use.
- The bike is either two or four 5-kilometer laps depending on the division.
- The run is either one or two 2.5-kilometer laps depending on the division.
Qualification
- Registration for the qualifiers is open, first-come, first-served.
- Registration for the earliest qualifiers opens in mid-January.
- Qualification races have field limits of 75-80 athletes per division.
- The 75 spots per division for the national championship are divided equally among the five qualification races. Spots roll down to the next eligible athlete not-yet-qualified at each race. USA Triathlon High Performance notifies qualified athletes shortly after each event and provides a registration deadline.
International Invites
- USA Triathlon may extend invitations to athletes representing other National Federations to participate in the series and the national championship.
- International invitees may not directly qualify for the national championship.
- Contact juniors@usatriathlon.org for invitations.
Rankings
- Draft-Legal athletes may earn two rankings: one for participation in the five qualifiers plus nationals (“Series Ranking”); and, one for participation in the series plus certain international junior events such as the Junior Continental and Junior World Championships.
- Invited international athletes are not included in these rankings.
Awards
- At each qualifier and at the national championship, awards are given to the Top 3 finishers in each division.
- Invited international athletes may earn podium awards (Top 3) at qualifiers but not at the national championship.
Teams
- Many athletes competing in the series belong to clubs and teams that specialize in preparing for draft-legal racing.
- To find a team near you, visit the Elite Development page.
Rules
Rules can be found here.
Series Guide
Coming in Dec. 2025!