Youth, Junior & U23 Development
Developing the future of the sport
With several programs for Youth, Junior and U23 athletes, USA Triathlon is here to support the development of young athletes as they dream, plan and reach their goals.
Youth & Junior Elite
Talented Youth (ages 13-15) and Junior (ages 16-19) athletes have the opportunity to learn from the best USA Triathon Certified Coaches, join a high performance team and race elite competition to help fuel their development in the sport.
Most Junior Elites are encouraged to finish out their eligibility in the junior division before advancing to the U23 races, which are often competed at the longer Olympic-distance.
Learn more below and for more information, please email juniors@usatriathlon.org.
U23
The Under-23 or “U23” division is a bridge between Junior Elite, Collegiate (Draft-Legal) and Elite competition. To compete in the U23 division, an athlete must hold a USAT Elite License and be between the ages of 18 and 23 as of Dec. 31 of the competition year. Most U23 races are subdivisions within World Triathlon Continental Cups.
U23 athletes compete in draft-legal races at the sprint-distance (750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run) and Olympic-distance (1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run).
Athletes interested in racing U23 are encouraged to start with USA Triathlon's designated U23 Elite and National Triathlon Development Races (U23/NTDR), collegiate draft-legal events, and NCAA Women's events.
USA Triathlon 2023 Youth & Junior Triathlon Development Race Series
2023 USAT Youth & Junior Development Series Guide (PDF)
Event Name | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast Triathlon Festival | April 30, 2023 | Richmond, VA |
| Pleasant Prairie Cup | June 4, 2023 | Pleasant Prairie, WI |
| Jenny Lee Tri Cup | June 17-18, 2023 | Beaver Falls, PA |
| Flatlands Cup Tri | July 9, 2023 | Des Moines, IA |
| Zone3 Youth & Junior Nationals (draft-legal) | August 4-6, 2023 | Milwaukee, WI |
Zone3 Youth and Junior Nationals (draft-legal) Qualification
The USA Triathlon Youth and Junior Development Series provides a pathway for athletes to qualify for the draft-legal 2023 Zone3 Youth and Junior Nationals Aug. 4-6 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are 75 National Championship qualifying spots available, per gender, for Youth (ages 13-15) and Juniors (ages 16-19).
Youth (ages 13-15) and Junior (ages 16-19) athletes qualify to compete at the 2023 Zone3 Youth and Junior Nationals (draft-legal) by finishing in the top-18 at ANY 2023 USAT Youth and Junior Development Series Race (excluding athletes already qualified and/or athletes representing other National Federations).
Only athletes representing USA are eligible for direct qualification to Nationals at a 2023 USA Triathlon Youth and Junior Development Series Race.
Remaining unfilled spots on the start list may be filled by discretionary invitation - see the 2023 USAT Youth & Junior Development Series Guide for more information.
2023 Human Powered Health Triathlon Development Race Series
2023 Human Powered Health Triathlon Development Race Series provides competitive draft-legal race opportunities in the U.S. for Elite Development athletes to earn a USA Triathlon Elite License and gain valuable experience.
This series has a $3,000 prize purse per event sponsored by Human Powered Health ($750 for 1st, $500 for 2nd, $250 for 3rd). U25 non-elite athletes have the opportunity to earn their elite license by placing top 3 non-elite U.S. citizen. Note: Elite athletes over the race age of 23 are not permitted to race. Non-elite athletes over the race age of 25 may be permitted to race with permission from USAT High Performance staff on a very limited basis.
| Event Name | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Tritonman | Feb. 11, 2023 | Mission Bay, CA |
| Clermont Draft Legal Challenge | March 4-5, 2023 | Clermont, FL |
| St. Peters Triathlon | April 15, 2023 | St. Peters, MO |
| East Coast Triathlon Festival | April 30, 2023 | Richmond, VA |
| Jenny Lee Tri Cup | June 16, 2023 | Beaver Falls, PA |
Camps and Clinics
Junior/U23 Development Teams
2023 U.S. Team Selection Criteria
