MetaSprint Series 2027: Race Guide, Dates and How to Prepare

The swim at the MetaSprint Aquathlon comes with a rope. A guide rope runs along the swim course off Sentosa, and the organiser's own description of the course is easy to remember: just follow the guide rope. You may hold it, too. You just cannot use it to pull yourself through the course, because that can get you disqualified.

Small details like that are what first-timers want to know, and plenty of them start here: the organiser says the series has created tens of thousands of triathletes. It is three separate races over three months: an aquathlon (swim and run) in January, a duathlon (run, bike, run) in February and a triathlon (swim, bike, run) in March, each with distances from kids' races up to XL. Here is your complete guide to the 2027 season: dates, venues, distances, entry fees and deadlines, the courses lap by lap, race-week weather, what is in your race kit, the race-day rules that catch people out, and how to get ready. Everything comes from the organiser's own pages, checked on 2 November 2026.

MetaSprint Series 2027 at a Glance

Race	Date	Venue	Disciplines	Entries close
Aquathlon	Sunday 24 January 2027	Sentosa	Swim, run	12 January
Duathlon	Sunday 28 February 2027	F1 Village	Run, bike, run	16 February
Triathlon	Sunday 21 March 2027	East Coast Park	Swim, bike, run	9 March

Source: MetaSprint Series race pages and fee tables, checked 2 November 2026. "Entries close" is the last day of each race's final price window. The organiser also closes registration early if a race reaches capacity, so do not leave it to the last day.

The 2027 course maps and race-day schedules are not out yet. The race pages show the 2026 courses for reference and say the 2027 versions are coming soon.

Distances: Pick Your Category

Every race has six categories, and the distances step up from Kids to XL. Your category depends on your age as of 31 December 2027.

Category	Age	Aquathlon (swim, run)	Duathlon (run, bike, run)	Triathlon (swim, bike, run)
XL	18+	1.35km, 10km	6km, 30km, 3km	1.5km, 40km, 10km
Sprint and Sprint Relay	16+	750m, 5km	3km, 18km, 3km	750m, 18km, 5km
Discovery	16+	250m, 2.5km	1.5km, 12km, 1.5km	250m, 12km, 2.5km
Youth	12 to 15	250m, 2.5km	1.5km, 12km, 1.5km	250m, 12km, 2.5km
Kids	8 to 11	150m, 1.5km	750m, 6km, 750m	150m, 6km, 1.5km
Fun Kids	4 to 8	50m splash, 500m run	500m scoot	Scoot and run

Source: MetaSprint Series distance tables (published as images on the organiser's site), checked 2 November 2026.

Which Distance Suits a First Race

• Discovery: the shortest adult distance, open to anyone 16 or older. In the triathlon that is a 250m swim, a 12km ride and a 2.5km run, which is a sensible first taste of all three.
• Sprint: the next step up, with a 750m swim in both the aquathlon and the triathlon. It is also the distance the relay teams race.
• XL: the longest distance, which in the triathlon means a 1.5km swim, a 40km ride and a 10km run. It is the one distance with a strict cut-off: XL triathletes have to reach the 38km mark of the bike course within 2 hours and 5 minutes of their start to complete the full distance. Miss it and you can still finish, but you will not be ranked in the results.

For the other categories, the organiser says the cut-off times are very generous, and that no athlete has missed the cut-off time of any of the MetaSprint Series races so far.

If you would rather share the load, you can race as a relay. In the aquathlon a relay team has 2 members, and in the duathlon and triathlon a team can have 2 or 3 members, with the legs split between you.

The Courses: What the 2026 Maps Show

The 2027 course maps are not out yet. What the organiser does show, on each race page, is the 2026 course for reference. Courses can change between years, so treat this as a strong guide and check the Race Guide that goes up 10 days before each race.

Race and leg (2026)	XL	Sprint	Youth and Discovery
Aquathlon swim	2 laps	Not marked	Not marked
Aquathlon run	2 laps of the Sprint course	Not marked	Not marked
Duathlon bike	5 laps	3 laps	2 laps
Duathlon runs	Run 1: 2 laps. Run 2: 1 lap	Not marked	Not marked
Triathlon swim	2 laps	2 laps	Not marked
Triathlon bike	5 laps	3 laps	2 laps
Triathlon run	2 laps of the Sprint course	Not marked	Not marked

Source: MetaSprint Series 2026 course maps, published as images on the 2027 race pages, checked 2 November 2026. "Not marked" means the map does not print a lap count for that category.

Aquathlon: Palawan Beach and the Siloso Beach Walk

• Swim: in 2026 the swim started on the beach at Palawan Beach. Each category swims its own loop, and the XL swims two laps of the long course out along the beach. The map marks a swim beach turn beside the start, and the swim exit leads up the beach to transition.
• Run: the run heads along the Palawan Beach Walk onto the Siloso Beach Walk and back, which the organiser calls a spacious run course along Sentosa's beachfront. XL runners do two laps of the Sprint course, turning at a U-turn by transition, and the finish sits right next to transition.
• The tide matters here: in 2026 the aquathlon was moved from 1 February to the afternoon of Sunday, 8 February 2026, after a crocodile was sighted off Sentosa Cove and water activities were halted at Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches. When it was rescheduled, the organiser started the first wave at 1:00pm and said the afternoon slot was chosen for high tide and safe water conditions. The swim depends on the sea, so read the Final Announcement email closely in race week.

Duathlon: Laps of Nicoll Highway

• Bike: the 2026 bike course ran in laps along Nicoll Highway, past the National Stadium, with a turn near Beach Road. The organiser describes it as a fully-closed and wide bike course. XL rode 5 laps, Sprint 3 and Youth and Discovery 2. Set against the distances (30km, 18km and 12km), that works out to about 6km a lap for everyone, so if you lose count, your bike computer will tell you where you are.
• Run: both runs start from F1 Village and follow the waterfront. The organiser calls it a shaded cool run, with views of the Marina Reservoir, the National Stadium and the Singapore Flyer. XL runners do two laps on the first run (2 x 3km) and one lap on the second.
• Practising: you can ride the roads on the duathlon bike course outside race day, but not the full course, because the Nicoll Highway carriageway cannot be cycled in the opposite direction.

Triathlon: East Coast Park

• Swim: a beach start, with both XL and Sprint swimming 2 laps. The XL loop is the larger of the two. The map again marks a swim beach turn beside the start. This is the more exposed of the two swims, with more swell and current than Sentosa.
• Bike: the bike course runs along the East Coast Park roads between the skate park near Bedok Jetty and the National Sailing Centre. Sprint (3 laps) and Youth and Discovery (2 laps) turn at the National Sailing Centre, which makes each lap about 6km. The XL loop carries on past the National Sailing Centre, and 40km over 5 laps makes each XL lap about 8km. The organiser describes it as a safe, flat and fast bike course along pretty tree lined paths, and you are allowed to ride it before race day.
• Run: the run follows the park along the shore, with two drink stations on the map. XL runners do two laps of the Sprint course and turn at a U-turn by the finish.

Race-Week Weather

These are the 10-year averages for the week around each race date, from the SportPlus.sg race pages.

Race	Average high and low	Dawn temperature, coolest to warmest year	Race-week days with 1mm of rain or more
Aquathlon	29°C / 24°C	24 to 26°C	76%
Duathlon	30°C / 24°C	23 to 25°C	67%
Triathlon	31°C / 24°C	23 to 26°C	84%

Source: SportPlus.sg race pages, from Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5), checked 2 November 2026.

Two things stand out. Rain is likely in race week for all three, so pack for it and remember that light to moderate rain does not stop the race. And the triathlon is the warmest of the three, with a 2026 Sprint start at 9:05, well after dawn, so your hydration plan matters most there.

Entry Fees and Deadlines

There is no early-bird pricing left. Each race now has a normal price, then a higher final price for the last few weeks before entries close. All fees are in Singapore dollars and before 9% GST.

Category	Aquathlon	Duathlon	Triathlon
Normal price ends	9 December	25 January	25 January
XL	$185, then $199	$190, then $215	$235, then $259
Sprint	$121, then $137	$126, then $140	$157, then $170
Sprint Relay (per team)	$175, then $192	$185, then $205	$238, then $265
Discovery	$88, then $98	$97, then $108	$108, then $118
Youth	$78, then $88	$84, then $92	$98, then $110
Kids	$65, then $70	$65, then $70	$82, then $87
Fun Kids	$36, then $45	$36, then $45	$36, then $45

Source: MetaSprint Series fee tables, checked 2 November 2026. The second figure in each cell is the final price.

The 3-in-1 Package

If you plan to do all three races, the 3-in-1 package costs less than three single entries. Its normal price runs until 9 December and its final price until 12 January, the same window as the aquathlon. For Sprint, the package is $339 against $404 for three separate races, a saving of $65. For Discovery it is $253 against $293, and for XL it is $515 against $610.

What Your Entry Includes

• Licence and insurance: every entry includes a Day-of-Race Licence from the Triathlon Association of Singapore (TAS). It comes with Personal Accident Insurance for participants aged 4 to 85, valid on race day only.
• Race pack items: everyone except Fun Kids chooses 2 different items from 4: a cotton T-shirt or a velcro patch, and a mesh bag or a foldable bucket hat.
• Medal: every finisher gets a medal unless you opted out of it when you registered.

Refunds, Transfers and Changes

Be sure before you pay. Entries are strictly non-refundable once confirmed, and individual entries are non-transferable, so you cannot hand your slot to a friend. You can upgrade or downgrade your distance until registration closes for an admin fee of S$20, and relay teams can swap a member for the same fee. All changes have to be made 7 days before race day. There are no onsite registrations on race day.

Race Kit Collection: It Happens on Race Morning

There is no collection day in the week before. Your race kit is collected on-site on race day at the Race Kit Collection tent, and the organiser advises you to arrive at least 1 hour before your race start time because there may be a queue.

What is in the kit depends on the race:

• Aquathlon: a bag deposit tag, a swim cap, a security bracelet, a race bib and a timing chip with strap.
• Duathlon: a bag deposit tag, a bike flag for your seat post, a helmet sticker, a race bib, a security bracelet and a timing chip with strap.
• Triathlon: all of the duathlon kit, plus a swim cap.

The timing chip goes around your LEFT ankle. The bib is worn on the front during the run, and you do not need it on the bike. There is no pre-race briefing: the organiser puts a Race Guide on the website 10 days before each race and sends a Final Announcement email in race week, so read both.

Race Morning: The Rules That Catch People Out

Transition

Only athletes wearing the security bracelet can enter the transition area, where you get a set spot for your bike and kit. You may run through transition, but you may not ride in it: push your bike to the mount line, and push it back from the dismount line to your rack. Your helmet has to be buckled before you take the bike off the rack, and it stays buckled until the bike is back on the rack.

The Swim

• Water: the aquathlon swim at Sentosa has calm water. The triathlon swim at East Coast Park is more exposed to swells and currents but still considered quite calm. Expect the water to be approximately 28°C.
• Wetsuits: wetsuits are not allowed. A swimskin is fine.
• Swim buoy: you can use a regulation swim buoy that buckles around your waist.
• Getting help: if you get into difficulty, signal by raising an arm to the escorting boat, kayak or paddleboard. If you are taken out of the water, the medical team will check you and you may carry on, but you will be listed as DNF in the official results.

The Bike

• No drafting: keep a 5m distance from the bike in front, and you have 20 seconds to make a pass. Stop and Go penalties are given without warning: you stop on the left of the course and put both feet on the ground before riding on.
• Count your own laps: nobody counts them for you, though the timing team checks after the race that everyone completed the required number.
• Bikes: TT bikes and aerobars are allowed. E-bikes, fixed-gear bikes, tandems and recumbents are not.
• Marking: the bike flag goes on your seat post and the helmet sticker on the front of your helmet.

The Run

Wear your race number on the front, keep your shoes on (barefoot running is not allowed) and leave the earphones at home: headphones are banned on every leg. There is no bare torso at any time, on the bike or the run. The drink stations serve PURE electrolytes and water, and on the aquathlon run course they come every 2km.

If It Rains

Light to moderate rain does not stop the race as long as there is no lightning. With lightning nearby, the race may be modified, postponed or cancelled, and the rules say fees are not refunded if a race is cancelled.

How to Prepare

Training

The organiser's First-Timer Guide says you don't need to train every day. A couple of sessions a week at or near race distance will build confidence. If your weakest discipline is open water, MetaSport runs paid clinics in the weeks before each race. All prices include GST.

Clinic	Date	Where	Price
Open water swim	Saturdays 19 and 26 December 2026; 2 and 9 January and 6 February 2027	Palawan Beach, Sentosa	$45
Aquathlon race clinic	Saturday 16 January 2027	Palawan Beach, Sentosa	$52
Bike skills	Saturday 13 February 2027	F1 Village	$45
Duathlon race clinic	Saturday 20 February 2027	F1 Village	$52
Triathlon race clinic	Saturday 13 March 2027	East Coast Park	$52

Source: MetaSprint Series Training Clinics page, checked 2 November 2026.

Training with other people helps too. Our list of triathlon clubs in Singapore is a good place to find a group to train with.

Getting Your Bike Ready

You have to bring your own bike for the duathlon and triathlon. If you do not own one, the organiser lists three rental options: BikeRental.cc for both races, City Scoot for the duathlon, and Coastline Leisure at East Coast Park for the triathlon, with pick-up right beside the race venue on race morning.

If you are riding your own, the rules say your bicycle, drivetrain and brakes must be in good working condition. A service a week or two out takes care of that. The Bike Craft One General Service covers gear tuning, brake adjustment, tyre inflation and chain lubrication, and you can see the other service levels on our bike servicing page. You can also ride the triathlon bike course before race day. The duathlon roads can be ridden too, but not the full course.

What to Wear

Any swimsuit works for the swim, and any clothing is allowed on the bike and run as long as your torso is covered. The organiser suggests a triathlon suit if you want one outfit for all three legs. For women, the Nordic Tigon Velocity AquaRun Suit is a one-piece made for swim, run and cycle, with a built-in supportive bra. The kit list is short: goggles for the swim, a helmet (compulsory) and comfortable cycling clothes and shoes for the bike, and running shoes for the run.

Hydration

The organiser's health advice is to drink sufficiently before, during and after the race. Plan your drinks around how much you sweat. Our race fuel calculator helps you work that out. If you want to carry your own electrolytes, one sachet of SUPERnatural+ SUPERSALTY has 1000mg of sodium, 200mg of potassium and 60mg of magnesium. Try it in training first, not on race day.

Your Watch

Since you count your own laps on the bike, a watch that tracks each leg is useful. The Garmin Forerunner 265 has triathlon and multisport profiles that switch between sports with one press, and open-water swimming among its built-in activities. See every model we stock, with prices, on our Garmin page.

Before You Go: Old Pages on the Organiser's Site

A few of the organiser's pages still carry 2026 details. The Why MetaSprint page lists the 2026 race dates, and the FAQ and rules pages give the age cut-off as 31 December 2026. The 2027 race pages and the distances page are the up-to-date ones, and the Race Guide that goes up 10 days before each race will have the final word on start times and courses.

For a rough idea of start times, the 2026 schedules are still online. At the 2026 duathlon the XL wave started at 5:50 and Sprint at 7:00. At the 2026 triathlon, XL started at 7:00 and Sprint at 9:05. Treat those as a guide only until the 2027 times are out.

Racing the MetaSprint Series with ATHLO+

• Find people to train with: our triathlon clubs directory is the place to start.
• Get the bike checked: book a service through our bike servicing page before the duathlon.
• Sort your kit: the AquaRun Suit, SUPERSALTY electrolytes and the Forerunner 265 are in the shop links below.

Ready to find a squad for the build-up? Read our guide to triathlon clubs in Singapore next.

Sources

Everything above comes from the organiser's website, checked on 2 November 2026: the home page, the Aquathlon, Duathlon and Triathlon pages, Distances and Categories, Rates and Entitlements, FAQs, Rules and Regulations, the First-Timer Guide, Training Clinics, Bike Rentals, Health Advice and Why MetaSprint. The 2026 course maps are the images on the three race pages. Race-week weather is from the SportPlus.sg race pages for the Aquathlon, Duathlon and Triathlon, and the 2026 aquathlon date change is from SportPlus.sg's report of 3 February 2026. Product details are from each product's page on athlo.sg.