How Supertri Plans To Grow The Triathlon In Austin Over The Next Five Years

AUSTIN, Texas – Michael D’hulst is one of those Chief Executive Officers who really likes to jump head-first into his projects. 

In this case, that project is none other than the Ascension Seton CapTex Tri on May 26 in downtown Austin. 

“I’m very passionate,” said D’hulst, 45,  who qualified for his first Ironman World Championship Triathlon in 2011 and will be entered in the Olympic triathlon at the CapTex Tri next month. “I’m still very active myself, so I’ll race the event. I like standing there on the starting line, amongst all the people, hearing the chatter, seeing what’s going on, then actually doing the course: the swim, bike and run. That’s when you really get a feel for the event.” 

What’s more, D’hulst is also the co-founder and CEO of Supertri, a global leader in short course triathlons which acquired the Austin-based race in February, along with five other events in North America and Europe, including races in France and Canada. The Kerrville Triathlon, an event formerly owned and operated by Austin’s High Five Events, was part of the acquisition. 

The 45-year-old’s bet on Austin’s golden-plated downtown triathlon is part of a larger strategy in building a cohesive ecosystem between elite races and mass participation events which routinely bring new participants and added fanfare to the sport every year. 

Superleague Triathlon Malibu 2023 on the 1st October, at Zuma Beach California, USA (Photo: That Cameraman)

A New Strategy To Acquire Mass Participation Races

Elite triathlon races haven’t always had a captive audience. But D’hulst is hoping to bridge the gap. With the Olympics arriving stateside in 2028, the native Belgium believes there’s no better time to start laying stakes down. “I think it’s a great time for us to kind of promote this message of triathlon and building toward LA in 2028,” he said. “So that’s why for us we have made a big push to be more present in the U.S.” 

D’hulst co-founded Super League Triathlon in 2016 as a rights-holder of elite events across the world, but in 2024, realizing there were gaps within the sport, his company rebranded to “Supertri.”  The idea centered around community. 

“Ultimately, let’s integrate some great mass participation events that have been around for a long time,” he said. “and have a big impact in cities downtown.”

The decision to acquire popular events in Chicago, Long Beach, Toronto (Canada), Toulouse (France), Austin and Kerrville made sense. They already have massive audiences–from both a participant and spectator level. 

One big growth-opportunity, however, looks to be the CapTex Tri. D’hulst met High Five Events founder Jack Murray a few years back, he said, “right before COVID, which really wasn’t the right time yet to partner because we were looking at a rebrand.” 

In 2024, though, D’hulst circled back. “I thought, Austin, here’s this cool city. I remembered Jack. I picked up the phone and said ‘What do you think?’” With High Five spread thin with a major marathon event in February, Murray struck a deal with Supertri that would allow him to stay involved in the planning. 

This year’s race operations have continued with High Five Events, but Supertri will begin to take a larger share of the planning and operations by 2026, D’hulst said. 

Superleague Triathlon London 2023 on the 26th August 2023 at Canary Wharf London (Photo: That Cameraman)

Looking Ahead To The CapTex Tri

Amid the towering skylines and jagged edges of the Capitol streets, thousands of participants compete in the Ascension Seton CapTex Tri every year. 

A year ago, there were nine divisions, from the Olympic Relays to Rookie Triathlon, Sprint Relays, a Virtual Olympic Tri and the more traditional Sprint and Olympic Triathlons. An Olympic Triathlon consists of a 1,500 meter swim, a 40,000 meter bike ride and a 10,000 meter run. A sprint is half the distance of the Olympic version. 

Over 1,200 participants combined to finish the Olympic and Sprint Triathlons in 2024, while hundreds more finished the other divisions. It’s been a Memorial Day tradition in Austin, with a party waiting at Auditorium Shores after competitors finish. 

“We knew we had LA, we knew we had Chicago, but we also had to have these up-and-coming events which can actually grow very fast,” D’hulst said. “Because you’ll have a passionate community who is very supportive of it and who like these kinds of sports and festivals.” 

For the past decade, Austin, which has a population just under a million, has been among the fastest-growing cities in the country, recently adding more than 50,000 people between 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Area is expected to reach nearly 2.9 million people by 2030. D’Hulst believes the sport can tap into that growth track in Central Texas. 

Does triathlon just need a little more investment? 

That’s the question D’hulst is hoping to answer as he tries to tap into new consumers – especially the younger generations. 

Supertri’s marketing strategy has so far focused on social media and has been video-centric – the SuperTri website also has vibrant colors, catchy fonts and big pictures and videos. It’s highly interactive. The organization’s Instagram has over 370,000 followers. 

“I think people, younger generations, want to be active, they want to be moving,” he said. “They want to do stuff. They don’t just want to watch. And that’s where the massive opportunity is. And I think a short course triathlon: swim, bike run – it’s fast, but it’s also accessible.” 

D’hulst should know. 

He’s raced enough of them in his time. 

And in May, he’ll check another one off his bucket list in Austin, Texas. 

What To Know

What: The Ascension Seton CapTex Tri

When: May 26, 2025

Where: Downtown Austin

Related: The Memorial Day tradition is back. In 2024, nearly 2,000 participants competed in the triathlon, which makes its way through a swim, bike and run in Austin, Texas. To register, find more information here. Prices vary.

Olympic Triathlon –$249

Sprint Triathlon — $209

Rookie Triathlon — $199

Relays/Bikes — Vary