The University of Sydney Claim Men’s and Women’s Pennants at the 2026 UniSport Nationals Triathlon

The 2026 UniSport Nationals Triathlon Championships was held this past weekend as part of the PeopleCare Triathlon Wollongong, with 54 of the country’s top student triathletes competing alongside more than 500 participants in men’s and women’s Sprint and Standard (Olympic) distances.  

Across both events, athletes delivered strong performances, highlighting the depth of talent in university triathlon. 

In the Standard Distance event, Demi Birch (The University of Sydney) claimed victory in the women’s UniSport standings in a time of 1:58:58, while Ben Barby (Charles Sturt University) took out the men’s UniSport title in 1:55:37. 

In the Sprint Distance, The University of Sydney (USYD) secured a double victory, with Tilly Offord and Cooper Lee both taking the win in their respective divisions. Tilly crossed the line in 1:02:02, while Cooper broke the one-hour mark with a time of 58:18, the only UniSport Nationals Triathlon competitor to do so in this race. 

These dominant results contributed to USYD being crowned the 2026 Overall Champion University in both the men’s and women’s divisions. 

Reflecting on this achievement, USYD Head of Sport, Leonie Lum, spoke to the University’s success at the event. 

“We’re incredibly proud to have taken out both the men’s and women’s pennants at the 2026 UniSport Nationals Triathlon. We thank all student-athletes and universities for contributing to a strong and highly competitive event, and UniSport Australia for continuing to support quality intervarsity competition. A special mention to some outstanding performances from Sydney University student-athletes, including Demi Birch (1st, Women’s Standard), Holly Layson (2nd, Women’s Standard), Tyler Patterson (3rd, Men’s Standard), Tilly Offord (1st, Women’s Sprint), and Cooper Lee (1st, Men’s Sprint). We’re thrilled to see their hard work be rewarded.” 

Beyond the results, the weekend offered a unique experience for student-athletes. University of Technology Sydney (UTS) student Ryan Frykberg spoke about his time competing at Nationals Triathlon, saying, “It was an incredible experience being immersed with over 500 athletes, all pushing themselves to be better, which I found both rewarding and motivating.”  

He added that there was a strong sense of pride and competition among the athletes, which helped drive him to perform at his best. 

Congratulations to all student-athletes who took part in this year’s Nationals Triathlon, with outstanding performances delivered across both events.  

UniSport would like to thank the Peoplecare Triathlon Wollongong for hosting us again this year. 

2026 UniSport Nationals Triathlon Results 

Women’s Standard Distance UniSport Podium 

First: Demi Birch, The University of Sydney 

Second: Holly Layson, The University of Sydney 

Third: Bella Marles, UNSW Sydney 

Men’s Standard Distance UniSport Podium 

First: Ben Barby, Charles Sturt University 

Second: Casper Larkin, UNSW Sydney 

Third: Tyler Patterson, The University of Sydney 

Women’s Sprint Distance UniSport Podium 

First: Tilly Offord, The University of Sydney 

Second: Lucie Francis, University of Technology Sydney 

Third: Skye Laube, Deakin University 

Men’s Sprint Distance UniSport Podium 

First: Cooper Lee, The University of Sydney 

Second: Harry Lindbom, University of Wollongong 

Third: Oliver Robinson, UNSW Sydney  

Women’s Overall Champion University 

First: The University of Sydney 

Second: University of Technology Sydney 

Third: UNSW Sydney 

Men’s Overall Champion University 

First: The University of Sydney 

Second: The University of Newcastle 

Third: UNSW Sydney 

Full Results | 2026 UniSport Nationals Triathlon Championship Results