Posted 22nd April 2026
read
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
May 1, 2025
May 1, 2025
April 4, 2025
March 18, 2024
Don’t miss a beat, subscribe for exclusive updates, events, and insider news!
UniSport acknowledges and pays respect to all traditional custodians of the lands of which we run, jump and throw throughout Australia. We pay respect to elders both past, present and emerging.
The best university Sports action from Australia – stream it live now on UniSportTV.
Watch Live