The World Triathlon Series usually takes place in eight global locations before culminating in the Grand Final. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the competition is restricted to a one-off World Championship in Hamburg.

The titles will also be decided on a new sprint-distance course set up outside downtown Hamburg and under new measures and protocols to ensure safe distancing and testing of all involved.

Some 10km north of the traditional Hamburg venue, the 750m swim in Lake Stadtpark transitions to a flat 20km bike with six fast laps to determine which athletes head out of the second transition and into a 5km run.

Up to 65 triathletes are set to compete in the men's and women's races with 20 nations competing in the mixed relay on Sunday.

Image source, Getty Images

Great Britain are sending a strong squad to Hamburg.

Following Georgia Taylor-Brown's success in the women's elite race on Saturday she competes again on Sunday for Mixed Relay gold.

Jessica Learmonth from the women's competition joins Barclay Izzard and Alex Yee from the men's elite competition to form GB's mixed relay team.

Full start lists can be found here, external.

Image source, Getty Images

Hiromu Inada is already certified as the world’s oldest Ironman but seems not to be satisfied with the mark he set in 2018, when he competed in Hawaii when just 37 days short of his 86th birthday, and is still in training at his facility in Chiba, east of Tokyo, for next year.

The Japanese veteran is now looking to stretch his career into his 90s after his enforced year out when the 2020 coronavirus restrictions resulted in him missing an event next month.

“My goal is next year's world championship in Hawaii,” Inada told Reuters. “I will absolutely participate and I absolutely want to break the world record of being the oldest to complete the race again. This is my current and biggest goal.”

Inada only began swimming and running in earnest after he retired from Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK. He bought a bike at the age of 69 and competed in his first triathlon a year later.

He was 82 when he first entered the Hawaii Ironman but fell short in his bid to be the oldest finisher ever when his time was five seconds too slow to be officially registered.

Next year he returned and set his mark for the gruelling 3.86 km swim, 180.25 km bike ride and 42.2km endurance event. He still gets up at 04:30 and is in the swimming pool by 06:00. “I hope I can keep my physical peak for the postponed race,” said Inada. “I’d like to think the delay works in my favour.”

Image source, Getty Images

World Triathlon president Marisol Casado said that the decision to award the WTS World Championship titles at the Hamburg event was “far from ideal”, but the only option left to the world governing body after the next two events were both cancelled due to the coronavirus.

Montreal in October and Bermuda in November were to have been the two final meetings of a season that was not allowed to start when the world went into lockdown in March. Bermuda is scheduled to be the venue for next year’s Grand Final.

“We know that announcing that the World Championships titles will now, following the cancellation of the two events, be contested at the only event left on the calendar - and that there is little advance notice of this announcement - is far from ideal,” said Casado.

“We want to assure you that it is not just the best option but the only option we have to give our athletes the chance to compete and showcase their best at this level.”

BBC Sport will have live coverage of the World Triathlon Series races from Hamburg.

The men's and women's elite races on Saturday will be live on BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, while the mixed relay on Sunday will on iPlayer and the Sport website and app.

Coverage will be available to catch-up on for 30 days too.

Full coverage details

Saturday, 5 September

Men's race: 14:40-16:30 BST - BBC Red Button, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app

Women's race: 16:40-18:35 BST - BBC Red Button, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app

Sunday, 6 September

Mixed relay: 12:15-14:30 BST - iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app

BBC Sport

Great Britain has a proud history of triathlon success, with Yorkshire-born brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee currently ruling the roost at Olympic level after winning gold and silver in Rio respectively.

tThe main triathlon season runs from May until September and there are loads of races to choose from - there are over 750 triathlon clubs in the UK with many of them offering taster sessions for people interested in taking up the sport. You can find a comprehensive list of races via the British Triathlon event finder., external

Triathlon England's Go Tri, external scheme is a fun way to get a taste of the sport without breaking the bank. You'll also find training advice and tips about transitioning from one discipline to another on their website. Local pool-based races are a great introduction to the sport if you are a first timer.

Find out more about the sport here.