World Quadrathlon Federation

The World Quadrathlon Federation (WQF) was established in 1992 to govern the sport of Quadrathlon. Quadrathlon was founded in Ibiza, Spain in 1989 with the Diamond Man Long-distance Quadrathlon (5k swim, 20k Kayak, 100k bike and 21.1k run). The SWIM, KAYAK, BIKE, RUN endurance sport spread through Eastern Europe from the original founder in Ibiza, Sergio Ferrero. In 1992 The European Quadrathlon Federation (EQF) was formed by the present Czech National Team Coach Vaclav Marek. Today the WQF includes 10 registered National Federations (NFs) including Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Spain.

Three distances are raced in Quadrathlon; sprint, middle and long-distance. A World Championship exists in Canada, the Czech Republic and Germany for the respective race distances. These World Championships combine with five additional races to form the World Cup. Eight quadrathlons in six different countries are displayed on the Calendar.

Quadrathlon is growing in popularity recently, attracting triathletes, flatwater kayakers and other curious athletes. Triathletes usually are attracted to quadrathlon wishing to balance their fitness with the addition of the upper-body strength-endurance sport of flatwater kayaking. The time ratio of upper-body to lower-body dominated sports is equal in quadrathlon. Swimming and running represent finesse endurance sports while cycling and now kayaking add an equal strength component to create a true test of fitness in the new millenium. The possibility of quadrathlon joining triathlon and perhaps duathlon (run and bike) in the Olympics would offer a combined dynamic sport of Multiathlon or Polyathlon.