De Bruin Train

About De Bruin Train

Endeavour to train better.

De Bruin Train (DBT) is a triathlon coaching team in Dubai, founded in 2006 by head coach Gerhard de Bruin. DBT coaches triathletes, runners and cyclists in Dubai, across the UAE and in South Africa, and online anywhere in the world, from a first sprint to the IRONMAN World Championship.

Every plan is personal. It is built around your goals, your ability and your week, because work, family, time and stress all shape how well you adapt to training, and it is adjusted as your training and your life change. Around the coaching sits a wider team of doctors, physiotherapists, biokineticists and nutritionists, and a performance lab for VO2 max, INSCYD, Moxy and biomechanics testing.

A team that races

DBT athletes race together across the Gulf and abroad. In 2026 they won age groups at Challenge Sir Bani Yas, where one athlete was second overall in the long distance; raced IRONMAN 70.3 Muscat; claimed IRONMAN World Championship slots at the IRONMAN African Championship in South Africa; lined up 18 strong at IRONMAN 70.3 Durban, where two podium finishes earned places at the 70.3 World Championship in Nice; and raced IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz.

What's on

Personal coaching: four plans, from AED 1,800 a month.
Group sessions in Dubai every weekend, in eight-week blocks.
Training camps in Khorfakkan, on the UAE's east coast.
Performance testing: VO2 max, INSCYD, Moxy and biomechanics.

Coaches

Gerhard de Bruin

Founder and head coach. Gerhard found his sport at seven, running cross-country, raced his first World Age Group Triathlon Championship in 2005 and his first IRONMAN-distance race in 2014, and has now been in triathlon for 25 years. He holds a degree in Sports Science and Psychology from the University of Pretoria (2008), and his coaching qualifications include TrainingPeaks levels 1 and 2, Triathlon South Africa level 1, Endure IQ and INSCYD testing. Since 2011 he has helped Mozambique's triathletes at the African Games, and he was with the Mozambique team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He still races: twelve times at IRONMAN South Africa, the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona in 2024 and again in October 2026, and at home in the UAE he was second among the men at RAK Tri in 2024, 2025 and 2026, and won his age group at Challenge Sir Bani Yas in January 2026. "Endeavour to train better."

Gerhard de Bruin

Coaching

Coaching plans

Four plans, from AED 1,800 a month

Every plan is personal and built on the same pillars: performance, the coaching environment, athlete support, movement, race support, the DBT community and the DBT app. What changes from plan to plan is how much time and support you get from Gerhard.

Premium: AED 1,800 a month, for a single sport, cycling or running.
Pro: AED 2,500 a month, for full IRONMAN distances and competitive 70.3 racing.
Elite: AED 6,000 a month, the Elite Squad, with unlimited in-person coaching contact.
VIP: AED 10,000 a month, triathlon VIP.

Prices exclude VAT. Every plan includes support on cycling sessions, a monthly bike check and wash, and a bike check before every race. Gerhard asks for a conversation first, to find the right plan, and a commitment of at least three to six months.

See the plans

Group sessions

Saturday mornings in Dubai

The weekend group sessions began as a way to bring DBT athletes together outside their own training, and they have become a big part of the team: hard sessions, good people and plenty of encouragement.

Sessions run all year in eight-week blocks, and you can join at any point: open water and pool swims, group rides with road support, track and endurance runs, strength and conditioning, and race practice such as transitions and pacing. They are open to every level, there are drop-in options if you can't commit to a whole block, and some sessions can be joined online.

About the group sessions

Training camps

Khorfakkan, on the UAE's east coast

Four days of triathlon training in Khorfakkan: open water swims from a quiet beach, climbs into the Hajar Mountains on the bike and structured runs, with road support, a bike workshop, nutrition planning and analysis of your swim, bike and run technique. Accommodation and all meals are included, and groups are kept small.

Next dates: 19 to 22 November 2026, 14 to 17 January 2027 and 11 to 14 March 2027.

See the camps

Performance testing

Science, interpreted by your coach

Testing that takes the guesswork out of training, with Gerhard's interpretation and feedback: a lab-standard VO2 max test on a treadmill or bike, INSCYD metabolic profiling, Moxy muscle oxygen testing, a biomechanics evaluation, DNA testing, or a full profile of VO2 max, INSCYD, Moxy, core and Stryd.

One-to-one 90-minute swim, bike or run sessions are available too, from AED 550.

See the add-ons

How to start

A call with Gerhard first

Book a call, send a WhatsApp or email Gerhard, and talk through your goals, your experience and the races you have in mind. He will suggest the plan that fits.

Complete beginners are welcome, even if you can't swim yet: there is a dedicated programme for that. If you don't have a bike, DBT will help you choose one that fits and set it up.

Get in touch