70.3 world championships 2026
Tim Heming Explains the New Ironman World Championship Slot System to Us Like We’re 12 Years Old
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Ironman is changing the way age-group triathletes qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona and the 70.3 World Championship beginning in 2026 by moving to a more “performance-driven” model – as Ironman CEO Scott DeRue puts it – in hopes of ensuring more top-tier triathletes have the opportunity to race in Hawaii or 70.3 Worlds.
The new age-graded system for Ironman and 70.3 Worlds slot distribution will use historic world championship performance results to essentially pit the whole amateur field against one another, taking into account age and gender. This model will replace the current qualification structure, where athletes compete for a fixed number of slots per age group.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work on this for a while,” Ironman CEO DeRue tells
Triathlete
. “It is entirely performance-based, and will allocate slots based on how competitive one is relative to a global age-
2026 70.3 World's annoucement Date?
devashish_paul1
I know it is a bit far off, but qualify for the 2026 worlds usually starts on July 1, 2025, so that’s only 10.5 months away and some races for next summer will open registration soon.
Any rumours of where? Feels like it is due to be back in Americas?
Ajax_Bay2
it is a bit far off, . . annoucement (sic) date?
Any rumours of where? Feels like it is due to be back in Americas?
2018 S Africa
2019 Nice
2021 St George
2022 St George
2023 Lahti, Finland
2024 Taupo
2025 Costa del Sol
Triathletetoth3
I know it is a bit far off, but qualify for the 2026 worlds usually starts on July 1, 2025, so that’s only 10.5 months away and some races for next summer will open registration soon.
Any rumours of where? Feels like it is due to be back in Americas?
I looked all over and can’t find it. So I don’t think it has been announced, Calgary 70.3 is advertising early sign up for that race so you can get a 2026 world spot early in the season but where is the race??
Fingers crossed North America.
Lurker44
My votes for North America would be:
Coeur d’Alene
Mont Tremblant
Runner ups
Sounds like 70.3 M
Swim. Climb. Conquer. Nice 2026.
WHERE WILL YOU RACE?
In 2026,
Nice, France
once again welcomes the world’s top triathletes as host of the
VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship
. This iconic destination on the French Riviera sets the stage for an unforgettable challenge, where athletes will take on the 70.3-mile journey across swim, bike, and run in one of Europe’s most glamorous coastal cities.
Swim in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean, bike through the dramatic ascents and descents of the surrounding Alpes-Maritimes with breathtaking views, and run along the world-famous Promenade des Anglais to a finish line like no other — right in the heart of Nice.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
For nearly two decades, we’ve proudly partnered with IRONMAN, helping thousands of athletes get to the start line and achieve their race-day goals stress-free.
As an
official Travel Partner for IRONMAN
, our mission is to remove the complexities of travel and accommodation so you can focus on your performance. With our
experienced Nirvana Event Team on the ground in Nice
, who know the area and event logistics inside and out, you’ll be supported every step of the way.
Let us handle the
Nice gets consolation prize of 70.3 Worlds after IRONMAN World Championships return to Kona
Following the huge news that the IRONMAN World Championships are returning to Kona for both men and women on the same day from 2026 onwards, where does that leave Nice?
The French city has shared the event with Kona since 2023, when the men raced on the Cote d’Azur while the women locked horns in Hawai’i.
That alternated in 2024 and will do so again this year, with Nice hosting the 2025 men’s IRONMAN World Championship on September 14.
And while the IRONMAN press release put a positive spin on the news for Nice, the bottom line is that the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship for women, which had been scheduled to be held in France, will now be in Hawai’i.
Consolation prize
However there will still be World Championship triathlon on the Cote d’Azur in the years to come.
For the release revealed: “In conjunction with this announcement, IRONMAN is pleased to also extend its partnership for world championship events with the City of Nice, France through 2028 as the host for the 2026 and 2028 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship as well as a mutual option to host th