Taylor Knibb claims fourth IRONMAN 70.3 world title in Nice as Marjolaine Pierré finishes fifth

American Taylor Knibb won her fourth IRONMAN 70.3 world title late this morning in Nice. She blew the race apart on the 90-kilometre bike course through the Nice hinterland before holding off the field over the final half-marathon. Switzerland’s Julie Derron finished second and Alanis Siffert third, while France’s Marjolaine Pierré was the top home athlete in fifth.

Taylor Knibb (United States) dominated the field to win the 2026 IRONMAN® 70.3 World Championship in Nice on Saturday. The American secured her fourth world title over the distance.

Taylor Knibb took control from the opening kilometres of the 90-kilometre bike leg and was never threatened thereafter. She won in 4:19:24, more than four minutes clear of Switzerland’s Julie Derron. Her compatriot Alanis Siffert completed the podium.

This victory is Taylor Knibb’s fourth IRONMAN 70.3 world title in the past five years. The American was delighted with the result, but also with the progress she feels she is making as an athlete.

The climbs were great, I loved them. The descents were really fun too. I felt very good at the end of the bike. I managed not to go into the red. The start of the run was difficult. It was starting to get hot, especially over the final 10 kilometres.
Taylor Knibb2026 World Champion

Julie Derron, the silver medallist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, also finished second at these World Championships in her first IRONMAN 70.3 race. She fought her way onto the podium with an excellent run after leaving transition in 11th place.

I had a slightly slow start, but I managed to make up ground and finish strongly. I’m really happy that I had the legs today to fight my way onto the podium. That was the goal coming off the bike: play a bit of Pac-Man and move as high up as possible. I knew Taylor was out of reach, but I kept getting time gaps and fighting for second place. That was the goal. Finishing second at my first World Championship, yes, I’m really pleased.
Julie Derron2026 World Championship Silver Medallist

Her compatriot Alanis Siffert was also racing at her first IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on Saturday. At just 24, she impressed on her debut at this level by taking third place.

It’s simply incredible. I still can’t believe it. Third with such a strong field... It’s really amazing to share this podium with my teammate Julie and to experience it with my family, who were there. It was an extremely tough race. I came out of the water with the lead group and I was really happy. Then I started the bike on a very hilly course, and I love that kind of course. So I told myself: do what you usually do and give it everything. I really enjoyed the descents. But the run was a real battle. I knew the podium would be decided on the run, so I had to give it everything.
Alanis SiffertThird at the 2026 World Championships

Marjolaine Pierré more than a minute off the lead after the swim

Nearly 50 of the world’s top professional triathletes started at 7 a.m. this morning, tackling the 1,900-metre swim in the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean from Plage des Ponchettes, with the spectacular Côte d’Azur providing the backdrop. They were followed onto the course by more than 2,600 age-group athletes.

A lead group quickly formed, led by Britain’s Sophie Evans, closely followed by Germany’s Lena Meissner and American Jenna Campbell. After 1,500 metres, the first seven athletes were separated by just eight seconds, with Taylor Knibb and her compatriot Kirsten Kasper also in the lead group.

Evans led all the way to the swim exit, covering the course in 25:49 with just a two-second gap to Meißner. Campbell was third, right behind them. Knibb exited the water nine seconds off the lead in fifth, while the first 14 athletes were separated by just 25 seconds. The first chasing group, led by Julie Derron, France’s Marjolaine Pierré and Australia’s Ellie Salthouse, was more than a minute back.

Knibb pulls clear on the bike as Pierré begins her comeback

Kirsten Kasper was first onto the bike course, just ahead of Meißner and Switzerland’s Imogen Simmonds. Simmonds quickly took the lead on the opening flat kilometres out of Nice, before Alanis Siffert bridged across and then moved to the front.

Within the first 10 kilometres, Taylor Knibb launched her attack. From the opening ramps, the American took control of the bike leg and was already 30 seconds clear at the 13-kilometre mark. Ten kilometres later, the gap had grown beyond two minutes. Knibb continued to extend her lead and, by kilometre 30, she was more than four minutes and 30 seconds ahead. Siffert was second at that point, ahead of France’s Audrey Merle.

As they approached the Col de Vence climb, Knibb once again showed her strength on the bike. Her lead over Siffert had grown beyond six minutes, with Simmonds in third. The chasers began to claw back time from the American on the descent into Nice, however. Marjolaine Pierré made a particularly strong move, taking second place at the 70-kilometre mark. Knibb remained well clear, but Pierré, Siffert and Simmonds had cut the gap to five minutes and 30 seconds.

Back in Nice, Taylor Knibb entered T2 with a lead of almost four minutes and 30 seconds over Pierré. Simmonds was another minute back in third.

Knibb manages her lead on the run as Derron charges through

Taylor Knibb kept the momentum going on the run, extending her lead through the opening kilometres. Marjolaine Pierré held second, while Julie Derron was one of the race’s biggest movers: 11th out of T2, she was already fifth after five kilometres of running.

While Taylor Knibb controlled the race at the front, the positions behind her were changing quickly. Siffert first moved into second before Derron passed her with nine kilometres to go. With Knibb’s lead now impossible to close, the two Swiss athletes could secure their places on the podium.

Taylor Knibb completed the half-marathon in 1:17:56 to secure her fourth IRONMAN 70.3 world title. Julie Derron ran the fastest split of the day in 1:13:04 to take second, while Alanis Siffert held on for third. Norway’s Solveig Lovseth, the reigning IRONMAN world champion, moved up to fourth with the second-fastest run of the day, relegating France’s Marjolaine Pierré to fifth. The Nice native missed out on the podium and made no secret of her disappointment at the finish:

I really dreamed of this podium, so finishing fifth is still a disappointment. I would have loved to give more here in Nice and leave my mark on this city that I love so much and that has given me so much. I’m still happy to have crossed the finish line.
Marjolaine PierréFifth at the World Championships

Four French athletes in the top 20

France placed three more Elite athletes in the top 20, with Audrey Merle eighth, Anne-Sophie Pierre 12th and Aurélia Boulanger 16th.

Nikita Paskiewiez finished 28th, while Julie Iemmolo was forced to withdraw.

Women’s Top 10

1) Taylor Knibb (United States): 4:19:24

2) Julie Derron (Switzerland): 4:23:30

3) Alanis Siffert (Switzerland): 4:25:10

4) Solveig Lovseth (Norway): 4:25:50

5) Marjolaine Pierré (France): 4:26:38

6) Laura Philipp (Germany): 4:27:28

7) Imogen Simmonds (Switzerland): 4:28:01

8) Audrey Merle (France): 4:29:08

9) Paula Findlay (Canada): 4:30:33

10) Caroline Pohle (Germany): 4:30:53

Full results

Age-group highlights

Alongside the professional race, more than 2,600 age-group athletes also took part in the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Nice World Championship.

The overall amateur women’s race was won by Australia’s Flora Johnson, ahead of Germany’s Ursula Truetzschler and Britain’s Kerri-Ann Upham.

The best French performance in the overall standings came from Emeline Delanis, who delivered an outstanding race to finish 10th overall among the amateur women and sixth in the 25-29 age group, among 327 competitors. In the same age group, Lou Prigent finished 11th overall among the amateurs and seventh in the world.

In the 35-39 age group, Diane Baize delivered an exceptional performance on home soil, finishing fourth in the world among 369 competitors and 35th overall in the amateur women’s race. Héloïse Focquenoy added to the strong showing with a seventh-place finish in the age group.

Several other French women also finished in the top 10 worldwide in their age groups: Lila Bardi, sixth in the 18-24 age group among 174 competitors; Lucie Loudenot, ninth in the 30-34 age group and 36th overall; Estelle Marie Kieffer, ninth in the 50-54 age group; Clarisse Ducos, sixth in the 55-59 age group; and Mathilde Ballant, seventh in the 60-64 age group.