IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship 2026 in Nice: what course will the triathletes race?

A cradle of triathlon in France and across Europe, Nice has hosted long-distance racing for more than 40 years. IRONMAN has been a fixture on the French Riviera for the past two decades, and on September 12–13, 2026, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship returns to town for both the women’s and men’s races.

Nice is no stranger to world-level showdowns. In its long love story with triathlon, the race, created by sports marketing agency IMG-McCormack as Europe’s answer to the legendary Hawaii triathlon, hosted the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships five times between 1994 and 2004.

After switching to the IRONMAN brand in 2005, the event went on to host the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2019, then the IRONMAN World Championship women’s race in 2024, as well as the men’s IRONMAN World Championship in 2023 and 2025.

The story continues on September 12–13 with the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship for women and men.

Record women’s turnout for this edition

3,000 women (a record number for a world championship) will race on Saturday, September 12, followed by 3,500 men on Sunday, September 13, on a famously demanding course. A few tweaks are on the menu this year, especially to smooth athlete traffic through the transitions.

Age-groupers and elites will share the same start, rolling out in successive waves: first the pros, then the age-group waves by category.

A 1,900 m swim loop

The 1,900 m swim takes place in the clear Mediterranean waters, starting from Plage des Ponchettes along Quai des États-Unis. Athletes will follow a buoyed loop, first swimming out to line up with the famous #ILOVENICE sculpture, then heading back on a long 600 m straight to the start area, sprinting into T1 to peel off the wetsuit and jump on the bike.

Athletes will have a maximum of 1h10 to cover the swim; miss the cut and their day is over.

90 km and 1,244 m of climbing on the bike

The bike course is a single 90 km loop with 1,244 m of climbing through the rolling hills of the Nice backcountry, with most of the up-and-down packed into the first half. The climb to Col de Vence, just after the 30 km mark, is the main obstacle, alongside steadier rises toward small inland villages like Coursegoules and Bézaudun-les-Alpes. The second half is far more rideable and fast, dropping toward Carros and then the Var plain. The transition area will be set up, and this is new, at the Port of Nice, where athletes will head out onto the run.

Athletes will have 5h45 to complete the swim, make it through T1, and finish the bike. After that, they’re out. Intermediate cutoffs are set at the top of Col de Vence (km 36.3) at 13:10, and in Saint-Laurent-du-Var (km 79.3) at 15:05. Miss either cutoff and the race ends there.

A half marathon to finish, on the Promenade des Anglais

The classic finale of the triathlon triple is, as always, on the Promenade des Anglais, with two out-and-backs. Before that, athletes leave the port via a slightly uphill section to rejoin the Prom’. That seemingly endless straight of roughly 5 km can cut both ways: either it’s fuel, spotting runners ahead to reel in, or it’s a grind that never seems to end, especially when the sun is blazing, as it so often is in Nice. The upside is the crowd, packed in along the seafront, and a serious boost for anyone chasing that finisher’s title all the way to the line.

Runners still in the hunt must finish in under 8h30. A cutoff is in place before starting the second run loop, which must be reached before 17:05.

Race schedule:

Saturday, September 12

7:00: Pro women start - Plage des Ponchettes

7:10 to 9:15: Women’s age-group wave starts - Plage des Ponchettes

11:20: Estimated finish time for the first women - Promenade des Anglais

Sunday, September 13

7:00: Pro men start - Plage des Ponchettes

7:10 to 9:13: Men’s age-group wave starts - Plage des Ponchettes

10:50: Estimated finish time for the first men - Promenade des Anglais