IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Nice 2026: Date, Course & Livestream

This weekend, the middle-distance season reaches its peak: on September 12 and 13, 2026, Nice hosts the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. With the women's race on Saturday and the men's on Sunday, the world's best fight for the rainbow title on the Côte d'Azur, and on a course that makes a clear statement right from the swim start.

When and where does the 70.3 Worlds 2026 take place?

The world championship runs in the established two-day format: on Saturday, September 12, the professional women start, and on Sunday, September 13, the professional men, both at 07:00 CEST. The venue is Nice, France, with the swim start in the Mediterranean and the finish on the famous Promenade des Anglais.

The course: Mediterranean, mountains, promenade

Several swimmers in open water seen from a drone

The 70.3 distance covers a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike, and 21.1 km run:

Swim (1.9 km): a single loop in the Mediterranean, starting and finishing at Plage des Ponchettes. Important: it's a non-wetsuit swim, in the warm Mediterranean the wetsuit isn't allowed.
Bike (90 km): a demanding single loop into the Alpes-Maritimes hinterland with the long climb up the Col de Vence and technical descents, a course for brave bike handlers.
Run (21.1 km): two completely flat loops along the Promenade des Anglais, a pure test of leg speed after the elevation gain on the bike.

The favorites

The start lists are stacked. In the men's race, two-time defending champion Jelle Geens lines up, along with names like Kristian Blummenfelt and Marten Van Riel. In the women's race, three-time world champion Taylor Knibb is among the big favorites. Defending champion Solveig Løvseth is skipping a start in Nice this year, focusing instead on the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. The final start lists are confirmed through the official IRONMAN channels.

How can you watch the Worlds live?

Both races are broadcast live and free internationally, including on IRONMAN's official YouTube channel. Coverage begins about half an hour before the start, at 06:30 CEST. For the exact broadcast options and any regional networks, check the official IRONMAN channels on race day.

Why the swim start in Nice is special

Take away the wetsuit and everything shifts: no buoyancy, more importance on body position, drag, and the fit of your race suit. That's exactly what a swimskin is built for. Our Rebel Pro 4 was developed for precisely this scenario and made its race debut at Sam Laidlow's world record in Roth. Anyone who races in warm conditions knows it: in the Mediterranean off Nice, it's not buoyancy that counts, but how cleanly you glide.

Looking ahead: Kona awaits

Nice is the penultimate race of the 2026 IRONMAN Pro Series and an important stepping stone, but the real season peak follows soon after: the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona on October 10. For many athletes, Nice is therefore a balancing act between going all out and preparing for Hawaii.