For the first time in IRONMAN’s 40+ year history, Nice in France became the first location outside of the United States to host the IRONMAN World Championship.
The men’s field raced on France’s Côte d’Azur on September 10, 2023. The women’s field will line up in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on October 14.
In his third IRONMAN World Championship, Sam Laidlow (FRA) improved upon his second-place finish in 2022 by topping the podium with a time of 8:06:22. At just 24 years old, Laidlow is the youngest ever winner of an IRONMAN World Championship and first ever winner, male or female, from France, continuing a 10-year streak of European champions.
Other race highlights:
- Tim Bradley, 62, from Merrick NY, and Donald Brooks, 46, from Devon, UK, made the most of the World Championship season by winning their respective age-groups at both the VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland, on August 27, and just a couple weeks later, the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France on September 10.
- In the men’s professional field, Matthew Marquardt (USA), in his first IRONMAN World Championship as a professional, began the day with the fastest swim split in a time of 47:46. (The IRONMAN World Championship best swim split in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i, was set by Jan Sibbersen in 2018 with a time of 46:29.)
- In the men’s professional field, Sam Laidlow, in addition to the win, recorded the day’s fastest bike split with a time of 4:31:28. (The IRONMAN World Championship best bike split in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i was also set by Sam Laidlow in 2022 with a time of 4:04:36.)
- In the men’s professional field, Patrick Lange produced the day’s fastest run split, setting an IRONMAN World Championship best run time of 2:32:41. (The IRONMAN World Championship best run split in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i, was set by Gustav Iden in 2022 with a time of 2:36:15.)
- Frenchmen Sam Laidlow, Leon Chevalier, Arthur Horseau, and Clement Mignon secured 1st, 5th, 6th, and 10th places for professional men on home soil, making the nation of France the most represented in the top 10.
- Nicholas Catullo (USA) was the youngest competitor at 18 years old, finishing in a time of 14:46:33.
- Bob Knucky (CAN) at 75 years young was the oldest competitor to finish the event in a time of 14:57:40.
- Arguably one of the best triathletes of all-time, Jan Frodeno (DEU) completed his final IRONMAN World Championship as a professional triathlete at the age of 42, coming in 24th place. While it wasn’t the day he hoped for, his storied career includes three IRONMAN World Championship crowns, two IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship victories in addition to three IRONMAN wins, and 12 IRONMAN 70.3 titles.
Nice, France is the first ever location outside of the United States to host the IRONMAN World Championship. It is the fourth location since the race began in 1978 with the first location being on the island of Oahu in Hawai`i before shifting to Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawai`i, and a stop in St George, Utah.
