IRONMAN has released fresh participation data and global research highlighting athlete trends across its IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon series. The insights point to areas of opportunity for growing the sport, with a focus on attracting younger and more diverse athletes – particularly women.
According to IRONMAN, the average age of first-time participants is decreasing. Since 2019, there has been a 39% rise in IRONMAN first-timers under 30, with IRONMAN 70.3 events seeing an even sharper increase of 66% in the same age group.
Younger athletes are also making their mark at the top level. In 2022, Taylor Knibb (USA) became the youngest woman to win the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship at 24; while Sam Laidlow (FRA) won the IRONMAN World Championship in 2023 aged 24 – one year younger than previous winner Gustav Iden (NOR).
More than 200,000 athletes registered for IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events in 2023. Early signs suggest the 2024 season is attracting younger competitors, with the 30–34 age group now the largest category – up 8% from 2023.
The USA leads participation by volume, followed by the UK, France, Germany and Australia. France saw the fastest year-on-year growth, up 16%.
Athletes are also signing up earlier, with IRONMAN reporting 32 events already sold out for the 2025 season.
Female participation remains a challenge
While participation is growing in some regions, female representation in long-distance triathlon remains relatively low. Women make up 18% of IRONMAN and 26% of IRONMAN 70.3 participants globally.
Canada and the US have seen some encouraging signs, with a 10% rise in female long-distance participation projected from 2024 to 2025. But in many other markets, female participation is stagnating or recovering more slowly post-COVID.
USA Triathlon reports that women’s participation in long-distance triathlon is still only at 71% of pre-COVID levels, compared with 91% for men.
To understand these trends, IRONMAN surveyed more than 10,000 female endurance athletes across 97 countries. The study included triathletes, participants in other IRONMAN Group events, and women from broader endurance backgrounds such as swimming, cycling, running and obstacle course racing.
Key barriers
The research found that a leading obstacle to increased female participation is time. Respondents cited family demands, training volume and access to childcare as significant challenges. Over half (56%) of female triathletes identified family life alone as a barrier. Non-triathletes more often pointed to body image and confidence issues.
Cost was a secondary concern – mentioned by 28% of triathletes and 13% of non-triathletes.
Improved race experiences, greater visibility for female athletes and stronger community connections were seen as critical to growth. Of those surveyed, 40% said increasing visibility was the single most important step to boosting participation.
Although 53% of female triathletes train alone, 71% said they would prefer to train with a friend, family member, partner or club. Among non-triathletes, 63% already train with others, suggesting triathlon lags behind other sports in fostering connection.
IRONMAN stated that its global TriClub network presents an opportunity to build a more social, supportive training culture – particularly for women.
When asked about the impact of endurance sport on their lives, most respondents cited health and fitness. For triathletes, 67% said sport had become part of their identity, while 65% credited it with personal growth and self-discovery.
Key themes
IRONMAN engaged six independent specialists in women’s sport and advocacy to review the research and guide future strategy. From this, IRONMAN cites three key themes:
- Visibility – Representation matters. Women must see themselves in the sport.
- Race experience – Events must evolve to reduce barriers, with course design, location and facilities tailored to participant needs.
- Community – More initiatives are needed to connect athletes and create a welcoming environment.
New programmes will include more visibility of women in IRONMAN media, race-day enhancements such as women-specific facilities, and local community events focused on education and access.
IRONMAN is also updating its professional race protocols to support fairness and integrity. From 2025, a minimum five-minute gap will be introduced between pro men, pro women and age-group starts. Larger gaps will remain in place for world championship races.
Efforts to grow the sport will also include partnerships with emerging athletes and federations, the development of new race formats, and outreach into untapped markets.
Scott DeRue, Chief Executive Officer of The IRONMAN Group, stated that the organisation is committed to breaking down barriers and building new pathways into the sport.
“We want to give more people from around the world the opportunity to experience the life-changing journey of triathlon, and to inspire more people to reach for their IRONMAN dream,” said DeRue. “We only achieve this by continuing to listen to and care for our athletes with intent and purpose.”
