IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-en-Provence kicks off European leg of IRONMAN Pro Series

The 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-en-Provence triathlon returns to the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series circuit for a second consecutive year on May 17, 2026. The event in France marks the start of the European leg of the season for the international series.

Nearly 100 professional triathletes are set to compete in France. As the fifth stop on the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series tour, the event, which is organised by IRONMAN, will offer a US$50,000 professional prize purse.

There are also three qualifying slots per gender available for the 2026 Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France. Alongside the professional field, more than 2,000 age-group athletes are also expected to take to the start line.

The race will be broadcast live and free for international audiences across IRONMAN YouTube and ironman.com/proseries. Additional regional live broadcast and highlight shows include L’Équipe Live in France, ESPN, SuperSport, hr-Fernsehen, RTVE, iQIYI, and Outside TV.

In the women’s professional race, 2024 IRONMAN World Champion Laura Philipp makes her season debut. The German athlete secured third place at the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona.

French favourite and defending champion Marjolaine Pierré returns to Aix-en-Provence looking to retain her title. This follows a fourth-place finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia.

Tanja Neubert, who placed third in the 2025 Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, is also starting her season at Aix-en-Provence. She is joined by Imogen Simmonds and three-time Olympian Lisa Perterer.

A strong British contingent is led by India Lee, who enjoyed a consistent 2025 season with three podium finishes. Lee is joined by Lizzie Rayner, who was runner-up at last year’s race, and Fenella Langridge.

In the men’s race, Rico Bogen will wear bib number one in the absence of last year’s champion. Bogen, the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, recorded the fastest bike split at the 2025 Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella.

The professional field includes strong cyclists such as Kristian Høgenhaug, Rudy Von Berg, and Jan Stratmann, who posted the three fastest bike splits at IRONMAN Texas in April. South African athlete James Riddle is also slated to compete in France.

Pierre Le Corre returns to Aix after finishing fifth at the event last year. He recently finished second at IRONMAN New Zealand in March 2026. He is joined by fellow Frenchman Simon Viain, who secured third place in Aix-en-Provence in 2025.

Lasse Priester arrives in form following a second-place finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia. New Zealand’s Kyle Smith is also expected to compete in the South of France against the international field.

professional start lists, (subject to change):

The IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-en-Provence consists of a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike course through the mountain ranges of the Pays d’Aix, and a 21.1km run finishing in the heart of the city.

www.ironman.com

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