This is a preview of the event – click here to read about impressive wins for Michele Bortolamedi and Marjolaine Pierré.

This may be the fifth IRONMAN Pro Series race of 2026 but it’s the first not to have Kristian Blummenfelt on the start list!

Ironically the great Norwegian won here last year but the women’s defending champion in Marjolaine Pierré of France is back.

Former IRONMAN World Champion Laura Philipp makes her race return after a challenging start to the year while on the men’s side the headline names are Rico Bogen and Rudy Von Berg.

Start time and how to watch live

The pro races start at 07:00 CEST Sunday May 17 which is 6:00 BST and 01:00 ET, with the broadcast launching 30 minutes beforehand. The pro men start first, with the women beginning five minutes later.

The race will be broadcast live and for free across multiple platforms for viewers around the world including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN, iQIYI, L’Equipe Live, and YouTube among others. 

And the YouTube coverage is embedded below so you don’t have to leave this page.

Women’s pro race

The 2024 IRONMAN World Champion Laura Philipp (GER) and last year’s Aix winner Marjolaine Pierré (FRA) head an impressive female field.

It will be Philipp’s first race of the season after a recent spell in hospital because of stomach and back pain.

Meanwhile Pierré returns looking to retain her title following a fourth-place finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia just a few weeks ago.

Germany’s Tanja Neubert was third in the 70.3 World Championship in Marbella last year which gives her strong claims while Imogen Simmonds (SUI) is also here and should relish the challenging bike course as should Austria’s three-time Olympian Lisa Perterer.

Perterer missed IRONMAN Texas due to illness so is another making a slightly delayed start to the campaign after what was a breakthrough 2025.

In addition to Pierré, 11 French athletes, including Alexia Bailly, Anne-Sophie Pierre, Audrey Merle and Justine Guerard will also enjoy the home crowds.

Lizzie Rayner (GBR) was runner-up at last year’s race and aiming to return to the podium, while fellow Brit Fenella Langridge lines up after a tough 12 months.

Belgium’s Hanne De Vet, Denmark’s Katrine Græsbøll Christensen and Germany’s Daniela Kleiser are others for the short list.

Men’s Pro race

In the absence reigning champion Blummenfelt, the 2023 70.3 World Champion Rico Bogen (GER) will be wearing bib number one.

Bogen, who recorded the fastest bike split at the 70.3 Worlds last year, will be joined by some of the strongest cyclists in the sport including Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN) and Rudy Von Berg (USA).

Pierre Le Corre had been on the initial start list but doesn’t now race so French hopes will be chiefly on the shoulders of Simon Viain, who secured third place in Aix last year.

Lasse Priester (GER) arrives in strong form following his second-place finish at 70.3 Valencia while it’s great to see his fellow German Justus Nieschlag back in action after an injury-enforced layoff.

He said this week: “Honestly, I have no idea where I stand right now – but that’s what makes it exciting.”

New Zealand’s Kyle Smith and South Africa’s Jamie Riddle are others to watch out for.

Aix-en-Provence course

The race begins with a swim in the magnificent Lac des Peyrolles, then takes on the Sainte-Victoire for a bike ride featuring both flat and hilly sections. The three-loop run finishes in front of the famous La Rotonde fountain.

The swim course is in the form of a rectangle, measures 1.9 km (1.2 miles) and is located at Lac de Peyrolles, 20 km (12.5 miles) from Aix-en-Provence.

The bike course will take athletes back to Aix-en-Provence for a 90 km (56 mile) route via the magnificent scenery of Provence, with the technical roads of Mont Sainte-Victoire.

The 21.1 km (13.1 mile) run features three loops which take athletes through the heart of Aix-en-Provence, through the city’s parks and around the La Rotonde fountain, before finishing on the Cours Mirabeau.

IRONMAN Pro Series 2026

This is the fifth stop in the IRONMAN Pro Series which sees athletes competing for a piece of the $1.7 million USD season-ending bonus prize pool.

Professionals racing at 70.3 Aix-en-Provence will also race for a share of a $50,000 USD event prize purse.

The Pro Series is 16 events in total – six IRONMANs and eight IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons around the world in addition to the IRONMAN World Championship and the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.

The best five scores (up to three IRONMANs) count and the winners of full-distance events will be allocated a maximum of 5000 points for winning, with 2,500 awarded in 70.3 races. Those totals go up to 6,000 and 3,000 respectively for the World Championships.

Points for all remaining professional finishers will diminish based on the time deficit to first place at a rate of 1 point per 1 second to the first place finish time.  There is no points minimum, or “floor”. Points will accumulate throughout the season.

A cool $200,000 is on offer for the series winner on both the men’s and women’s side, with second earning €130,000 and third receiving $85,000.