The men’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Marbella looks a cracker and features every winner since 2019 on what should be a fascinating course, especially the bike element.
Reigning champ Jelle Geens (BEL) saw off Hayden Wilde in thrilling fashion in Taupo last year but has been second best to the Kiwi in his last couple of T100 races and has taken a break since to freshen up for the business end of the season.
There’s no Wilde in Marbella as he didn’t qualify but Germany’s Rico Bogen and Norwegians Kristian Blummenfelt (2022) and Gustav Iden (2021 and 2019) are the other recent winners lining up.
Read on to find out who else is there, how to watch and much more…
How to watch, start times and live tracking
The men’s race takes place in Marbella on Sunday November 9 2025, starting at 07:50 local time. That corresponds to 06:50 in the UK, 01:50 Eastern Time and 22:50 (Saturday) on the West Coast of the US.
The livestream for the race will be embedded below nearer the time so you don’t have to leave this page.
Coverage will be also broadcast for free across multiple platforms for global viewers including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN, and YouTube, as well RTVE Play in Spain as L’Équipe in France, Outside TV in the U.S. and Canada, ZDF in Germany, ESPN (within Disney+) in Latin America and the Caribbean, and iQIYI in China, among others. Live race day coverage will begin at 7:30am local time.
The ever reliable IRONMAN Tracker is the perfect data addition to the live coverage too, whether for the pro races or following friends or family in the age-group events.
Pro Men
As we mentioned at the start, every former 70.3 world champion still racing is here.
The Norwegians carried all before them at the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice with that incredible 1-2-3 where it was Casper Stornes who outlasted his more heralded compatriots.
But anyone who has watched a Kristian Blummenfelt interview in the build up to this will have noticed the laser focus and determination to close out his season in style.
He surely has to be the favourite but this is the very first time at middle distance upwards that he’s faced defending champion Jelle Geens so that’s a fascinating clash in itself.
Rico Bogen was a shock winner in 2023 but has since shown that was no fluke and won San Francisco T100 earlier in this campaign.
But what really adds to the dynamic is the number of top short-course athletes competing. The likes of Jamie Riddle (RSA) animated the IMWC in Nice and when you look at the swim strength on show here, followed by what is a seriously challenging bike course, we could be in for something special.
They include Panagiotis Bitados (GRC), Vincent Luis (FRA) and 2024 Olympians Jonas Schomburg (DEU), Sam Dickinson (GBR), Jake Birtwhistle (AUS) and Seth Rider (USA) among others.
There are some big names missing – Wilde the obvious one along with Sam Long and Lionel Sanders – but throw in the likes of great Dane Magnus Ditlev, who has a point to prove after a rare disappointing season, and this really is a race to savour.
The latest and updated start list is here.
The Marbella course
The swim takes place in the Mediterranean off Levante Beach in Puerto Banús, while the bike course delivers a challenging single 90km lap with a net elevation gain of 1,785 metres. And from there, the run features two loops along the scenic promenade.
The Norwegians have been as meticulous as ever with their recces and prep and it has been fascinating to hear their thoughts.
They suspect something similar could happen to Nice in the swim, where the likes of Riddle helped animate things up front.
But the bike will likely be decisive they feel – Blummenfelt says he was surprised by how tough the climbing was, while Iden described the descent as “chill”, especially compared to the technical nature we saw on the Cote d’Azur.
IRONMAN Pro Series and prize money
And we could be set for another Norwegian 1-2-3 – in the final Pro Series standings.
This is the last race and the only threat to Blummenfelt comes from Stornes. Depending on the outcome of the race, third place on the podium could go to any of Stornes, Iden or Kristian Hogenhaug (DNK).
The latest standings are as follows and as the table shows, the differences in potential prize money are substantial.
| Rank | Athlete (Nationality) | Total IRONMAN Pro Series Points (Max Top 5 events) | Total Eligible Races Scored | Eligible IRONMAN Races Scored | Eligible IRONMAN 70.3 Races Scored | Prize money for that position (after 70.3 Worlds) |
| 1 | Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) | 20,015 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $200,000 |
| 2 | Casper Stornes (NOR) | 19,067 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $130,000 |
| 3 | Gustav Iden (NOR) | 18,101 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $85,000 |
| 4 | Leon Chevalier (FRA) | 16,553 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $70,000 |
| 5 | Jonas Hoffmann (DEU) | 16,345 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $50,000 |
The prize purse for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship itself in 2025 stands at a total of $500,000 with the winners taking home $75,000 each for their efforts.
The prize breakdown is as follows:
- 1. $75,000
- 2. $45,000
- 3. $30,000
- 4. $19,000
- 5. $15,000
- 6. $12,000
- 7. $10,000
- 8. $8,000
- 9. $7,500
- 10. $7,000
- 11. $6,000
- 12. $5,000
- 13. $4,000
- 14. $3,500
- 15. $3,000
Recent IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship winners
PRO Men
- 2024 – Jelle Geens (BEL)
- 2023 – Rico Bogen (GER)
- 2022 – Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR)
- 2021 – Gustav Iden (NOR)
- 2020 – Postponed
- 2019 – Gustav Iden (NOR)
- 2018 – Jan Frodeno (GER)
- 2017 – Javier Gómez (ESP)
- 2016 – Tim Reed (AUS)
- 2015 – Jan Frodeno (GER)
- 2014 – Javier Gómez (ESP)
- 2013 – Sebastian Kienle (GER)
- 2012 – Sebastian Kienle (GER)
- 2011 – Craig Alexander (AUS)
Are we in a triathlon boom, or hurtling towards burnout? Laura Siddall on the growth of the sport
