The time for talking is almost over as the world’s best middle-distance triathletes prepare to do battle for 70.3 glory in Nice this weekend.
And boy, do we have a fascinating race on our hands with a field so stacked that you could almost blindly put a pin in the start list and feel confident that you will hit an athlete with winning potential.
While there has been much discussion regarding Jelle Geens going for an historic three-peat, you can’t rule out the chances of at least ten other athletes who will rightly have arrived on the French Riviera this week thinking this is going to be their year.
Here’s all you need to know…
Date, start time and how to watch
The professional men’s race starts in Nice on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 07:00 local Central European Time.
In the UK, that means a 06:00 start, while it is 01:00 on the USA’s East Coast, midnight in the Central USA, and 22:00 on Saturday on the Pacific Coast.
The start time in Eastern Australia is 15:00, Central Australia is 14:30, and Western Australia is 13:00. Viewers in New Zealand can watch the race from 17:00.
Live coverage begins half an hour before the start at 06:30 CEST/05:30 BST.
The race will be broadcast live and free internationally on IRONMAN’s YouTube channel, and we’ve embedded that below so you don’t have to leave this page.
Mirinda Carfrae and Will McCloy will lead the commentary, with five-time 70.3 World Champion Daniela Ryf and three-time IRONMAN World Champion Craig Alexander joining them. Laura Siddall and James Cunnama will provide updates from the course.
And don’t forget to use the invaluable IRONMAN Tracker app to add more timing detail to the live broadcast.
**FOR A PREVIEW TO THE WOMEN’S 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, CLICK HERE**
Pro men’s field
Even without the much-fancied American Sam Long, who is focusing on his debut at Kona in October, the start list is truly stacked with so many contenders that it is almost impossible to predict what might happen.
Here is our guide to the top ten contenders…
THE ONES TO BEAT: If anything, the men’s start list is even harder to whittle down, with big-name athletes and serial winners wherever you look. However, there are three who undoubtedly stand out.
- Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR): Let’s face it, if Big Blu races anything close to his potential, then there is no athlete on the planet capable of beating him over this distance… and the pain of 2025, when he was pipped by Jelle Geens, will undoubtedly still be driving him on.
- Hayden Wilde (NZL): A quiet season, which has been disrupted by illness and injury, will spark to life in September for Wilde as he races four times in as many weeks. Has shown form recently, and anything near his absolute best gives him a podium finish.
- Jelle Geens (BEL): History beckons for the Belgian as he seeks a third title in as many years. Injury has resulted in a somewhat troubled build-up, but he is a supreme athlete and will certainly be up there… whether he can win remains to be seen.
CHAMPIONS IN WAITING: Three names who could easily be in the top group and will certainly push for a podium place come Sunday.
- Marten Van Riel (BEL): One of the most consistently successful middle-distance athletes in the sport and showed he was building up nicely for Nice with a fine win at 70.3 Elsinore recently. Also won on this course last year.
- Casper Stornes (NOR): The IRONMAN World Champion may, like Løvseth, have his eye on defending the full-distance title in Kona next month but must still be mentioned in this Nice discussion?
- Rico Bogen (GER): Became the youngest 70.3 World Champion when he won in Lahti in 2023 at the age of 22 and was also fifth in Marbella last year. His bike skills make him a serious contender.
ONE BIG DAY FROM GLORY: Again, don’t be surprised if these guys challenge on the day… they certainly have what it takes.
- Gustav Iden (NOR): Twice a 70.3 champion, including a significant victory in Nice back in 2019, which must surely stand him in good stead. Also finished second here to Stornes at full distance in 2025.
- Jonas Schomburg (GER): Another who might just be focused more on a shot at Kona but who has the ability to really go out strong and win in Nice, particularly with his swim and bike prowess.
- Lasse Nygaard Priester (GER): Is arguably the athlete in form as he heads to Nice, having won the 70.3 Jönköping and also recently beating Geens at Zell am See to really boost his confidence.
POTENTIAL PODIUM DISRUPTOR: So many to pick from… but we can’t ignore the form of a certain Frenchman.
- Vincent Luis (FRA): One of the most decorated middle-distance triathletes in the field and can be a serious threat in front of his French supporters if he can get away to one of his fast swims.
The course in Nice
Nice provides one of the most distinctive courses in long-distance triathlon.
The race begins with a single-loop 1.9km swim in the Mediterranean Sea (which will be non-wetsuit), with athletes entering and exiting at Plage des Ponchettes before swimming towards the city’s famous ‘I LOVE NICE’ sign. It can be choppy but could also be pretty calm depending on conditions.
Then comes what is likely to be the decisive section.
The 90km single-loop bike course heads away from the Mediterranean and into the Alpes-Maritimes.
The headline challenge is the long ascent of the Col de Vence, but this isn’t simply about climbing. The twisting roads and subsequent return towards Nice will put a premium on descending skills, positioning and confidence as well as pure power.
Then everything changes again.
The 21.1km run consists of two loops along the famous Promenade des Anglais.
After the climbing and technical demands of the bike, the flat and fast run should favour the pure runners – which could make the gaps at T2 absolutely crucial – they could be huge.
IRONMAN Pro Series – what’s at stake?
There is considerably more than a world title and prize money on offer in Nice.
The race is the penultimate event in the 2026 IRONMAN Pro Series and, as a world championship, offers more points than a standard IRONMAN 70.3.
The winner receives a maximum of 3,000 points, 500 more than at the other 70.3 races in the Series.
With a $1.7million year-end Pro Series bonus pool also on the line, every second in Nice could ultimately prove very valuable for the likes of Blummenfelt, Van Riel and Stornes, who are currently well placed in the top ten rankings.
IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship prize money
The professional athletes will also be competing for a $500,000 prize purse, unchanged from the 2025 championship, with the winners taking home $75,000 each for their efforts.
The prize breakdown is as follows:
- $75,000
- $45,000
- $30,000
- $19,000
- $15,000
- $12,000
- $10,000
- $8,000
- $7,500
- $7,000
- $6,000
- $5,000
- $4,000
- $3,500
- $3,000
Last 10 men’s winners of the 70.3 Worlds
- 2025 – Jelle Geens (BEL), Marbella
- 2024 – Jelle Geens (BEL), Taupō
- 2023 – Rico Bogen (GER), Lahti
- 2022 – Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), St George
- 2021 – Gustav Iden (NOR), St George
- 2019 – Gustav Iden (NOR), Nice
- 2018 – Jan Frodeno (GER), Port Elizabeth
- 2017 – Javier Gómez (ESP), Chattanooga
- 2016 – Tim Reed (AUS), Mooloolaba
- 2015 – Jan Frodeno (GER), Zell am See
