Laura Philipp is poised to make a quick return to racing at IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun – just 15 days after her dominant victory at IRONMAN Kalmar.
The 2024 IRONMAN World Champion produced a superb performance in Sweden last weekend, clocking 8:13:37 as she claimed victory by almost 20 minutes and broke Katrine Christensen’s 2025 course record by more than 14 minutes.
But rather than taking some downtime following that full-distance effort, Philipp is pencilled in for the #1 bib in Austria on August 30 for what is the last IRONMAN Pro Series event before the two World Championships.
And that last point could help explain why Zell am See makes so much sense.
Why Philipp is back racing so soon
Firstly, Philipp’s Kalmar finishing time doesn’t quite tell the whole story about the toll the race may have taken on her.
She eased off during the marathon after husband and coach Philipp Seipp encouraged her to save her legs with bigger targets still to come.
Philipp eventually ran 2:52:57, comfortably outside her 2:38:27 marathon PB. Had she maintained something close to that personal-best pace, a historic sub-eight-hour IRONMAN could even have been within reach.
That controlled finish could leave her fresher heading into Zell am See than might normally be expected just two weeks after a full-distance race.
And there is also a clear Pro Series incentive for making the quick return.
Philipp currently sits sixth in the standings on 12,163 points following three scoring performances this season.
She collected the maximum 5,000 points for victory in Kalmar, adding to the 4,922 she earned for second place at IRONMAN Hamburg and 2,241 for third at IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-en-Provence.
It is that Aix score which gives her significant scope for improvement in Austria.
There are 2,500 points available to the winner at Zell am See and, if Philipp were to take maximum points, she would replace her Aix score and improve her total to 12,422.
That would move her ahead of reigning IRONMAN World Champion Solveig Løvseth, currently on 12,385 points, and could prove significant as the battle for the Pro Series title heads towards its conclusion – with a $200,000 first prize up for grabs.
Philipp won’t have things all her own way in Austria, though.
Home favourite Lisa Perterer returns after finishing second at Zell am See in 2025 and currently sits 11th in the Pro Series following fifth-place finishes at IRONMAN Hamburg and Lake Placid.
Poland’s Marta Lagonwik, third at IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea, is also on the start list, along with British trio India Lee, Rebecca Anderbury and Nikki Bartlett.
Germany’s Daniela Kleiser makes her first Pro Series appearance of 2026 after winning IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau in May.
Geens gets final hit-out before Nice
There is an equally intriguing storyline in the men’s race, where Jelle Geens will make his final competitive appearance before attempting to win a third successive IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship title.
The Belgian will race at Zell am See exactly two weeks before the men’s 70.3 World Championship showdown in Nice on September 13.
Geens also has previous form on the scenic Austrian course, having finished runner-up there in 2024.
But he’ll face the man who succeeded him as Zell am See champion, with Germany’s Fabian Kraft returning to defend the title he won in 2025.
Kraft has already enjoyed podium finishes in Valencia and Sweden this season but Zell will mark his first IRONMAN Pro Series appearance since last year’s 70.3 World Championship in Marbella.
Trevor Foley brings another important Pro Series dimension to the race. The American currently sits second in the standings and victory in Austria would propel him into the overall lead ahead of the final two events of the season.
Gregor Payet (LUX), runner-up in 2025 and third in 2024, is another athlete with an impressive record on the course, while Great Britain’s Kieran Lindars, Denmark’s Valdemar Solok and French Olympian Pierre Le Corre will make their Zell am See debuts.
IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun takes place on Sunday August 30, with 2,500 Pro Series points available to the winners and a total professional prize purse of $50,000.
Start lists in full
| WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL FIELD | |||
| Bib | First Name | Last Name | Country Represented |
| F1 | Laura | Philipp | DEU |
| F2 | Lisa | Perterer | AUT |
| F3 | Marta | Lagownik | POL |
| F4 | India | Lee | GBR |
| F5 | Daniela | Kleiser | DEU |
| F6 | Rebecca | Anderbury | GBR |
| F7 | Nikki | Bartlett | GBR |
| F8 | Skye | Wallace | AUS |
| F9 | Anastacia Damm | Nielsen | DEN |
| F10 | Diede | Diederiks | NLD |
| F11 | Leana | Bissig | SUI |
| F12 | Johanna | Ahrens | DEU |
| F13 | Franziska | Hofmann | DEU |
| F14 | Rhianne | Hughes | GBR |
| F15 | Saskia | Haug | DEU |
| F16 | Luisa | Iogna Prat | ITA |
| F17 | Sarah | Schönfelder | DEU |
| F18 | Nikita | Paskiewiez | FRA |
| F19 | Shiva | Leisner | DEN |
| F20 | Minttu | Hukka | FIN |
| F21 | Desirée | Knecht | SUI |
| F22 | Stephanie | Wunderle | DEU |
| F23 | Larissa | Jasper | DEU |
| F24 | Kristina | Grieger | DEU |
| F25 | Eva | Marsac | FRA |
| F26 | Valentina | D’angeli | ITA |
| F27 | Caterina | Poletti-mariani | SUI |
| F28 | Anja | Koller | SUI |
| F29 | Rani | Škrabanja | NLD |
| MEN’S PROFESSIONAL FIELD | |||
| Bib | First Name | Last Name | Country Represented |
| M1 | Fabian | Kraft | DEU |
| M2 | Jelle | Geens | BEL |
| M3 | Trevor | Foley | USA |
| M4 | Kieran | Lindars | GBR |
| M5 | Simon | Viain | FRA |
| M6 | Pierre | Le Corre | FRA |
| M7 | Jonas | Hoffmann | DEU |
| M8 | Valdemar | Solok | DEN |
| M9 | Lasse | Nygaard Priester | DEU |
| M10 | Gregor | Payet | LUX |
| M11 | Damien | Le Mesnager | FRA |
| M12 | Joran | Driesen | BEL |
| M13 | Johannes | Vogel | DEU |
| M14 | James | Teagle | GBR |
| M15 | Guillem | Montiel Moreno | ESP |
| M16 | Wilhelm | Hirsch | DEU |
| M17 | Cameron | Wurf | AUS |
| M18 | Rostyslav | Pevtsov | UKR |
| M19 | Michele | Sarzilla | ITA |
| M20 | Luis | Steiert | DEU |
| M21 | Rafael | Lukatsch | AUT |
| M22 | Yvan | Jarrige | FRA |
| M23 | Filippo | Candeo | ITA |
| M24 | Tom | Hug | DEU |
| M25 | Samuel | Böttinger | DEU |
| M26 | Jan | Stratmann | DEU |
| M27 | Matthew | Palmer | DEN |
| M28 | Antonio | Limoli | ITA |
| M29 | Neilan | Kempmann | DEU |
| M30 | Nicolò | Basso | ITA |
| M31 | Thomas | Ott | DEU |
| M32 | Sam | Wordley | GBR |
| M33 | Thomas | Williams | NZL |
| M34 | Nick | Thijs | BEL |
| M35 | Patrick | Cometta | SUI |
| M36 | Morten | Schmidt | DEU |
| M37 | Nils | Huckschlag | DEU |
| M38 | Georg | Enzenberger | AUT |
| M39 | Julian | Becker | DEU |
| M40 | Fabian | Schönke | DEU |
| M41 | Tjebbe | Kaindl | AUT |
| M42 | Samuel | Studer | SUI |
| M43 | Sebastian | Marx | DEU |
| M44 | Laurin | Wehrle | DEU |
| M45 | Joona | Lehtonen | FIN |
| M46 | Alexander | Richter | DEU |
| M47 | Patrik | Glaser | SLO |
| M48 | Jakob | Heeß | DEU |
| M49 | Sönke | Droska | DEU |
| M50 | Leonardo | Allegri | ITA |
| M51 | Jan | Ortjohann | DEU |
| M52 | Jonas | Wechsler | DEU |
| M53 | Paul | Weigand | DEU |
| M54 | Matej | Machácek | SVK |
