IRONMAN, the biggest race organiser in triathlon, have come into line with rival T100 and announced they will move to a 20-metre draft zone for professionals from their next event onwards.
The topic has been hotly debated recently, especially as 20 metres has been the norm in the Professional Triathletes Organisation’s T100 Triathlon World Tour for some time, where it has been met with widespread approval having been used in conjunction with the RaceRanger anti-draft technology.
Challenge Family, the other major organiser at middle and long-distance along with IRONMAN and the PTO, first tried the 20-metre rule back in 2014 and until now have used it across virtually all their races bar Challenge Roth.
IRONMAN though remained at 12 metres in 2025 but they did utilise RaceRanger and in partnership with them and and aerodynamics expert Marc Graveline they also began conducting trials with several pro athletes.
A spokesperson for the M-Dot brand told us in January: “As per our release from the end of last year, we have additional plans for in-event testing early this year to help us further validate findings in real-world conditions.”
However it would appear the trial results are so compelling that they have made the call a little earlier than expected and in good time for the start of their IRONMAN Pro Series which begins with IRONMAN New Zealand on March 7. The only IRONMAN race thus far in 2026 was the much lower-key 70.3 Pucon on January 11.
Recent survey results suggest overwhelming support for the change and the adjusted professional athlete draft zone distance will be updated in the 2026 IRONMAN Competition Rules, which will be released in February and be effective as of March 1.
Just two hours before the IRONMAN news was released, Challenge Roth also revealed they would be testing a 20-metre draft zone for pros at this year’s race which means all major middle and long-distance events will be consistent, a welcome step forward for the sport.
‘A meaningful and measurable difference’
IRONMAN’s press release explained the process of getting to this point, saying: “Following the completion of a comprehensive, multi-phase draft zone testing initiative that originally began in June 2025, IRONMAN, the global leader in triathlon, today announced it will increase the professional draft zone distance from 12 to 20 meters, reflecting significant findings generated through scientific testing and research applied to race dynamics.
“The testing initiative, developed and led in coordination with leading aerodynamics expert Marc Graveline, was designed to produce data insights that could help objectively measure the impact of different draft zone distances on race dynamics, athlete performance, and course density.
“The results of the testing provided clear and consistent insights demonstrating a meaningful and measurable difference at a longer draft zone distance, supporting a move from the longstanding 12-meter standard to a 20-meter draft zone for professional athletes.”
The change will only apply to professional races, with the statement adding: “Based on differing factors for age-groupers such as racing speeds, the age-group draft zone will remain unchanged at 12 meters.”
That comes as no surprise. Indeed 20 metres would be a non-starter currently at many events where thousands of age-groupers are racing each other.
‘Goal was to move beyond opinion’
Scott DeRue, CEO of The IRONMAN Group since early 2024, has overseen the process and he said: “When we began our research in mid-2025, our goal was to move beyond opinion and invest in principled and rigorous testing that could provide us with the objective insights needed to make a sound decision for the future of the sport.
“The data produced through this process delivered clear insights that a 20-meter draft zone meaningfully impacts race dynamics in the ways that uphold the integrity of our sport. Based on those findings, we are confident this change represents the right next step for the evolution of fair and competitive racing at the professional level.”
The testing process in detail
IRONMAN says the draft zone testing program included baseline aerodynamic testing to establish individual coefficients of aerodynamic drag (CdA), followed by controlled group testing using professional athletes riding at IRONMAN 70.3 race speeds and power outputs.
The athletes’ bikes were instrumented to capture power, speed, wind, air density, road inclination, and additional variables, with RaceRanger technology used to precisely maintain designated draft zone distances.
Multiple test runs were conducted at 12, 16, and 20 meters, allowing for direct comparison across distances under consistent conditions. Rider positioning was rotated to account for athlete size and power variability, and the resulting data was analyzed to quantify power savings and draft effects at each distance.
And the conclusions were as follows: “Over multiple tests, the results showed that at professional racing speeds, increasing the draft zone distance from 12 meters to 16 meters did not have a material change, however, increasing from 12 meters to 20 meters significantly reduced aerodynamic benefits.
“As racing speeds have increased over the years, the change to a 20-meter draft zone for professional athletes will help ensure fair competition that is consistent with the intent of non-drafting rules.”
Slide #3 on the embedded post below illustrates those findings.
A work in progress
IRONMAN were also keen to stressed that this is an ongoing process, adding: “For the benefit of the sport, we will continue our planned tests of different aerodynamic effects across various race conditions during the 2026 season.
“We will also continue to collect athlete feedback throughout the season. However, the resulting data and findings from our testing to date provide sufficient and conclusive evidence to make the change to a 20-meter draft zone.
“Operational details related to the 20-meter draft zone (e.g., time allowed to pass) will be communicated through the 2026 IRONMAN Competition Rules in advance of implementation to ensure clarity for athletes, officials, and event teams. In addition, as previously announced, IRONMAN will be expanding the use of RaceRanger as a tool across more pro events to support this change and fair competition.
“Our responsibility is to apply what we learn in a way that is fair, consistent, and operationally sound,” DeRue added. “This change reflects our long-term commitment to data and research-based decision making and to continually improve the racing experience for our athletes.”
