IRONMAN Arizona 2025: Date, start time and who’s racing in end of an era for Tempe City event

Sunday’s IRONMAN Arizona promises to be an emotional affair as the city of Tempe plays host to the event for the final time after 20 hugely successful years.

With the region undergoing vast construction and development in recent years, it has now become too much of a challenge for organisers to find suitable routes for the course, and reluctantly, they have decided to hand over the baton.

Since joining the IRONMAN circuit in 2005, Tempe has become a beloved race destination, with athletes flocking to the Valley of the Sun for its breathtaking desert scenery, unique course and fervent support from the local crowds.

“IRONMAN racing is truly a community, and Tempe has been honoured to welcome countless athletes, spectators and volunteers from all over the world to our city,” said Tempe Mayor Corey Woods. “For more than 20 years, our Valley has shared its stunning views, beautiful desert climate and urban atmosphere. We look forward to a memorable sendoff this November as we cheer on these dedicated triathletes.”

American Sam Long is the biggest name in the starting line-up, although his participation is likely to depend on when his wife gives birth to their second child.

Start times

IRONMAN Arizona takes place on Sunday, November 16, with the Pro Men due to get underway from Tempe Beach Park at 6:40am local Mountain Standard Time, and the Pro Women setting off five minutes later. Age group races will start at 6:50am local time.

Timings for the UK are seven hours ahead, with the races starting at 1:40pm, while in central Europe they will start at 2:30pm.

There’s no livestream coverage of the event so the invaluable IRONMAN tracker app is your way to keep up with the action.

Pro Women – Open field could make for an epic race

The Pro Women’s race is very much wide open in terms of who will challenge for the podium, with the highest-ranked athlete in the field being American Alice Alberts.

Alberts has enjoyed a decent 2025 season, with a 12th-placed finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside in April and two top-tens at IRONMAN Texas in April and at 70.3 Eagleman in June, where she came home in fourth and sixth, respectively.

Her most recent outing was at the World Championships in Kona, where she finished in 23rd.

Posting on Instagram this week, she said: “Well, here we go again… It’s race week!!! I’ve truly loved this time between Kona and Arizona. Ironman Arizona is a welcome ‘bonus’ race for me, and I’m so grateful to be happy, healthy and, most importantly, motivated to go out there and give it my all Sunday.”

Challengers are likely to come in the form of Italian Elisabetta Curridori, who finished 16th at Kona last month; British athlete Stephanie Clutterbuck, who was 34th at the World Championships; and Annamarie Strehlow (USA), who was 37th.

Clutterbuck is joined by Simone Dailey and Jodie Stimpson for a British trio taking on what is a predominantly homegrown American field.

Pro Men – Doubts remain over Sam Long’s participation

Without doubt, the star name in both fields is that of Sam Long, who is planning to compete in his first race since finishing 14th at the IRONMAN World Championships in Nice.

Long, who has two wins (70.3 Eagleman and 70.3 Chattanooga) and a second place at the 70.3 North American Championship at St George to his name this season, will be the hot favourite to win – if he takes part.

With his wife due to give birth to another boy any time soon, he took to Instagram to explain the situation, which is so up in the air that he has not yet secured accommodation in Tempe.

“This race week hits a bit different,” he wrote. “I like to control things. Right now, I am on the new baby’s schedule. Will he even come this week, or will I have to pivot and race Cozumel instead?!

“I really, really hope he comes this week. I haven’t booked accommodation yet, as who knows what will happen. I also have to be flexible with the training plan – can’t be attached to doing things on certain days but rather have a flexible approach. And yet, I am so stoked! It’s all a reminder that with Ironman, you roll with the punches!”

Whether he competes or not, the other race challengers are likely to come from a batch of quality athletes who have all enjoyed levels of success so far this season.

Swede Rasmus Svenningsson arrives in Arizona having won recently at IRONMAN Chattanooga, while American Trevor Foley has impressed with three runner-up finishes at Eagleman 70.3, Louisville 70.3 and Santa Cruz 70.3. He was also on the podium at IRONMAN Chattanooga, finishing third.

Joe Skipper (GBR), who won this event in 2022, has a best finish this season of second at IRONMAN New Zealand, while Matt Hanson is a five-time IRONMAN champion and four-time IRONMAN North American Champion. His only two top ten finishes this season, however, were at IRONMAN Cairns (5th) and the 70.3 North American Championship in St George (9th).

The Arizona course

Tempe and the greater Phoenix area are referred to as the Valley of the Sun for their warmth and 300-plus days of sunshine.

The 3.9km swim course is a single loop of Tempe Town Lake. Entering and exiting from in front of the Tempe Boat Rental Dock, there is a short distance into transition, just a few steps away.

A three-loop bike course will take the athletes from Tempe Beach Park, through the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and out to the Beeline Highway.

Very much regarded as a fast course, it has spectacular scenery to keep the riders dialled in on a 179km journey.

The 42km run course is a three-loop, point-to-point course that takes athletes along the banks of Tempe Town Lake. A flat and fast course, it winds its way along the south shore all the way to the east end of the lake before turning around and heading toward the West.

Athletes will run over the pedestrian bridge to the North side of the lake and take a journey up through the beautiful Papago Park before coming back to the lake path and heading back for the next circuit.

Prize Money: What’s on the line?

The 2025 Ironman Arizona has a prize purse of $100,000 USD for the professional athletes competing in the race – with a $15,000 share handed to each of the winners.

The total funds will be paid ten-deep, as follows:

1. $15,000
2. $9,000
3. $7,000
4. $5,000
5. $4,000
6. $3,000
7. $2,500
8. $2,000
9. $1,500
10. $1,000