This is a preview of the race – click here to read about a drama-packed event that was won by Gurutze Frades.
Two Kona spots are on the line in the women’s only PRO race at IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz.
It’s the fourth edition of the race under the M-Dot umbrella but the event itself has a long and popular history which goes back decades, including one of the most architecturally impressive finish lines of any race in the sport, the Plaza España in the city centre.
Start time and how to watch live
IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz 2023 will take place on Sunday 16 July.
The race starts at 0800 local time. That’s 0700 in the UK / 0200 Eastern.
The race will be broadcast live, with Vitoria-Gasteiz the latest full distance IRONMAN to get the full YouTube coverage and you can watch the action unfold live from Spain’s Basque Country via the embed below.
Who’s racing?
The event features a small women’s professional field which is now down to 10 athletes.
It’s headed by home favourite Gurutze Frades, ranked 27 in the world, who is taking on Els Visser (NED) and Svenja Thoes (GER), though that trio have already booked their places for the IRONMAN World Championship.
Frades Larralde won last November’s IRONMAN Cozumel, Visser landed IRONMAN New Zealand in March for her Kona place and Thoes bagged no fewer than three IRONMAN titles in 2022.
And that opens up opportunities for those slightly lower down the standings in a race which has a strength of field rating of 76.89 (click here for more detail on what that means).
The likes of Spain’s Helene Alberdi, Germany’s Jana Uderstadt and France’s Julie Iemmolo all have the added incentive of a place in the biggest race of the season in Hawaii.
Prize Money: What’s on the line?
The prize purse on offer this weekend is $50,000 – and with it being a women’s Pro only race, that means that the winner will collect $15,000.
The total funds will be ten-deep, as follows:
$15,000
$9,000
$7,000
$5,000
$4,000
$3,000
$2,500
$2,000
$1,500
$1,000
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