2023 Men’s Ironman World Championship Nice preview: Full schedule and how to watch live
For the first time in history, men's races will be held at a different location and time than the women's event. Discover more about this year's edition of the iconic long-distance triathlon race.
Triathlon
One of the most iconic events in triathlon – the Ironman World Championships – will take place - for the first time in its history - in two separate locations on different days.
On Sunday 10 September, Nice, France, will host the men’s elite and age-group races on a course almost identical to the one used in June during the traditional stop of the long-distance series.
The best women are scheduled to compete one month later, on 14 October, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, where both Ironman World Championships have been held since 1981.
Nice and Kona will co-host the event until 2026 with men and women switching locations each year.
Read below to find out more about this year’s historic edition.
Stars to watch at 2023 Men's Ironman World Championship Nice
The winners of the last two editions, Gustav Iden (2022) and Kristian Blummenfelt (2021), have since shifted their focus on the short-course format as they aim to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic event. Therefore the Norwegian stars won’t be at the starting line, despite having secured spots for the elite race.
Germany’s multiple champions Patrick Lange and Jan Frodeno are seeking their third and fourth titles, respectively, with Beijing 2008 gold medallist Frodeno racing in his last World Champs before retiring at the end of the year.
The list of favourites also includes France’s Sam Laidlow, who finished second last year, and up-and-comers Magnus Ditlev of Denmark, the winner of Roth 2023 and the long-course world record holder and PTO European winner Max Neumann of Australia.
Double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee is among the notable names who missed qualification, along with Sam Long, Lionel Sanders, Tim O’Donnell and Ben Hoffmann.
A different course
On 20 November 1982, Nice hosted the first-ever long-distance triathlon in Europe, known as the Nice triathlon. It will now present a very different course compared to Kona.
The 3.8km swim will take place in the Mediterranean, which is expected to be calmer than the big swells of the Pacific Ocean.
Instead of traversing lava fields, competitors will embark on a 180.2km bike loop through the Alpes-Maritime region, tackling steep climbs and technical descents, accumulating a total elevation gain of 2,427m.
Contrasting with the isolated Energy Lab in Kona, participants will experience the iconic waterfront ambiance of the Promenade des Anglais. Here, they will undertake a 42.2km run across four laps, amidst enthusiastic crowds of fans lined up along the route.
KAILUA KONA, HAWAII - OCTOBER 08: Gustav Iden of Norway celebrates after winning the IRONMAN World Championships on October 08, 2022 in Kailua Kona, Hawaii.
2023 Men’s Ironman World Championship: Full schedule
Times are local: Central European Time (CET), UTC +1
Below are the start timings for all the men's pro and age-group waves.
Saturday 10 September
- 6:50am – Professional men
- 6:51am – Para races
- 7am – M35-39
- 7:03am – M65-69
- 7:03am – M70-74
- 7:03am – M75-79
- 7:03am – M80+
- 7:10am – M55-59
- 7:15am – M30-34
- 7:18am – M60-64
- 7:25am – M40-44
- 7:30am – M50-54
- 7:35am – M25-29
- 7:35am – M18-24
- 7:40am – M45-49
How to watch the 2023 Men's Ironman World Championships in Nice live
The race will be streamed for free on the Ironman website, Ironman’s Facebook page IronmanNow and on the event’s YouTube channel.