The 2026 IRONMAN® 70.3® Aix-en-Provence triathlon returns to the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series™ circuit for a second consecutive year, marking the start of the European leg of the season. Nearly 100 professional triathletes are set to compete, with the race promising an intense battle for the podium. As the fifth stop on the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series tour, the event will offer a $50,000 professional prize purse, along with three qualifying slots per gender for the 2026 Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France.
Alongside the professional field, more than 2,000 age-group athletes will also take to the start line, each competing for qualifying slots to the 2026 Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, further adding to the scale and competitive depth of the event.
The race will be broadcast live, free for all international audiences across IRONMAN YouTube, ironman.com/proseries, and DAZN, with additional regional live broadcast and highlight shows also available including L’Équipe Live in France, ESPN (within Disney+), SuperSport, hr-Fernsehen, RTVE, iQIYI, and Outside TV. Broadcast and streaming information can be found at www.ironman.com/proseries/how-to-watch.
In the women’s professional race, 2024 IRONMAN World Champion, Germany’s Laura Philipp, makes her season debut after securing third place at the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona.
French favourite and defending champion Marjolaine Pierré (FRA) returns to Aix-en-Provence looking to retain her title following a strong fourth-place finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia just a few weeks ago.
Germany’s Tanja Neubert (DEU) who placed third in the 2025 Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella will also be one to watch as she also plans to start her season in Aix. Imogen Simmonds (CHE) is slated to toe the line, and will likely play a huge role in the early stages of the race dynamics, thanks to her aggressive bike form. Austria’s three-time Olympian Lisa Perterer (AUT) will also look to open her season strongly after a DNS at Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas due to illness, adding further depth to an already stacked field.
In addition to Pierré, 11 French athletes, including Alexia Bailly, Anne-Sophie Pierre, Audrey Merle, Justine Guerard and more will also enjoy the home crowds.
A strong British contingent, led by India Lee (GBR), who enjoyed a consistent 2025 season with three podium finishes, will also line up. Lee is joined by Lizzie Rayner (GBR), runner-up at last year’s race and aiming to return to the podium, as well as Fenella Langridge, who recently secured a top ten finish at ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand, rounding out the competitive British lineup.
In the men’s race, the professional field is equally deep and with the absence of last year’s champion (Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway) the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, Rico Bogen will be wearing bib number one. Bogen, who recorded the fastest bike split at the 2025 Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella will be joined by some of the strongest cyclists in the sport including Kristian Høgenhaug (DNK), Rudy Von Berg (USA) and Jan Stratmann (DEU), who posted the top three fastest bike splits in Texas. Despite a disappointing home race at ISUZU IRONMAN South Africa African Championship, Riddle will be fuelled by redemption and will contribute to the fireworks at the pointy end of the race.
Racing on home soil, Pierre Le Corre (FRA) returns to Aix after finishing fifth at this event last year and comes off the back of an impressive second place at ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand – his debut IRONMAN triathlon – back in March. He is joined by fellow Frenchman Simon Viain (FRA), who secured third place in Aix-en-Provence in 2025 and most recently finished fourth at IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia, reinforcing a confident home presence on the start line.
Adding further strength to the German lineup, Lasse Priester (DEU) arrives in strong form following his second-place finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia and, having already secured his IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship slot, will be targeting the top step of the podium. New Zealand’s Kyle Smith (NZL) is also slated to make the trip to the South of France to compete against some of the best middle-distance triathletes in the world.
Below are the professional start lists, (subject to change):
WOMENS PROFESSIONAL FIELD
F1 Marjolaine Pierré FRA
F3 Laura Philipp DEU
F4 Tanja Neubert DEU
F5 Lisa Perterer AUT
F6 Imogen Simmonds CHE
F7 Fenella Langridge GBR
F8 Alexia Bailly FRA
F9 Lizzie Rayner GBR
F10 Hanne De Vet BEL
F12 Katrine Christensen DNK
F13 India Lee GBR
F14 Daniela Kleiser DEU
F15 Laura Jansen DEU
F16 Rhianne Hughes GBR
F17 Audrey Merle FRA
F18 Anne-Sophie Pierre FRA
F19 Luisa Iogna Prat ITA
F20 Solenne Billouin FRA
F21 Justine Guerard FRA
F22 Aurelia Boulanger FRA
F23 Marta Lagownik POL
F24 Sandra Huon FRA
F25 Anastacia Damm Nielsen DNK
F26 Megan Armitage IRL
F27 Charlotte McShane AUS
F28 Nikita Paskiewiez FRA
F29 Bridget Theunissen ZAF
F30 Sarah Schönfelder DEU
F32 Franziska Hofmann DEU
F33 Eva Cornelisse NLD
F34 Mena Suter CHE
F35 Sina Ziegler CHE
F36 Desiree Knecht CHE
F37 Sophia Stückrad Deboy DEU
F38 Eva Marsac FRA
F39 Héloïse Bottin FRA
F40 Amélie Harter FRA
F41 Gabriela Kaczka-Sanak POL
MENS PROFESSIONAL FIELD
M1 Rico Bogen DEU
M2 Rudy Von Berg USA
M3 Jamie Riddle ZAF
M4 Jan Stratmann DEU
M5 Pierre Le Corre FRA
M6 Kristian Høgenhaug DNK
M7 Yvan Jarrige FRA
M10 Justus Nieschlag DEU
M11 Kyle Smith NZL
M12 Antonio Benito Lopez ESP
M13 Lasse Priester DEU
M14 Michele Bortolamedi ITA
M15 Simon Viain FRA
M16 Nathan Guerbeur FRA
M17 Finn Große-freese DEU
M18 Jack Hutchens GBR
M19 Andrea Salvisberg CHE
M21 Dylan Magnien FRA
M22 Nicolas Mann DEU
M23 Casimir Moine FRA
M24 Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen DNK
M25 Maximilian Sperl DEU
M27 Samuel Studer CHE
M28 Nick Emde DEU
M29 Joran Driesen BEL
M30 Rafael Lukatsch AUT
M31 Tom Vaelen BEL
M32 Quentin Barreau FRA
M33 Pierre Dupuy FRA
M34 Paulin Philippe FRA
M35 Carlos Oliver Vives ESP
M36 Sven Thalmann CHE
M37 Cenzino Lebot FRA
M38 Lilian Pierre FRA
M39 Clément Grandy FRA
M40 Niels Vanhove BEL
M41 Thibault Colard FRA
M42 Erwan Jacobi FRA
M43 Dries Matthys BEL
M44 Max Mahoney GBR
M45 Robin Hermann CHE
M46 Rémi Delagarde FRA
M47 Dorian Muller FRA
M48 Florin Parfuss CHE
M49 Jean Duchampt FRA
M50 Arthur Serrieres FRA
M51 Maxence Castel FRA
M52 Dylan Thissen NLD
M53 Almog Elazary ISR
M54 Vicenç Castellà ESP
M55 William Even FRA
M56 Marcus Herbst DEU
M57 Ethan Sunseri USA
