IRONMAN has announced a new IRONMAN® 70.3® triathlon will be added to the European race calendar for next year, with the launch of IRONMAN 70.3 Tours Métropole - Loire Valley set to take place on 1 June, 2025.
Tours, located in west-central France, is a university town, tucked between the banks of the Loire and Cher rivers, just a one hour and seven minute train ride from Paris. Tours, the city of towers, was once the capital of the French kingdom in the 15th and 17th centuries.
The race, which is already an established triathlon in France, is perfect for first-timers and seasoned triathletes alike, and will give athletes a glimpse of everything the Loire Valley has to offer from medieval and Renaissance castles steeped in history, to lush green parks and riverside trails on a course expected to be one of the fastest in France.
Athletes will complete a 1.9km (1.2 mile) looped swim in the River Cher, a tributary of the River Loire. They will then embark on a one-loop 90km (56 miles) flat bike course which takes athletes along the banks of River Cher, passing some of the historical châteaux of the region, most famous of which being the Château d'Ussé, which inspired the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty and is characterised by its French renaissance style and spectacular turrets.
The race culminates with a two-lap run 21.1km (13.1miles) run course along the banks of the Cher River, and through the Honoré de Balzac park, a man made island, accessible only by a bridge.
The race, which currently operates as ‘Tours’nman’, has been ran by the Indre et Loire Departmental Triathlon committee for the last 5 years. The committee will remain instrumental in the organisation and success of the 2025 edition.
Thibault Vellard, Managing Director, IRONMAN France commented: “We are really excited to add the IRONMAN 70.3 Tours Métropole - Loire Valley to our IRONMAN triathlon family, completing our French IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 calendar for 2025. The Loire Valley aptly named ‘The Garden of France’, is an exceptional location for a race which combines culture and nature thanks to its rich history and abundance of green spaces. With a local airport and close transport links to Paris, we expect this race to be very popular with locals, and those travelling from oversees who are keen to lap up some of the culture and of course, the exceptional French cuisine and wine.”
The IRONMAN 70.3 Tours Métropole - Loire Valley triathlon adds to an already robust 2025 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 calendar in France including the following:
Registration will open for the IRONMAN 70.3 Tours Métropole - Loire Valley triathlon will open on 24 July at www.ironman.com/im703-tours.
For more information on the IRONMAN® brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.