IRONMAN World Championship Nice France Pro Preview

An elite field of the world’s best professional female triathletes, including three former IRONMAN^® World Champions, are preparing to compete in Nice, France for the women’s edition of the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship^® triathlon. On Sunday 22 September, professional and age-group women will race an IRONMAN World Championship event in Europe for the first time in history.
 
“This year’s women’s professional race promises to be as competitive as ever, with Nice offering a breathtakingly beautiful and challenging course that will test our athletes to the fullest – their strength and endurance, their mental fortitude, and ultimately their will to win,” said Scott DeRue, CEO of The IRONMAN Group. “We will all be on the edge of our seat watching how these extraordinary women race to the finish, and I wish all those competing the very best of luck.”
 
The most iconic endurance event in the world will bring together over 50 of the world’s top professional female triathletes to compete for the coveted title of IRONMAN World Champion, 6,000 IRONMAN Pro Series™ points, as well as a piece of the $375,000 professional prize purse, with the winner taking home $125,000. Live race day coverage of the women’s 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon will be broadcast for free across multiple platforms for global viewers including proseries.ironman.com, Outside TV in the U.S. and Canada, DAZN, L’Équipe in France, and YouTube, among others. 
 
The inaugural IRONMAN Pro Series adds another layer of excitement and competition to the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship this year, as 17 of the top 20 professional athletes in the standings will be battling it out for series points and end of year bonus prize money.
 
The Women’s VinFast IRONMAN World Championship race in Nice offers a maximum of 6,000 points to the winner, 1,000 more points than the other full-distance IRONMAN triathlons in the series. With only 4,516 points separating current Pro Series leader, Jackie Hering from 10th place in the standings, Fenella Langridge, this points premium means that athletes have everything to race for, as we can expect to see the biggest shake up of the Series yet.
 
Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) will wear the number one bib as the reigning IRONMAN World Champion. Her 2023 victory was momentous as Charles-Barclay became the first woman in 45+ year IRONMAN World Championship history to lead from cannon to tape on her way to setting a new women’s course best time in Kona. In preparation to chase back-to-back IRONMAN World Championship titles, Charles-Barclay raced – and won – the 2024 IRONMAN France triathlon, held in Nice, boding well for her title defence.
 
Joining Charles-Barclay on the start line are two German athletes who completed last year’s VinFast IRONMAN World Championship podium. Anne Haug (DEU) already has one IRONMAN World Championship title to her name, earned in 2019, and last year set a new women’s run course best on her way to second place. Meanwhile, compatriot Laura Philipp (DEU) has never finished lower than fourth in her three previous IRONMAN World Championship attempts, with last year’s third place her best result.
 
Chelsea Sodaro (USA) is another IRONMAN World Champion toeing the start line in Nice. Sodaro followed up her impressive 2022 victory with a sixth-place finish at last year’s IRONMAN World Championship race. After a great start to the season which saw the American claim victories at the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Tasmania and ANZCO IRONMAN New Zealand triathlons, Sodaro will be hoping to land another big result on the global stage.  
 
In pursuit of a maiden IRONMAN World Championship crown and the inaugural IRONMAN Pro Series title is Kat Matthews (GBR). The 2024 IRONMAN North American Champion is one for the big occasion, previously landing runner up positions in both the 2021 IRONMAN World Championship and 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship races. Matthews will be looking to put last year’s DNF in Kona behind her as she targets victory in Nice – a result that would also improve her position in the IRONMAN Pro Series standings, where she currently sits fifth.
 
Others to watch at this year’s event include 2024 IRONMAN European Champion and current IRONMAN Pro Series leader Jackie Hering (USA), along with Danielle Lewis (USA), Maja Stage Nielsen (DEN), and Els Visser (NLD), who sit in second, third and fourth respectively in the IRONMAN Pro Series standings, among a host of others.
 
Hoping for a local advantage will be three French athletes in Marjolaine Pierré, Julie Iemmolo, and Jeanne Collonge.
 
As a nod to the immense triathlon history that exists in the European birthplace of long-distance triathlon that is Nice, France, the race will be centred around the “Promenade des Anglais”, Nice’s most famous walkway – and an iconic location which has seen some of triathlon’s elite race to victory, including eight-time IRONMAN World Champion Paula Newby-Fraser who also had four victories at the Triathlon International de Nice.
 
Beginning with the Mediterranean Sea swim, athletes will enter the water from the Promenade des Anglais and follow a double rectangular out and back course in the water, before embarking on one of the most iconic bike courses in all of the triathlon world. Technical and challenging but rewarding in its beauty, athletes will take in the rooftop villages of Vence, Gourdon and Tourettes-sur-Loup on the ascent, before they cruise down the “Route de Thorenc” and through the “Clues de Gréolières” on the descent, famous for its stunning feature film backdrop scenery.
 
The flat four lap run course will take runners up and down the glitzy Promenade des Anglais, giving them the opportunity to soak up the Mediterranean Sea and infamous Chaises Bleues (blue chairs) on one side, and the luxury hotels and casinos on the other, while gaining encouragement by the crowds gathered at multiple spectator friendly points.

Further details of the course can be found here.
 
A full list of professional women’s field listed below*:
 

 
*Subject to change
 
“A Fighting Chance” 
Follow the @ironmantri social channels for a behind the scenes view of what it takes to have a chance at world-title glory. The ‘A Fighting Chance’ IRONMAN series will drop two new pre-race episodes on September 17 and September 20, giving audiences a glimpse of what it takes to prepare for race day, as well as the staging behind such an iconic event. Find live race-day coverage of the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon in Nice and in Kona globally via proseries.ironman.com.   
 
To submit an interest in receiving media credentials, fill in the World Championship Credentials Request form.
 
For more information about the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship women’s race in Nice, France please visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship-2024. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit?www.ironman.com.