IRONMAN is pleased to confirm that two new races will be added to the IRONMAN® and IRONMAN® 70.3® European racing calendar, with the addition of IRONMAN 70.3 Vitoria-Gasteiz triathlon in Spain, and the return of the full-distance IRONMAN Vichy triathlon in France.
The 2026 season is already off to a strong start, with Qatar Airways IRONMAN Copenhagen and IRONMAN 70.3 Elsinore triathlons selling out faster than ever before. The former reached capacity just 46 hours after general registration opened – the fastest sell-out in the event’s history and the first IRONMAN triathlon for the 2026 season to sell-out – while IRONMAN 70.3 Elsinore followed just days later.
The Danish races join IRONMAN 70.3 Les Sables d’Olonne-Vendée triathlon, which sold out in a record six days, with the likes of IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia, Zafiro IRONMAN 70.3 Alcudia-Mallorca, IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-en-Provence and IRONMAN 70.3 Nice triathlons already above or close to 80% full. The IRONMAN Hamburg European Championship is expected to be the next IRONMAN triathlon to sell out this week, with fewer than 100 slots remaining.
The addition of IRONMAN 70.3 Vitoria-Gasteiz triathlon in Spain and return of IRONMAN Vichy triathlon in France will meet this growing demand for European races and give athletes even more opportunities to find their start line throughout the year.
IRONMAN 70.3 Vitoria-Gasteiz Triathlon – 12 July 2026
IRONMAN 70.3 Vitoria-Gasteiz triathlon will take place on the same day as the fan-favourite full-distance IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz on 12 July 2026.
Vitoria-Gasteiz, situated in northern Spain, has a long-standing history and passion for triathlon, and has so far welcomed six successful editions of IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz triathlon since launching back in 2019. This year’s race welcomed almost 2,000 athletes to the capital of the beautiful Basque country and has welcomed some of the biggest names in the sport including Kat Matthews (GBR) and Julie Deron (CHE) who took the wins in 2024 and 2025 respectively, as well as local names such as Eneko Llanos and Antonio Benito Lopez.
There has been a 43% increase YOY in first timers choosing to do an IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon, with Spain standing out as one of the most popular travel destinations, attracting nearly10,000 international athletes to its IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races this year.
The addition of IRONMAN 70.3 Vitoria-Gasteiz triathlon provides athletes with a perfect opportunity to race in Spain in the middle of the season; either as a first-timer looking for a new challenge, or as preparation for an IRONMAN triathlon later in the year, such as IRONMAN Calella-Barcelona.
Athletes will start their journey by completing the one-loop ROKA Swim Course in the beautiful?Ulibarri-Gamboa lake, located in the Landa Provincial Park outside Vitoria-Gasteiz. The rolling one and a half loop ZOOT Bike Course will then take athletes on a stunning 90-km (56-mile) journey through the region, with highlights including a short segment around the lake, a journey through some of the ?most scenic towns of the Álava region and even a section of the "Camino de Santiago" – a famous pilgrimage route. Transition 2 is situated right in the centre of Vitoria-Gasteiz, so athletes can enjoy the cheers from spectators as they rack their bike and begin on the 21.1-km (13.1-mile) flat and fast run around the city centre of Vitoria-Gasteiz. With a finish line located in Plaza España, this is city centre racing at its finest.
The IRONMAN 70.3 Valencia triathlon officially opens the Spanish racing calendar, with the third edition of the race due to take place on 19 April 2026. A few weeks later, Zafiro IRONMAN 70.3 Alcudia-Mallorca takes place on 9 May – Europe’s biggest IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon! IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz and the new IRONMAN 70.3 Vitoria-Gasteiz will follow two months later, and IRONMAN Calella-Barcelona will conclude the Spanish race season.
Provisional 2026 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon calendar in Spain:
IRONMAN Vichy Triathlon – 23 August 2026
The full-distance IRONMAN Vichy triathlon, last held in 2023, will return for the 2026 season. Taking place on the same day as the popular IRONMAN 70.3 Vichy triathlon, athletes and spectators alike can look forward to an unforgettable day of racing in the heart of central France.
With France overtaking Germany as the second largest triathlon market in Europe, the welcomed return of IRONMAN Vichy triathlon is set to meet the rising demand of French athletes. This year, around 14,500 French athletes registered to race an IRONMAN or an IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon race - a 25% increase on last year. The majority of these athletes (77%) are choosing to compete on home soil, marking the highest percentage ever.
Located in Auvergne, France about three hours south of Paris, Vichy is a mosaic of stunning architecture and breathtaking green spaces, with the mountainous region of Montagne Bourbonnaise on its doorstep. Known as the ‘Queen of Spa Towns’ due to its naturally occurring thermal springs and listed by UNESCO as one of the 11 “Great Spa Towns in Europe”, Vichy is the perfect place to unwind after your race with family or friends.
Vichy has been hosting IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 triathlons since 2015, and during that time has welcome nearly 30,000 athletes to the region. Last weekend, IRONMAN 70.3 Vichy triathlon celebrated its 10th anniversary with over 2,500 athletes racing in this sold-out edition.
Full details on the course will be revealed in the coming weeks, but athletes can look forward to a 3.8-km (2.4-mile) swim in the calm waters of the Lac d’Allier, a 180-km (112 mile) ZOOT Bike Course which will enable them to take in the very best of the surrounding countryside and a city centre run course adorned with spectators to finish.
The French IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 racing season starts with IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-en-Provence triathlon on 17 May, the perfect curtain opener. The IRONMAN Tours Métropole - Loire Valley triathlon will then take place a month later on 14 June. IRONMAN France and IRONMAN 70.3 Nice will then take place as usually scheduled at the end of June, with IRONMAN 70.3 Les Sables d’Olonne -Vendée triathlon scheduled for the week after on 5 July. IRONMAN Vichy and IRONMAN 70.3 Vichy triathlons will conclude the 2026 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon racing season in France.
Provisional 2026 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon calendar in France:?
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