Today, IRONMAN has announced that IRONMAN ® 70.3® St. Pölten triathlon will be returning to the European race calendar in 2027.
IRONMAN 70.3 St. Pölten triathlon was the first IRONMAN 70.3 event to be hosted in Austria and ran for 13 successful editions from 2007 to 2019. During the event’s time on the European calendar thousands of athletes enjoyed racing in the beautiful surrounds of St. Pölten with the event becoming a standout early season fixture not only on the Austrian triathlon calendar but for the wider European circuit with the event also forming the natural progression pathway for Austrian athletes toward the IRONMAN Kärnten-Klagenfurt, Austria triathlon. The event has since been operated under the Challenge Family banner, returning to the IRONMAN brand for 2027.
IRONMAN has a long-established history in Austria hosting the iconic IRONMAN Kärnten-Klagenfurt, Austria, the second-longest running IRONMAN event in Europe having been in operation for over 26 years, and IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun which also became the first destination outside of North America to host the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2015.
Having operated triathlon races in the city for nearly 20 years, the organisation has deep-rooted knowledge of the local triathlon community and will be working closely with key members of the current organising team to ensure the local connection is maintained while delivering the world-class standards and race experience that athletes have become accustomed to from the IRONMAN brand.
Managing Director for IRONMAN Europe, Middle East and Africa, Thomas Veje Olsen said: “Austria has been one of the anchor regions for IRONMAN in Europe and it has been a long-time ambition to give our Austrian triathlon community more opportunity to race with us. We are therefore excited to return to St. Pölten, a region that is a big part of our history and one that has remained close to our hearts. We look forward to working closely with the passionate local triathlon community once again and to deliver a fantastic race experience while showcasing the city of St. Pölten as a global triathlon destination.”
“Another decisive factor in the return to St. Pölten was the willingness of the city of St. Pölten and the sports region of Lower Austria to provide IRONMAN with the best possible support, as in the past, in order to build on the successes of previous years. St. Pölten also has a great team of volunteers with years of experience and know-how.”
Mayor of St. Pölten, Matthias Stadler said: “The city of St. Pölten has a rich history of triathlon with athletes from all over Austria and Europe choosing to race here including some of Europe’s best professional athletes over the years. We look forward to welcoming IRONMAN back to our beautiful city and continuing building the city’s strong triathlon heritage.”
Regional Councillor for Sports and Deputy Governor of the state of Niederösterreich, Udo Landbauer said: “We are proud to have such a strong sporting tradition and have no doubt that this will continue going from strength to strength together with IRONMAN from 2027 onwards.We look forward to welcoming athletes from around the Austria and Europe and are eager for them to discover the beauty of our region as they discover Niederösterreich through the race.”
Demand for IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 racing in Europe is currently at an all-time high with 23 IRONMAN 70.3 events and 11 IRONMAN events across the continent, including both IRONMAN Kärnten-Klagenfurt, Austria and IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun, already sold out for 2026. The return of IRONMAN 70.3 St. Pölten will afford athletes another opportunity to enjoy racing in a world class sporting destination.
More information on registration openings and race dates will be announced in 2026.
To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series events, please visit www.ironman.com.