IRONMAN Pro Series 70.3 Aix en Provence FRA Start List

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):
 

For more information on the 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series visit here. 
 
For more information on the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Aix-en-Provence triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/races/im703-world-championship-2026. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com.