Ironman has unveiled its highly anticipated 2026 professional race calendar – and it’s packed with action. The schedule features 53 events worldwide, including 16 Pro Series races that will build toward two epic season finales: the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice on September 12th and 13th, and the Ironman World Championship in Kona on October 10th.
Kona will mark the return of the Ironman World Championship to a single-day format, with the men and women racing together. The event will crown not only the Ironman World Champions, but also the Pro Series Champions.
Altogether, the 2026 calendar will offer over $6 million USD in prize and bonus money, reflecting Ironman’s continued investment in the professional side of the sport.
2026 Pro Series Events
The 2026 Ironman Pro Series kicks off in March with a trio of early-season tests: Ironman New Zealand (March 7), Ironman 70.3 Geelong (March 22), and Ironman 70.3 Oceanside (March 28). From there, the action heads to North America for the Ironman Texas North American Championship (April 18), followed by a spring showdown at Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence (May 17).
June brings a packed slate of racing, beginning with the Ironman Hamburg Women’s European Championship (June 7), where Laura Philipp made history this year setting a new Ironman world record. The month continues with the Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship (June 14), Ironman 70.3 Elsinore (June 21), and the Ironman Frankfurt Men’s European Championship (June 28).
The momentum carries into July with Ironman 70.3 Swansea (July 12), Ironman Lake Placid (July 19), and Ironman 70.3 Boise (July 25). The regular season will wrap up in August with Ironman Kalmar (August 15) and Ironman 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun (August 30).
For these regular-season races, winners earn 5,000 points for full-distance events and 2,500 points for 70.3 events, with subsequent points awarded based on time gaps, true to the Pro Series motto: “Every Second Matters.” Athletes’ five best results count toward their overall total, with up to three full-distance Ironman races included.
The season will culminate with the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice and the Ironman World Championship in Kona, where elevated points – 3,000 and 6,000 respectively – are on the line and the 2026 Pro Series champions will be decided.
The top male and female athletes in the Pro Series will each earn $200,000 USD, with the top 50 overall sharing a bonus pool of $1.7 million USD. Combined with individual race purses, this brings the total professional prize money for 2026 to more than $6 million USD.
What the 2026 Season Represents
The 2026 season marks a notable increase in overall prize money compared to 2025, underscoring Ironman’s commitment to professional racing.
It also introduces five new race locations to the Pro Series lineup – New Zealand, Kalmar, Pennsylvania, Boise, and Elsinore – expanding the series’ global footprint and offering athletes more strategic opportunities to earn points.
As CEO Scott DeRue explained, “[The coming] year’s calendar is designed to maintain a compelling narrative from March through October, offering athletes a wide range of strategic options – whether they prefer to start strong early in the season, pace themselves throughout the year, or race closer to home.”
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