Ironman has formally launched a comprehensive, multi-phase draft zone testing initiative in coordination with RaceRanger and aerodynamic expert Marc Graveline, marking the most substantive examination to date of how draft zone distances influence professional racing dynamics.
The testing is currently underway in Tucson, Arizona, where a group of elite professional men – including Lionel Sanders, Sam Long, Marc Dubrick, Ben Hoffman, and Søren Jensen – are riding at race-pace speeds on fully instrumented bikes. Each setup is equipped with RaceRanger distance sensors, allowing researchers to precisely measure spacing, aerodynamic effects, and rider interactions across different draft zone configurations.
The test protocol includes draft zone distances of 12m, 16m, and 20m. The objective is to assess how each distance impacts aerodynamic benefit, overtaking dynamics, and overall course density in Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events.
Challenge and T100 Have Already Adopted 20m
Challenge Family and T100 events were early adopters of the 20m draft zone for professional athletes. In these races, the draft zone is defined as a rectangle 3m wide and 20m long, measured from the leading edge of the front wheel of the front bike to the front wheel of the following bike.
Challenge Family first introduced the 20m draft zone for professionals at Challenge Bahrain in 2016. After winning The Championship in Samorin in 2017, Lionel Sanders publicly credited the wider draft zone with improving race quality and called for broader adoption across the sport: “This year’s race was phenomenal, and I think the introduction of the 20m no-draft rule certainly contributed to this. More races worldwide should implement this as a standard.”
The 20m draft zone used in T100 racing also helps distinguish athletes who excel over longer non-drafting formats from those who thrive in draft-legal short-course racing (soon to become the T50), creating races where distinct physiological and tactical strengths are more clearly rewarded.
Growing Calls for Change in Ironman Racing
Ironman currently operates with a 12m draft zone, but many professional athletes have expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of this changing in the future.
Following the 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Finland, athletes including Laura Philipp, Frederic Funk, and Rico Bogen publicly called for Ironman to introduce a 20m draft zone. In her post-race YouTube video, Philipp noted: “Even if you stick to 12m you can have improvements of 20 to 30 watts less, and of course you can maybe imagine that this over 90km makes a big difference.”
Similarly, Jackson Laundry raised concerns about group dynamics in an Instagram post: “I am really hoping that Ironman will finally adopt the 20m draft zone for pros for the 2026 season… I think it’s kind of lame that group dynamics affect these races so much.”
How Ironman Has Responded
Ironman’s current testing marks a meaningful step forward, and a clear commitment to re-evaluating the fairest path for non-drafting professional racing.
As outlined in Ironman’s press release: “Efforts will be made throughout the phased approach to test theories and simulations using real-world conditions and professional athletes, with an end result that demonstrates to what degree there is meaningful impact between different draft zone distances and how they affect race dynamics, including course density within Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events.”
Ironman also confirmed that additional in-event testing is planned for early 2026 to further validate findings under real race conditions, noting that the organization will continue to invest in best-in-class technology and collaborate with leading experts as the study progresses.
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