About Marbella Ironman
After six years of hosting a 70.3 race, including 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, Marbella won’t be holding the IRONMAN race in 2026. The event has moved Malaga. IRONMAN didn’t provide any details on why the race is moving. Actually Marbella town hall decided to stop organising Ironman 70.3. The event was brought to Marbella by the previous mayor José Bernal, who signed a three-year contract in 2017 for the 2018, 2019, and 2020 which was postponed to 2021. After this the mayor Ángeles Muñoz, expressed her doubts about the event but decided to go ahead with four more editions (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) at a cost of €102,850 each. And in 2025, it was decided to hold the Ironman 70.3 World Championship for a €484,000 payment.
When the 2025 race, expected to draw 7.000 compeditors to Marbella and have a global audience of over 10 million through, was officially presented by Marbella’s mayor, Ángeles Muñoz expressed its huge impact on tourism, the local economy, and the city’s global visibility as a showcase for Marbella’s infrastructure and organisational prowess. Francisco Salado, president of the Malaga provincial council estimated an economic benefit exceeded €60 million.
The Spanish IRONMAN remains at six events in 2026 with stops in Calella, Barcelona; Valencia; Acludia, Mallorca; Vitoria-Gasteiz; and Lanzarote.
The Malaga inaugural event is scheduled for October 18, 2026 and will close the season. Malaga's Mayor, Francisco de la Torre said, "The IRONMAN 70.3 event will help energise key sectors such as hospitality, retail, and services, while at the same time strengthening our image as a modern, open city committed to elite sport and high-quality tourism.” The race features a sheltered 1.9km swim in the Málaga Port, followed by a single transition area located at Paseo del Parque. The 90km bike course is a one-loop out-and-back route along the coastline, which organisers expect to be the fastest bike course among Spanish IRONMAN 70.3 events. The final leg is a 21.1km flat run along the Malagueta beach promenade, finishing on the city’s Calle Larios.
The inaugural Marbella Ironman 70.3 took place on Sunday 28th April 2018. The race took place every year from 2018 to 2026 except 2020. The race always took place on a Sunday in Spring or Autumn but the date varies. The penultimate edition took place on the 27th October 2024.
The race consists of a 1.900m swim at the Levante (eastern) beach of Puerto Banus, a first transition on the Avenida de Naciones Unidas, Puerto Banus. A 90 km cycle up the Puerto de Ojen, continue on to pass Monda, pass Coin, reach Cartama and return same route to Puerto Banus for the second transition. The 21km run is twice out and twice return along the Marbella seafront promenade from Puerto Banus to Trocadero (Rio Real).
The 70.3 is the Ironman brand for a half the distance of the full ironman race and is 70.3 miles or 113 km. There are about 40 full Ironman races a year and 100 (half) Ironman 70.3 races a year all around the world.
Marbella Ironman 2025
Ironman 70.3 Triathlon World Championship 2025, Marbella - 8th and 9th November 2025
The IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship was the pinnacle event for the 70.3 distance, where all the qualified athletes from around the globe came together to compete for the world title. It's held in a different, rotating location each year. Lahti in Finland hosted the 2023 event, and Taupo in New Zealand hosted 2024 edition. In 2026 it will return to Nice, France.
Marbella was the fourth European city and the first Spanish city to host the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, after Zell am See-Kaprun (Austria) in 2015, Nice (France) in 2019 and Lahti (Finland) in 2023.
The race continued in the two-day format first adopted in 2017, with professional and age-group women racing on Saturday 8 November, and professional and age-group men on Sunday 9 November. Over 6,000 athletes participated over the two days.
Belgian triathlete Jelle Geens successfully defended his Ironman 70.3 world title in Marbella in 2025, crossing the line in 3:42:52 after a tense three-second victory over Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt. Casper Stornes, also from Norway, was third with a time of 3:43:52.
Lucy Charles-Barclay’s won in the women’s event on Saturday. The Briton claimed her second Ironman 70.3 world title after a battle with American Taylor Knibb. Charles-Barclay finished in 4:13:54, three minutes ahead of Knibb, while Germany’s Tanja Neubert was in third place.
Marbella Ironman 2024
The Ironman 70.3 Marbella took place on Sunday 27th October 2024. More info >
Trypical timtable 07:50 hrs Start of Swim ironman 70.3 Marbella, just after sunrise. 08:15 hrs First transition. Swim to cycle (1st athlete) 10:50 hrs Second transition. Arrival of cycle and departure on foot. (1st athetete) 12:05 hrs. Arrival of male winner at the finish line. 12:25 hrs Arrival of female winner at the finish line. 16:40 hrs Arrival of last athlete. 18:00 hrs Prize giving Ceremony.
Marbella Ironman 2023
The Ironman 70.3 Marbella took place on 7 May 2023. Winner was Nicholas Mann or Germany in 3 hrs 56 min 25 sec. 1,239 athletes took part.
Marbella Ironman 2022
Official Ironman 70.3 Marbella after race video.
The Ironman 70.3 Marbella took place on 29 May 2022. Winner was Christophe De Keyser of Belgium in 3 hrs 58 min 56 sec. 1,312 athletes took part.
Marbella Ironman 2021
The Ironman 70.3 Marbella took place on 19 September 2021. The winner was Patrick Cometta in over four hours at 4:22:22. 521 athletes took part.
Marbella Ironman 2020
The Ironman 70.3 Marbella did not take place in 2020.
Marbella Ironman 2019
In the second Ironman Marbella took place on Sunday 27th April 2019. The winner was Andreas Dreitz (Germany) in just under four hours at 3:56:48, second was Alistair Brownlee (Great Britain) in 4:01:00, third Domenico Passuello (Italy) in 4:03:40. 2.047 competitors finished in under 8 hrs. 1,843 athletes took part.
Marbella Ironman 2018
In the inaugural Ironman Marbella took place on Sunday 28th April 2018. The winner was David Mcnamee (Great Britain) in just under four hours at 3:57:46, second Chris Leiferman (USA) in 3:57:46, third Andreas Dreitz (Germany) in 3:58:41. 2.281 competitors finished in under 8 hrs. 2,351 athletes took part.
FULL IRONMAN DISTANCE
Iberman Larga Distancia, Huelva & Portugal - Only full Ironman distance (3.8km swim, 180km cycle, 42km run ) race in Andalucia. The international race starts with a swim in the sea at Ayamonte, cycle inland and into the Guadiana river valley crossing over into Portugal at the second bridge after Granado at Pomarao and returning to Villa Real on the coast for the transition T2. The running section crosses the impressive international suspension bridge of the A-22 / A-49 motorway back in to Huelva, Spain and the finish line is on the Paseo de España in Ayamonte. 19th October 2019.
Iberman larga Distancia Video