History Making Day In At The VinFast IRONMAN World Championship As The Event Takes Place Outside Of The United States For The First Time

September 11, 2023

– The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship hosted a men’s-only field in Nice

– France’s Sam Laidlow becomes the first athlete from France to win the IRONMAN World Championship; Laidlow is the youngest athlete to win the pinnacle event

NICE, France (Sep. 11, 2023)/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – For the first time in IRONMAN’s 40+ year history, Nice, France became the first location outside of the United States to host the VinFast IRONMAN^® World Championship triathlon as the men’s field took on the Côte d’Azur. This year’s men’s edition contained historical and legendary moments from the professional podium to the day’s final age group finisher. Below are some of the significant moments at this year’s event. Replay coverage of racing at the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon in Nice is available globally on IRONMAN Now. The women’s edition is set for the historical location of Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i on October 14.

• In his third IRONMAN World Championship, Sam Laidlow improved upon his second-place finish in 2022 by topping the podium with a time of 8:06:22. At just 24 years old, Laidlow is the youngest ever winner of an IRONMAN World Championship and first ever winner, male or female, from France, continuing a 10-year streak of European champions.
• Tim Bradley, 62, from Merrick N.Y. and Donald Brooks, 46, from Devon, U.K. made the most of the World Championship season by winning their respective age-groups at both the VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland on August 27, and just a couple weeks later, the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France on September 10.
• In the men’s professional field, Matthew Marquardt (USA), in his first IRONMAN World Championship as a professional, began the day with the fastest swim split in a time of 47:46.
  • The IRONMAN World Championship best swim split in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i was set by Jan Sibbersen in 2018 with a time of 46:29.
• In the men’s professional field, Laidlow, in addition to the win, recorded the day’s fastest bike split with a time of 4:31:28.
  • The IRONMAN World Championship best bike split in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i was also set by Sam Laidlow in 2022 with a time of 4:04:36.
• In the men’s professional field, Patrick Lange produced the day’s fastest run split, setting an IRONMAN World Championship best run time of 2:32:41.
  • The IRONMAN World Championship best run split in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i was set by Gustav Iden in 2022 with a time of 2:36:15.
• Frenchmen Sam Laidlow, Leon Chevalier, Arthur Horseau, and Clement Mignon secured 1st, 5th, 6th, and 10th places for professional men on home soil, making the nation of France the most represented in the top 10.
• Nicholas Catullo (USA) was the youngest competitor at 18 years old, finishing in a time of 14:46:33. Bob Knucky (CAN) at 75 years young was the oldest competitor to finish the event in a time of 14:57:40.
• Arguably one of the best triathletes of all-time, Jan Frodeno (DEU) completed his final IRONMAN World Championship as a professional triathlete at the age of 42, coming in 24th place.
  • While it wasn’t the day he hoped for, his storied career includes three IRONMAN World Championship crowns, two IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship victories in addition to three IRONMAN wins, and 12 IRONMAN 70.3 titles.
    • His fastest swim split was in
• Nice, France is the first ever location outside of the United States to host the IRONMAN World Championship connecting to the rich triathlon history in Nice that began in 1982 with the Triathlon International de Nice. It is the fourth location since the race began in 1978 with the first location being on the island of Oahu in Hawai`i before shifting to Kailua-Kona on the Island of Hawai`i, and a stop in St. George, Utah.

For more information about the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France, please visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship-nice. For more information on the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About the IRONMAN World Championship

Since its inception in 1978 on the Island of O`ahu, the IRONMAN World Championship has etched its name in history through stellar performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories. In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikīkī to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Island of Hawai`i. The most iconic one-day sporting event in the world is the culmination of 40 global IRONMAN events with over 94,000 athletes around the world striving for one of the coveted qualifying slots. The 2021 edition of the event took place in St. George, Utah in May 2022, becoming the first location to host the event outside of Hawai`i since its origins in 1978. After a two-year hiatus from Hawai`i due to COVID, the race returned to Kailua-Kona and for the first time took place as a two-day event in October. The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship will see the event take place in two different host locations and dates to allow for a dedicated world championship race for women and dedicated world championship race for men. With independent days of racing, the cumulative IRONMAN World Championship will host approximately 5,000 athletes as they embark on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN World Champion. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events including Haute Route^®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.