The announcement was made yesterday during a conference at Villa Masséna.
The event will take place on Saturday, September 7, and Sunday, September 8, 2019, and it will be the first time an IRONMAN World Championship will be held in France.
Moreover, IRONMAN 70.3 in Nice will be held on September 16, 2018, becoming a World Championship in 2019, and then returning as a qualifying race from 2020 onwards in the European IRONMAN 70.3 circuit.
More than 5,000 athletes are expected for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, coming from 100 qualifying races in countries such as Austria, Australia, China, Germany, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, and the Americas.
“Since the popular origins of triathlon in Nice, this is the next evolution of this extraordinary event which will highlight the return to Europe in a historic region, rich in sports culture and offering a perfect blend for our athletes.”
This strong event policy is an essential asset for the development of economic activity. Every year, IRONMAN generates €4 million in economic benefits, and I am convinced that this new event will once again strengthen our attractiveness and boost our local economy,” added Christian Estrosi, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region and President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Area.
The city of Nice had to pay €600,000 to obtain this competition, plus €200,000 for each of the test events in 2018 and 2020.
“Since I raced as a professional athlete in 1989 at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, it has been a dream for me to bring a World Championship to the City of Nice and the Region. The dream is coming true,” said Yves Cordier, General Manager of IRONMAN France.
Before the 2019 edition, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will take place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2017 and then at Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa on September 1 and 2, 2018.
