In 2023, the World Ironman Triathlon Championship will once again be held in Hamburg as part of the World Ironman Triathlon Short Distance and Relay Championships. This includes the World Ironman Triathlon Series aimed at elite athletes, as well as the Youth World Championship, Age Group Short Distance World Championship, and Elite Mixed Relay World Championship, covering different categories of elite, youth/U23, and age group athletes. Approximately 4,000 participants from around the world, including competitors and officials, are expected to take part in the event.
The short-distance and relay championships of Ironman Triathlon will take place in Hamburg from July 13th to 16th, 2023. This schedule has been agreed upon by the World Triathlon Federation, the German Triathlon Union (DTU), and the city of Hamburg. Hamburg has been named the host of the event and previously hosted the only race of the 2020 World Triathlon Series, where Vincent Luis from France and Georgia Taylor-Brown from the United Kingdom won the men’s and women’s championships.
The Hamburg World Ironman Triathlon has been an integral part of the city’s summer sports activities since its inception in 2002. With approximately 10,000 participants and over 250,000 spectators each year, it has become one of the world’s largest Ironman triathlon events.
In 2007, Hamburg hosted the first-ever Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Germany. From 2013 to 2019, it also hosted the annual Mixed Relay World Championship as part of the World Triathlon Series.
At the 2023 World Ironman Triathlon Short Distance and Relay Championships, a total of nine competitions will determine the recipients of the prestigious medals. Alongside the elite individual and mixed relay races, young athletes and age group participants will fiercely compete for the coveted World Championship medals in both individual and relay events.
The race will start at Hamburg’s Jungfernstieg, where participants will swim across the Alster Lake. They will then cycle along the Elbe River, passing through famous landmarks of Hamburg such as the Speicherstadt, Landungsbrücken, Reeperbahn, Fischmarkt, and Elbphilharmonie. The final leg of the race will take participants along the western bank of the Alster River, offering breathtaking views of Hamburg’s architecture and concluding at the magnificent Hamburg City Hall.
The event will offer two levels of competition: the short distance (0.5 km swim/20 km bike/5 km run) and the Olympic distance (1.5 km swim/40 km bike/10 km run), catering to participants of different levels and experiences. Additionally, there will be relay races for teams interested in participating or for those who are fans of triathlon.
The young athletes and age group participants will showcase their skills in the individual short distance race, which consists of a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride, and a 5-kilometer run. On the other hand, elite athletes will face a new and exciting elimination format. To secure a spot in the final race of the super sprint distance, which includes a 300-meter swim, a 7-kilometer bike ride, and a 1.5-kilometer run, athletes must prove their mettle in intense semifinal and repechage rounds.