Ironman announces new full-distance event in UK
Here's some big news for triathletes in the UK, as Ironman announced a new full-distance event in Britain
In 2023 Ironman announced it was axing the full-distance Ironman UK event in Bolton from 2024 onward. The news left the UK with Ironman Wales as its only full-distance M-dot event, much to the dismay of British triathletes.
But today there’s been some welcome news, as Ironman has announced a new date to the calendar. In 2025 we’ll see the first-ever Ironman Leeds event.
The news means that the north of England will once again host an Ironman-branded full-distance triathlon, giving triathletes the chance to complete the 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run and become an Ironman.
Ironman Leeds will take place on Sunday 27 July 2025 and general registration is open from Thursday 26 September.
Triathlon returns to its British home
Leeds has been synonymous with triathlon for years, with the biggest connection being the fact that Olympic gold medallists Jonny and Alistair Brownlee are both from the city in Yorkshire.
The city’s streets also played host to a yearly World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) race between 2009 and 2023 (apart from 2012, an Olympic year, and 2020, due to the pandemic), which paraded the Brownlee’s success in front of a British audience.
The WTCS event was popular with spectators and competitors alike, so the triathlon community was understandably sad to see the event discontinued after 2023.
Considering this, it’s fair to assume the choice of location for this new Ironman event will be popular among many.
One thing that may leave a sour taste in some mouths, however, is the date, given the fact that Outlaw’s full-distance event in Nottingham will take place over the same weekend.
With a limited number of full-distance triathlons to choose from in the UK, the clash means a missed opportunity for athletes hoping to compete in multiple British events of this distance.
Ironman’s UK schedule
Ironman Leeds will join a string of five Ironman-branded events in the UK in 2025. The schedule in full is:
- 8 June: Ironman 70.3 Bolton
- 13 July: Ironman 70.3 Swansea
- 27 July: Ironman Leeds
- Date TBC: Ironman 70.3 Weymouth
- 21 September: Ironman Wales
Rob Slade
