How to watch the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Championship live

General view of the cycling leg through the Taupo Forest during the Taupo Ironman New Zealand on March 4, 2017 in Taupo, New Zealand — Credit: Delly Carr/Getty Images

The world’s best half-Ironman athletes have had a long wait to decide their world champions as the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Championship doesn’t take place until the weekend of the 14-15 December!

But if you’re still keen to keep up with all the pro action until the very end – and why wouldn’t you be?! – then here’s everything you need to know about the final big race of the year.

When is the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Champs?

This year’s Championship event, over the weekend of 14-15 December, sits at the end of an action-packed year of pro multisport racing that included an Olympic and Paralympic Games, the new T100 series, the World Triathlon Championship Series, the Ironman Pro Series, Supertri, Challenge, Xterra…

Where is the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Champs behind held?

Taupō, New Zealand, is the host for this year’s championship. Taupō was meant to host the event in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

The races will start from Lake Taupō Yacht Club.

Who won last year’s Ironman 70.3 World Champs?

In Lahti, Finland, the USA’s Taylor Knibb retained her title from 2022 while Rico Bogen topped an all-German podium.

Where has the Ironman 70.3 World Championship been held?

2006–2010 – Clearwater, Florida, USA

2011–2013 – Henderson, Nevada, USA

2014 – Mont-Tremblant, Canada

2015 – Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria

2016 – Mooloolaba, Australia

2017 – Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

2018 – Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa

2019 – Nice, France

2020 – Taupō, New Zealand – CANCELLED

2021–2022 St. George, Utah, USA

2023 – Lahti, Finland

2024 – Taupō, New Zealand

What’s the course for the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Champs?

The 1.9km swim course

The swim takes place in Lake Taupō, one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes. It’s a beach start and a single loop that takes swimmers northwest towards the Yacht Club in a clockwise direction. Athletes exit and cross Lake Terrace and make their way to the transition zone on Kaimanawa Reserve. 

The 90km bike course

Departing from Taupō, the 90km bike course rides through stunning New Zealand countryside, tracing the Waikato river away from Lake Taupō.

Rolling hills will give way to longer stretches of quiet country road and a mix of wide-open countryside and forestry will stretch out in all directions.

Finishing with a descent back into town, the great lake comes into view with the mighty mountains, welcoming triathletes back into Taupō and onto the run.

The 21.1km run course

The 21.1km run course is one of the most picturesque on the Ironman circuit, with a combination of lake and mountain views.

Following the lakefront path around the many bays of Lake Taupō, the course is a mixture of rolling hills, most that are only a few hundred metres long, to mix up the paved journey.

While the far end of the run course is pure unspoilt serenity, the Taupō township ensures athletes are greeted by thousands of spectators and supporters and a finish line in the heart of town. 

Which elites are racing the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Champs?

We know who’s qualified for this year’s champs, not least the two defending champions, Taylor Knibb and Rico Bogen who will be looking to repeat their victories.

With mere days (hours?) to go until the athletes take to the start line, our writer Tim Heming has put together this guide to the ones to watch at this year’s race.

Save to say it will be a field packed with talent. Taylor Knibb will have company from Australian Ashleigh Gentle, Switzerland’s Julie Derron and Imogen Simmonds and GB’s Kat Matthews.

In the men’s race, Bogen will be trying to leave space between him and one of the race’s current big names, Hayden Wilde. They could also be facing a challenge from Paris Olympic medallist Leo Bergere, Belgium’s Jelle Geens among others. Brits lining up including Harry Palmer, Tom Davis and Tom Bishop.

How much can athletes win at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship?

**When does the 2024 Ironman 70.3 Championship start*?**

*All times below are local, NZDT, which is 13hrs ahead of the UK.

Saturday 14 December

7am: Elite women start (6pm on Friday 13 December)

7:02am: Physically challenged, intellectual disability and handcycle women

7:10am: Age-group women – first wave

Sunday 15 December

7:00am: Elite men start (6pm on Saturday 14 December)

7:02am: Physically challenged, intellectual disability and handcycle men

7:10am: Age-group men – first wave

How to watch the Ironman 70.3 World Championship

The Ironman 70.3 World Championship will be streamed live on Outside TV with updates available on the Ironman YouTube Channel and Facebook Live.

You can also follow all the action on the Ironman Athlete Tracker App.

About

220 deputy editor Liz Barrett started work on the magazine in 2007 as staff writer. Since then, she’s reported live from almost every major triathlon across the globe, including the Ironman World Championships, 70.3 Worlds, six ITU Worlds, Challenge Roth, the 2014 and 2022 Commonwealths, the London and Paris Olympics and the Rio Paralympics, to name but a few. Name a pro and chances are she’ll have interviewed them, so, unsurprisingly, she’s our go-to pro-athlete expert on the team. When not covering races, you’ll find her whipping words into finely-crafted shape for both the magazine and website.