Florida’s First Coast Welcomes a Full-Distance IRONMAN Triathlon; IRONMAN Jacksonville Set to Debut in 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. / TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 4, 2025) – IRONMAN, the global leader in long-distance triathlon, announced today the addition of a new full-distance IRONMAN® triathlon in northeastern Florida to the global circuit. The inaugural edition of the IRONMAN Jacksonville triathlon is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, with a swim, bike, and run course that will take athletes through downtown Jacksonville passing into Duval and Nassau Counties.

Located in northeastern Florida, Jacksonville offers a unique blend of warm Florida weather and welcoming southern culture that makes it the perfect venue for a new early season IRONMAN event in North America. General registration for the new event opens on Sept. 22, 2025, at www.ironman.com/races/im-jacksonville.

“Jacksonville’s southern charm, welcoming community, and beautiful weather offer the perfect location to bring a new IRONMAN event early in the year,” said Todd Fitzgerald, Regional Director for IRONMAN. “As one of the largest cities by land area in the contiguous United States, Jacksonville offers the ideal space to host an event this size. Its urban feel and miles of beautiful roads will provide athletes another unique racing experience in the Sunshine State. We’re proud to partner with Visit Jacksonville to bring this new race experience to life and look forward to welcoming athletes to discover everything that makes Jacksonville such an amazing race destination.”

“Securing an IRONMAN race, and the internationally recognized IRONMAN brand, for Jacksonville represents a significant milestone for our city,” said Michael Corrigan, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville. “Hosting these elite athletes is a true testament to Jacksonville’s premier facilities and renowned hospitality. We are honored to welcome the athletes, along with their families and supporters, to Florida’s Championship City.”

“I look forward to welcoming the IRONMAN community to Jacksonville and to sharing our city’s warmth, energy, and hospitality on the international stage,” said Mayor of the City of Jacksonville Donna Deegan. “Hosting an event of IRONMAN’s caliber will provide transformative benefits to our community—generating significant economic impact, increasing Jacksonville’s global visibility, and inspiring residents of all ages to embrace active and healthy lifestyles.”

Nestled along Florida’s northeast coast, Jacksonville is a city of diverse neighborhoods, a robust arts and culture scene, great food, and a wide variety of family-friendly attractions, parks, and nature preserves. At 841 square miles in size, Jacksonville is one of the largest cities by land in the United States and the most populous city in the State in Florida. Jacksonville is home to three U.S. naval facilities. Together with the nearby Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in southern Georgia, Jacksonville is the third-largest naval complex in the country. The sports scene is alive and well in northeast Florida. The NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars are just part of Jacksonville’s action-packed sports scene, which includes everything from baseball, ice hockey, soccer, iconic running events such as the Gate River Run, and numerous world-class golf courses. The year-round warm temperatures and comfortable climate allow for access to a ton of outdoor activities, that take the form of fishing, surfing, and paddling at the beach or hiking in the parks and biking the trails.

About the Course: The 2026 IRONMAN Jacksonville triathlon will kick off with a fast 2.4-mile swim in St. Johns River, the longest river in the State of Florida which flows through the city’s downtown area. Once out of the water, athletes will transition to the flat and fast 112-mile two loop bike course that takes athletes throughout downtown Jacksonville, out historic Kings Rd., over the Trout River, and passes into neighboring Nassau County before returning south for the second loop. Athletes will return into town to transition on Gator Bowl Boulevard downtown, before kicking off the 13.1-mile three-loop run course that traverses downtown and Riverside Avenue passing through some of Jacksonville’s most historic neighborhoods. The run course continues down Jacksonville’s Riverwalk and crosses over the iconic blue Main Street bridge before culminating in an unforgettable finish. Athletes will be treated to the best views of the St. John’s River before finishing below the city skyline on E. Independent Dr. in the heart of downtown Jacksonville.

The 2026 IRONMAN Jacksonville triathlon will offer qualifying slots to the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship® race in Kona, Hawai`i.

For more information on the 2026 IRONMAN Jacksonville triathlon, please visit www.ironman.com/races/im-jacksonville. Athlete inquiries may be directed to jacksonville@ironman.com.

To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN® 70.3® brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com. 
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About Visit Jacksonville
Visit Jacksonville is a Destinations International-accredited Destination Marketing Organization contracted by the Duval County Tourist Development Council (TDC) to champion the growth of business and leisure tourism in Jacksonville. For a closer look at all there is to see and do in Jacksonville, go to http://www.VisitJacksonville.com or contact 800-733-2668.

About The IRONMAN Group    
The IRONMAN Group is the world’s largest operator of participation sports with a portfolio of brands, events, media, partners, merchandise, and digital platforms operating in over 50 countries worldwide. A global portfolio consisting of hundreds of events includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150® Triathlon Series, IRONKIDS®, premier running events including the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series, the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf®, the UTMB® World Series of trail running, the Epic Series™ of mountain biking including the Absa Cape Epic®, and a collection of road cycling and other multisport races. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, millions of athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. From its beginnings as a single race among friends in Hawai’i, The IRONMAN Group has become a global sensation and collection of high-growth lifestyle brands that inspire people to unlock their potential in life. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.