Ironman has announced the addition of Ironman 70.3 Málaga to its 2026 race calendar. The event will take place in the Andalusian city of Málaga on Spain’s Costa del Sol and will replace Ironman 70.3 Marbella, which will not return after six editions and last year’s World Championship.
With the inclusion of Málaga, Spain will host Ironman 70.3 events in Calella (Barcelona), Valencia, Alcúdia (Mallorca), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Lanzarote and Málaga in 2026. According to Ironman, the Málaga race is intended to close the Spanish Ironman 70.3 season, with the event scheduled for October.
Málaga is Spain’s sixth-largest city and has previously hosted a range of international sporting events, including the Málaga Marathon, Davis Cup tennis ties and Premier Padel Tour tournaments. The city is served by Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport and is easily accessible for international athletes.
Ironman states that typical weather conditions in late October include average temperatures between 17°C and 25°C, with relatively low wind and rainfall. The proposed course includes a swim in Málaga’s port, a single transition area at Paseo del Parque, a coastal bike course and a flat run along the Malagueta beach promenade, finishing in the city centre on Calle Larios.
The decision to replace Marbella is notable, as Ironman 70.3 Marbella had been part of the calendar since 2018 and hosted the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in 2025. Marbella and Málaga are located less than 60 kilometres apart, making the change a regional shift rather than a move to a new part of the country. Ironman has not provided detailed reasons for discontinuing the Marbella event, but rumors said the city didn’t want to pay anymore for the event.