Women in Tri UK Welcomes IRONMAN’s New Performance-Based Qualification System

Women in Tri UK welcomes the announcement of IRONMAN’s new performance-based age-group qualification system for the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship events. This shift, which rewards athletes based on their competitive performance relative to age and gender-specific benchmarks, marks a positive step forward for equality in long-distance triathlon.

The new system closely reflects the findings in our recent report:  “Performance vs Participation: An Analysis of 35 IRONMAN Races”, which demonstrated how proportional allocation models - based primarily on participation - can unintentionally penalise high-performing women due to lower participation numbers. By adopting a performance-based qualification model, IRONMAN is sending a strong signal that commitment and competitive excellence—not just field size—should determine World Championship opportunities.

We are also encouraged by IRONMAN’s ongoing commitment to review and refine this system through the new Championship Competition Advisory Group. Continued transparency and collaboration with the triathlon community will be key to ensuring the model delivers on its promise of fairness and merit-based qualification.

“We’re pleased to see IRONMAN take this important step forward,” said Bianca Fernandez-Clark, Chair of Women in Tri UK. “Our mission has always been to remove systemic barriers to women’s participation and progression in triathlon. A qualification system that rewards true performance—not just participation rates—is key to levelling the playing field. We’re grateful that IRONMAN has taken our findings into account and hope this marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration to drive more equitable outcomes across the sport.”

We thank IRONMAN for the positive reception to our research and for recognising the importance of data-led insights from the community. We look forward to continuing to provide independent, evidence-based input as the new system is implemented and evolves.

About Women in Tri UK

Women in Tri UK is a volunteer-led registered charity that delivers grassroots programmes, targeted advocacy and research to increase participation and visibility for women in triathlon. Our goal is to remove barriers to participation and create a safe, supportive environment for women to thrive in sport, whether they are first-timers or continuing their journey. We achieve this through various programmes, industry partnerships, and bold advocacy that challenges systemic issues in the sport.

Contact:

Contact: collaborations@womenintriuk.org

Website: www.womenintriuk.org