For the first time ever, the men’s and women’s Ironman World Championships are taking place in different locations (here’s why).
The men’s event came first, with Sam Laidlow winning in Nice in September. Meanwhile, the women’s event will be taking place in Kona on 14 October (here’s how to watch it).
Getting to either is no mean feat. Qualification aside, athletes have to deal with flights, accommodation, transporting race gear and time differences.
Plus, of course, there’s the small matter of cost, with the world champs representing a huge financial investment from athletes and their sponsors.
That got us thinking… just how much the pros can win from placing at the Ironman World Championship?
What is the pro prize purse at Kona?
The total pro prize purse for the 2023 Ironman World Championship is $750,000, which will be shared out between the top 15 finishers in both the men’s and women’s events.
That means the total prize fund for the women’s race in Kona is $375,000.
How much can athletes win in Nice?
The golden athlete who manages to take the tape and title of 2023 world champion will be rewarded with a hefty $125,000. All male and female prize purses across Ironman are equal, so it’ll be the top athlete of each gender who’ll bag the biggest digits.
A big monetary drop occurs between the top and runner-up prizes, with the second-place finisher set to claim almost half that of the winner at a cool $65,000.
Last on the podium, and another jump down in the numbers, the third place athlete will take home $45,000.
The first 15 athletes to finish will be eligible for a cash prize. You can see the breakdown in full below:
- 1st place $125,000
- 2nd place $65,000
- 3rd place $45,000
- 4th place $25,000
- 5th place $20,000
- 6th place $18,000
- 7th place $15,000
- 8th place $13,000
- 9th place $12,000
- 10th place $11,000
- 11th place $8,000
- 12th place $6,000
- 13th place $5,000
- 14th place $4,000
- 15th place $3,000
How does the Ironman World Championship prize purse compare to the PTO’s?
For comparison, the PTO’s biggest-ever prize purse was dolled out to the top 18 PTO-ranking men and women who qualified for the Collin’s Cup in 2022. A whopping $1.5 million was shared among competitors, though it was split not based on results, but by the athletes’ rankings going into the race.
The top-ranked pro cashed in $90,000, second took home $80,000, and third claimed $70,000.
These figures may be slightly lower than the Ironman World Championship, but the prize jumps between rankings are much less, with 18th position still taking home $20,000.
In contrast, the PTO US Open in August did pay out based on results, with $100,000 dolled out to winners Jan Frodeno and Taylor Knibb, $50,000 going to second place and $35,000 to third.
Find out who’ll take the glory and the prize-money by watching the Ironman World Championship live.
Image credit: Delly Carr/Getty Images for Ironman