Far from sunny summer weather at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Malaga, athletes faced rain, high winds, and even thunderstorms. Given the tough conditions, it was perhaps fitting that an off-road specialist took top honors: Felix Forissier. The women’s race was held purely as an age-group event without a professional field.
Ironman 70.3 Malaga – replacing the now-defunct Ironman 70.3 Marbella this year – immediately brought back memories of its predecessor during the swim, as a large lead pack emerged from the water together. Somewhat surprisingly, it was Swiss athlete Ben Faeh who led a massive 19-man group onto dry land. 2026 marks Faeh’s debut season as a professional athlete, balancing both short- and long-course racing.
Faeh continued to push the pace on the bike, aided by harsh atmospheric conditions as heavy rain, wind, and lightning lashed the course. Faeh broke away with Forissier and Germany’s Janne Buettel. However, the trio didn’t make it to T2 together, as Faeh pulled clear in the closing kilometers of the bike leg to build a 30-second lead. The next group of chasers entered transition 2:30 down.
Faeh appeared to be heading for a major upset on the run, but with just three kilometers remaining, Forissier caught the leader and made his move. Faeh refused to back down, setting up a thrilling sprint finish. Forissier ultimately had the sharper final kick, taking the victory in 3:40:46, just six seconds ahead of Faeh. Buettel claimed third place, 2:25 back.
