IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo Powers #ColomboActiveWeek in Landmark Return to Sri Lanka
Colombo came alive with energy, endurance, and international sporting excellence as IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo successfully concluded on 22 February 2026 at Port City Colombo, anchoring the city-wide #ColomboActiveWeek held from 19–22 February 2026. The multi-day celebration transformed Colombo into a global hub for sport, wellness, and active lifestyles, welcoming athletes, families, and spectators from 51 countries to Sri Lanka.
The race was officially opened by Hon. Sunil Gamage, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Hon. Her Worship Vraie Cally Balthazaar, Mayor of Colombo, together with Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development.
Participation & Race Results
TOTAL NUMBER OF STARTERS: 653 (individuals – 412; teams – 89 (241))
Total athletes COMPLETED the race:
Solo – 388
Relay Teams – 84
Men individual participants: 362
Women individual participants: 82
Top Male Finishers:
- Niall McCarthy – Ireland – 03:38:27
- Olivier Godart – United Arab Emirates – 03:38:28
- Joseph Cant – Great Britain – 03:41:26
Top Female Overall Winners:
- Ling Er Choo – Singapore – 04:04:35
- Michelle Nagle – Ireland – 04:10:05
- Jenni Paglia – Italy – 04:15:22
Fastest Bike
- Olivier Godart – United Arab Emirates – 2:06:42
Fastest Run
- Niall McCarthy – Ireland – 1:27:44
First Sri Lankan Finishers by Gender
- Male – M. P. S. Ruwan Priyadharsana – Sri Lanka – 03:58:06 (Open Division) (9th Overall in male division)
- Female – Deethri Samarajeewa – Sri Lanka – 04:46:44 (16th overall in female division)
The event programme began with the KAYA Wellness & Active Lifestyle Expo, held at Shangri-La Colombo from 19–21 February 2026, serving as the central hub of Colombo Active Week and bringing together wellness brands, fitness communities, and lifestyle experiences.
Young athletes took centre stage at IRONKIDS Colombo, held on 21 February 2026 at Port City Colombo, where children aged 3–14 experienced the excitement of crossing an official IRONMAN finish line in a safe, family-focused environment. The event was inclusive, bringing together children from across the island, including Mullaitivu, farming communities, and humanitarian organisations such as the Foundation of Goodness and Child Action Lanka.
The flagship IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo event followed on 22 February 2026, also staged at Port City Colombo, showcasing Colombo’s coastline and modern infrastructure to a global sporting audience.
IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo delivered the kind of finish that defines a truly competitive race day, with the men’s overall win at Port City Colombo decided by a single second, with Niall McCarthy taking it in 3:38:27 and Olivier Godart immediately behind in 3:38:28 (gun time). That razor-thin margin signals a full-gas race dynamic in which execution matters right to the finish chute, showing how exceptional the battle for first was. On the women’s side, Ling Er Choo delivered a champion’s performance to take the win in 4:04:35, and importantly, she did it in Colombo for the third time, having previously won IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo in 2018 and 2019.
The event was organised by Serendib Multisport Ltd., led by its Directors, Yasas Hewage and Rajan Thananayagam. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to position Colombo as an internationally recognised active lifestyle destination and sports tourism hub.
With athletes travelling from around the world and drawing in spectators across race week, IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo reinforced Sri Lanka’s growing position on the international sports tourism calendar while promoting fitness, youth participation, and community engagement across the city. The event further demonstrated Colombo’s capability to host world-class endurance events aligned with global IRONMAN standards and urban active-city ambitions.
IRONMAN® 70.3 Colombo is organised by Serendib Multisport, with Port City Colombo as the Presenting & Venue Partner, Shangri-La Colombo as the Host Hotel, Walkers Tours as the Travel Partner, Rexona as the Confidence Partner, Asiri Health as the Medical Partner, Hatch as the Workspace Partner, Spinner as the Mechanical Partner, Vita Coco as the Refreshment Partner, Carnage as the Activewear Partner, OLU Tropical Water as the Water Partner, Kotmale as Title Sponsor for IRONKIDS, Rotaract as the Volunteer Partner, Mastercard as the Digital Payment Partner, Scope Cinemas as the Cinema Partner, Ride Real Energy as the Energy Drink Partner, Bellevue as the After Party Partner, Unived as the Hydration and Nutrition Partner, Keells Foods as Food Partner, Ceylinco as Insurance Partner, Wijeya Newspapers as the Official Print Media Partner, and Sirasa TV and YesFM as the Official Electronic Media Partner.
