France’s Léa Riccoboni and Chile’s Martin Baeza Munoz claimed the top steps at Ironman 70.3 Peru on Saturday, April 26. The fast seaside circuit at Chorrillos, Lima, delivered another high-stakes morning — qualifying slots for the Nice 70.3 World Championship on the line, South America’s busiest triathlon weekend of the year fully underway.
Riccoboni crossed in 4:15:13, a commanding 9 minutes and 23 seconds clear of second-place Kelly Barton (4:24:36). Kayla Bowker took third in 4:31:08. On the men’s side, Baeza Munoz held off a close challenge from Fernando Toldi to win in 3:47:40 — just 2:17 separating the top two. Mexico’s Rodrigo González rounded out the podium in 3:51:17, a composed, aggressive ride and run that put him firmly back among the continent’s best.
Course and Conditions
The 70.3 Lima course punishes tactical mistakes. Athletes swim 1.9 km in the Pacific off Agua Dulce beach, then hammer three 30 km laps along the Costa Verde coastal highway — a fast but wind-exposed stretch that earned the distinction of second-best 70.3 bike segment in Latin America at the 2023 Ironman Athletes’ Choice Awards, behind only Florianópolis. The run is a two-loop out-and-back on the beachfront path. Flat, quick, finishing on the sand with Lima’s skyline behind the finish arch. Water temps ran between 19–21°C. Coastal wind, as usual, shaped bike strategy and ultimately defined the gaps heading into T2.
The field totalled 1,071 athletes across the pro and age-group ranks. Discipline-level splits for the professional field were not published at time of writing.
Riccoboni — From Age Group Champion to Pro Winner in Lima
Riccoboni, 31, has been one of the more compelling stories in the professional ranks over the past two seasons. A former Sales and Marketing professional and SKEMA Business School graduate, she relocated to Chile in 2022 and has built her pro career from her base there. In 2024, she won the Age Group World Championship at the full-distance Ironman in Nice — crossing the line carrying both the French and Chilean flags. Saturday’s victory marks a continuation of that upward trajectory, now competing at the elite level against a field designed to test her.
“I managed to become an elite athlete here and now I would like to contribute something to the country’s sport.” — Léa Riccoboni
Baeza Munoz Owns the Lima Course
Lima is familiar territory for Baeza Munoz. The Chilean was part of the leading swim group in 2023 and earned a podium finish here in 2024 — Saturday’s win was his clearest statement yet. His PTO World Ranking sits at 245 entering 2026, built on four qualifying results that include the 2025 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. With the Nice qualifying window closing June 30, the timing was ideal.
South American Double-Header — Brasilia Results
Running simultaneously on April 26 was Ironman 70.3 Brasilia, adding a second set of Nice slots to the day’s stakes. Argentina’s Luciano Taccone won the men’s race in 3:39:30 with the fastest run of the field (1:14:52), overtaking Portugal’s Filipe Azevedo — who led into T2 — with a decisive surge. Azevedo finished second in 3:41:05.
Brazil’s Djenyfer Arnold dominated the women’s race in 3:55:41, a time reported as the best in the 20-year history of Ironman 70.3 racing in Brazil and the fourth-fastest women’s 70.3 in the world. Her splits: swim 25:45, bike 2:10:41, run 1:16:43. Argentina’s Romina Biagioli was second in 4:15:10, Germany’s Sarah Schönfelder third in 4:19:15.
“On the run, I tried to concentrate on my stride and control my breathing, trying to relax as much as possible until the end.” — Djenyfer Arnold
What’s Next
Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast is up May 9. Then a triple-header on May 17 — Ironman 70.3 Pays d’Aix, Chattanooga, and Shanghai all on the same day. The 2026 Ironman 70.3 World Championship is scheduled for September 12–13 in Nice, France, carrying a $500,000 prize purse. The qualifying window stays open through June 30.
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