Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Triathlon · Middle Distance (70.3)
Eastbourne Triathlon 2027
- Race day
- Sunday, 11 July 2027
- Location
- Eastbourne, East Sussex
- Distance
- 100 km total
2km swim 80km bike 18km run
Eastbourne Triathlon 2027: a 2km sea swim, 80km of closed-road hilly riding over Beachy Head and a flat 18km seafront run — dates, all distances, prices and relay options.
304 days to go
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 11 July 2027
- Venue
- Western Lawns, Eastbourne, East Sussex
- Distance
- Middle Distance (70.3) — 100km total
- Start Time
- 06:00 for most races; the duathlon starts at 06:10.
- Draft-Legal Bike
- No — non-drafting
- Cut-Off
- Not published with fixed numbers, but the course uses a flag-based stop system (yellow/amber/red/green) that can slow or halt the bike leg for safety — this isn't a fixed time cut-off so much as a live safety call. Confirm current published cut-offs in the athlete information.
Also this weekend
A full multisport festival. Alongside the middle distance covered here there is a Standard (1,500m / 40km / 10km), a Sprint (750m / 20km / 5km) and a Novice or Super Sprint (300m / 10km / 2.5km), plus an aquabike at £179 and a duathlon at £179 with a 60km bike and 10km run. The middle, standard and sprint can all be entered as a relay team of three.
Standard
Olympic distance on the same seafront and downland.
Sprint
The most popular option at the festival.
Novice / Super Sprint
A 300m sea swim — the entry point for a first sea triathlon.
Leg 1 of 3
Swim — 2km
A 2km sea swim with a beach start — 100m longer than a standard 70.3 swim, in the open English Channel rather than a dock or a lake. A July date puts the water at close to its warmest for the year, but it is still genuine open sea.
- Venue
- The sea off Eastbourne
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Sea — open water, shingle beach start.
Wetsuit: Per the official Athlete's Guide: mandatory below 15.9°C, with sock permission tied to the exact temperature and gloves never allowed. Race-day water is typically 13-14°C (range 11-16°C), which puts it inside the mandatory band most years. The tidal current switches direction 8:15-9:15am, so sighting strategy depends on your start time.
Leg 2 of 3
Bike — 80km
An 80km closed-road bike leg that the organiser describes plainly as hilly — this is the Beachy Head and South Downs escarpment above the town, not a flat coastal spin. Closed roads at middle distance are rare enough in Britain to be a genuine draw.
- Venue
- The South Downs above Eastbourne, on closed roads
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Closed road — hilly downland.
Non-drafting
Leg 3 of 3
Run — 18km
A flat 18km along the Eastbourne seafront — the counterweight to the bike leg, and a fast finish if you have paced the hills sensibly.
- Venue
- Eastbourne seafront
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Promenade and road — flat.
Transitions
Transition is on Western Lawns on the Eastbourne seafront, serving both T1 from the beach swim and T2 for the promenade run.
Eastbourne Triathlon Split Calculator
Eastbourne Triathlon Split-Time Calculator
Enter your own swim, bike and run pace to project a real finish time.
Projected Finish Time
5:03:00
Racing a different distance? Try the generic split calculator or the swim pace calculator.
Where Eastbourne Triathlon starts and finishes
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on. The official course map is the one to use: view it on the organiser's site .
Entry & Ballot
Direct entry summary
Individual entry to the middle distance was £249 at the time of writing, with a relay team at £299, and the aquabike and duathlon both £179. Shorter distances cost less. Entry is direct through the organiser.
Ballot policy
No ballot — entry is direct.
Age requirement
Not published in the sources checked — confirm with the organiser.
Charity Places
No formal charity-place scheme is published.
Race Day Info & Checklist
On the day
- A 06:00 start, which is early even by triathlon standards — plan the night before accordingly.
- The bike leg is on closed roads, which is unusual for a British middle distance and a large part of why people enter.
- The swim is 2km rather than the standard 1.9km of a 70.3.
- Four triathlon distances plus an aquabike and a duathlon run across the festival, with relay teams of two or three available on the middle, standard and sprint.
- There's no race-day briefing — reading the Athlete's Guide is treated as compulsory in its place.
- Registration: Saturday 1-6pm is recommended to avoid the Sunday queue, or from 5:30am on race morning. Bring a screenshot of your BTF licence.
- Race pack: a numbered wristband (worn until you collect your bike post-race, and used for medical ID), a helmet sticker, a long bike seat-post number, a colour-coded swim cap by wave, and a timing chip for the left ankle — £40 if not returned.
- Bar-end plugs are mandatory on the bike; fixed-wheel bikes and e-bikes are banned. No headphones, phones or cameras in transition.
- Transition uses reverse-racking by saddle (odd numbers face east, even face west), one kit box per athlete (60x40x15cm max), with nothing outside it except your running shoes.
- The bike leg is out-and-back, and crossing the centre line is an automatic disqualification — the guide states this three times. Non-drafting: 12m draft zone, 25 seconds to complete a pass.
- Run aid station has water, HIGH5 Energy Drink and HIGH5 gels. Different distances turn at different points on a shared course, which the guide flags as a common source of accidental DQs — know your own turn point.
- Penalties: a time penalty for kit outside your transition box or unclipping your helmet before racking; an automatic disqualification for littering, since the course runs through the South Downs National Park.
- A cross on your race number flags a medical condition and may get you a differently-coloured swim cap. If you can't stay for the podium, there's an £8 admin fee to have an award posted to you.
Checklist
- A wetsuit and a bright cap for a 2km Channel swim from a beach start
- Something for shingle underfoot at the swim exit — Eastbourne is a pebble beach
- Climbing gears: 80km described by the organiser as hilly, over the South Downs
- Run shoes for a flat, exposed 18km seafront — plus sun cover for a July morning
- A very early alarm for a 06:00 start, and a plan to eat several hours before it
- A meeting point agreed on Western Lawns for afterwards
Transport, Spectating & Where to Stay
Transport
Eastbourne station is on the Southern network from London Victoria, around three quarters of a mile from Western Lawns — walkable, though awkward with a bike bag.
Not published for this event. Seafront parking is limited and the bike course closes roads — check the athlete information.
Closed roads on the South Downs above Eastbourne for the bike leg, plus seafront closures. Details are published ahead of race weekend.
Spectator guide
Western Lawns covers the swim exit, transition and the finish. The seafront run is straight and open, so a single spot on the promenade sees athletes repeatedly.
The seafront is entirely walkable. The downland bike course is on closed roads and harder to reach during the race.
Where to stay
Eastbourne seafront
+ Walking distance to Western Lawns, transition and the finish — which matters a great deal for a 06:00 start.
– Seafront hotels book out for race weekend and price accordingly.
Eastbourne town centre
+ Close to the station, plenty of choice, and a short walk to the seafront.
– Slightly further to carry a bike on race morning.
Pevensey Bay / Polegate
+ Quieter and often better value, a short drive along the coast.
– Driving in at 05:00 through road closures is not the easiest start to the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Eastbourne Triathlon 2027?
Sunday 11 July 2027, starting at 06:00 from Western Lawns on the Eastbourne seafront.
What are the Eastbourne Triathlon middle distance legs?
A 2km sea swim with a beach start, an 80km closed-road hilly bike over the South Downs, and a flat 18km run along the seafront.
Is the Eastbourne Triathlon a 70.3?
Close but not identical. The swim is 2km rather than 1.9km, the bike 80km rather than 90km, and the run 18km rather than 21.1km — so it is a middle-distance race with its own numbers rather than a standard 70.3.
Is the Eastbourne Triathlon bike course closed road?
Yes, and it is genuinely hilly — the South Downs escarpment above the town. Closed roads at middle distance are unusual in Britain and a large part of the appeal.
How much does the Eastbourne Triathlon cost?
Middle distance was £249 for an individual and £299 for a relay team, with the aquabike and duathlon both £179. Shorter distances cost less.
What other distances does Eastbourne offer?
Standard (1,500m / 40km / 10km), Sprint (750m / 20km / 5km) and Novice or Super Sprint (300m / 10km / 2.5km), plus an aquabike and a duathlon.
Can you do the Eastbourne Triathlon as a relay?
Yes — teams of two or three on the middle, standard and sprint distances, with each athlete completing one discipline.
When were Eastbourne Triathlon results published?
Nothing to show yet: results only appear here after the race is run. The official results source will also have them.
Is the Eastbourne Triathlon bike course two-way traffic?
No — it's out-and-back, and crossing the centre line is an automatic disqualification (the athlete guide states this three times).
Do you need a wetsuit at the Eastbourne Triathlon?
Per the official guide, mandatory below 15.9°C — race-day water is typically 13-14°C, so most years it's compulsory. Sock rules depend on the exact temperature, and gloves are never allowed.