Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Triathlon · Full Distance (140.6)
Ironman Wales 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 13 September 2026
- Location
- Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
- Distance
- 226 km total
3.8km swim 180km bike 42.2km run
Ironman Wales: 13 September 2026 — the brutal Tenby full-distance course, a split-time calculator, and real Verus athletes racing it.
3 days to go
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 13 September 2026
- Venue
- IRONMAN Village, Five Arches Car Park, Tenby, Pembrokeshire
- Distance
- Full Distance (140.6) — 226km total
- Start Time
- Swim start has historically been around 7:25am at North Beach (exact time varies with tide, not yet confirmed for 2026).
- Draft-Legal Bike
- No — non-drafting
- Cut-Off
- Swim 2h20m; bike 10h30m cumulative, with intermediate cut-offs at the end of lap 1/The Green (mile 69.3), the B4318 crossing point (mile 82), Templeton (mile 95) and Saundersfoot (mile 106); run 17h overall, plus a checkpoint at the end of lap 3/Picton Terrace (mile 19.7). The swim course itself closes 2h20m after the last athlete enters the water.
Also this weekend
IRONKIDS Wales (ages 3-15, run-only) is held the day before, on the Saturday, as part of the same race weekend.
Leg 1 of 3
Swim — 3.8km
A two-loop sea swim at Tenby's North Beach.
- Venue
- North Beach, Tenby
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Sea — open water.
Wetsuit: Recommended 16-24.5°C, mandatory below 16°C, banned above 24.5°C, per the athlete guide — Tenby's September sea temperature typically sits right at the mandatory threshold. Maximum thickness 5mm.
Leg 2 of 3
Bike — 180km
A two-loop route through the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, widely regarded as one of the hardest on the Ironman circuit — winning times here run about an hour slower than any other Ironman. Reported elevation gain varies by source (roughly 2,500-3,000m/8,000-9,800ft) with no single authoritative figure published. The best-known climb is "Heartbreak Hill" around Wiseman's Bridge/Saundersfoot, with gradients reported up to 16-22%.
- Venue
- Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Closed/marshalled public road.
Non-drafting
Leg 3 of 3
Run — 42.2km
A four-loop course through Tenby, including the medieval town walls and a notable "zig-zag" ramp. No elevation figure is published, though the course is described as undulating rather than flat.
- Venue
- Tenby town
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Road / town streets.
Wetsuit outlook
Will you need a wetsuit at Ironman Wales?
Water temperature at open sea in September has typically been 17.1°C, ranging from 16.5°C to 18.4°C in eight of every ten years. Against IRONMAN / 70.3's thresholds for this race's 3800m swim, that means:
Wetsuit optional — and recommended
Up to and including 24.5°C (76.1°F) every athlete may wear a wetsuit and remain eligible for awards.
What would have happened in each of the last 16 years
- Optional (recommended)16 of 16
What the organiser says
Recommended 16-24.5°C, mandatory below 16°C, banned above 24.5°C, per the athlete guide — Tenby's September sea temperature typically sits right at the mandatory threshold. Maximum thickness 5mm.
Calibrated against measured sea-surface data, to within about 0.9°C. The official temperature is taken an hour before the start, and only that reading decides the rule on the day.
Transitions
T1 and T2 are both located in Tenby (a single-site event) — wetsuits go into a numbered blue kit bag handed to volunteers at the swim exit.
Ironman Wales Split Calculator
Ironman Wales Split-Time Calculator
Enter your own swim, bike and run pace to project a real finish time.
Projected Finish Time
11:12:06
Racing a different distance? Try the generic split calculator or the swim pace calculator.
Where Ironman Wales 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
Entry pricing wasn't published on any accessible page. In recent years, entries were offered first to the prior year's finishers before opening more widely — this race has sold out in record time in past years (e.g. 2019).
Ballot policy
No ballot — entry is first come, first served, though the prior year's finishers get first access.
Age requirement
Runners must be 18 or over, per the standard Ironman age rule (a Wales-specific confirmation was not found).
Charity Places
Wales Air Ambulance offers a reimbursement scheme refunding 50% of the entry fee once a fundraising goal is met — no fixed fee or minimum figure was found published.
Race Day Info & Checklist
On the day
- Bike aid stations at Angle, Lamphey, Narberth and Twycross Roundabout (each hit twice) serve Gatorade Thirst Quencher, water, 226ers bars and gummy bars, and Maurten Gel 100 (gel only at the later two). Run aid stations (roughly every 1.5 miles) add cola, salted snacks, jelly babies and a dedicated 'Red Bull Energy Station' passed five times.
- Wetsuit strippers are used at T1, as is standard Ironman practice.
- A spectator shuttle has run in past years from Carew Park & Ride into Tenby town centre.
- Race pack: a backpack with your bib, wristband, swim cap, helmet and bike stickers, and four colour-coded transition bags — White (streetwear, dropped race morning), Blue (bike gear), Red (run gear), and Pink, a spare pair of old trainers for the roughly 1km run from the swim exit to transition (skipping it is a disqualification).
- Timing chip worn on the left ankle for the whole race, collected on your way out of transition — a lost chip costs £50 to replace.
- Drafting card system: Yellow = 60-second penalty, Blue = 5-minute penalty, Red = disqualification, all served in a penalty box in transition.
- World Championship qualifying slots have historically been on offer for both Kona and the 70.3 Worlds equivalent at the full distance (around 50 female and 25 male age-group slots in a recent edition) — claimed in person at a Monday roll-down ceremony.
- Medal engraving is available post-race for around £20, pre-purchasable.
Checklist
- Wetsuit, goggles and swim cap (cap usually provided in your race pack)
- Bike, helmet (mandatory) and bike shoes, racked in Tenby the day before
- Run shoes and nutrition for the 180km bike and marathon run legs
- A numbered blue kit bag for your wetsuit at the swim exit
- Weather-appropriate kit for a September coastal race — conditions can turn quickly
- A meeting point agreed with family/friends near the Tenby finish for afterwards
Transport, Spectating & Where to Stay
Transport
Tenby has its own railway station on the Pembroke Dock line, with connections via Whitland to the wider network.
A shuttle bus runs from Carew Airfield Business Park (free parking there) to Salterns Car Park in Tenby — in a recent edition this ran continuously on the Saturday and from 04:30 to midnight on race-day Sunday, free for athletes with a wristband. A separate Tenby-Saundersfoot spectator shuttle has also run on race day. In town, several car parks close to vehicle access during the race (North Beach, the Multi-Storey on Upper Park Road with a 1.98m height barrier, Salterns, and The Green) — a long-stay parking permit has been available from the county council.
Extensive road closures apply across the bike course through Pembrokeshire; full details are confirmed by organizers closer to race day.
Spectator guide
A spectator guide has been published in past years, highlighting "Heartbreak Hill" near Saundersfoot/St Brides as a top viewing spot alongside the Tenby town centre finish.
The Park & Ride shuttle from Carew is the recommended way to move between Tenby and outlying viewing points.
Where to stay
Tenby town centre
+ Closest to the swim start, transition and finish — everything within walking distance.
– Books up quickly for race weekend, often a year in advance.
Saundersfoot
+ A short drive away, directly on the bike course near "Heartbreak Hill" — good for spectating.
– Not walkable to the Tenby start/finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Ironman Wales 2026?
Sunday 13 September 2026.
Why is Ironman Wales considered so hard?
The combination of a sea swim, a hilly 180km bike course through the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (including the notorious "Heartbreak Hill"), and a four-loop Tenby marathon adds up to winning times around an hour slower than any other Ironman on the circuit.
Is the Ironman Wales bike course hilly?
Yes — reported elevation gain estimates range from roughly 2,500m to 3,000m, though no single official figure is published.
What is the Ironman Wales cut-off time?
17 hours overall, with intermediate cut-offs of 2 hours 20 minutes for the swim and 10 hours 30 minutes cumulative through the bike.
Does Ironman Wales sell out?
Yes — it has sold out in record time in past years, with the prior year's finishers getting first access to entries.
Which charity does Ironman Wales support?
Wales Air Ambulance is an official charity partner, offering a 50% entry-fee reimbursement once a fundraising goal is met.
How do I get to Ironman Wales?
Tenby has its own railway station on the Pembroke Dock line; a Park & Ride shuttle has run in past years from Carew.
When were Ironman Wales results published?
Nothing to show yet: results only appear here after the 2026 edition is run. The official results source will also have them.
Do you need a wetsuit at Ironman Wales?
Recommended 16-24.5°C, mandatory below 16°C, banned above 24.5°C — Tenby's North Beach in September typically sits right around the mandatory threshold, so bring one.
What are the Ironman Wales bike cut-offs?
10 hours 30 minutes cumulative for the swim, T1 and the bike, with intermediate checkpoints at the end of lap 1 (mile 69.3), the B4318 crossing (mile 82), Templeton (mile 95) and Saundersfoot (mile 106) — miss one and you're pulled from the course.
What nutrition is on the Ironman Wales course?
Gatorade, water and bananas plus 226ers bars/gummy bars on the bike, with Maurten Gel 100 at the later two of four aid stations. The run adds cola, salted snacks, jelly babies and Red Bull at a dedicated energy station passed five times.