Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Triathlon · Other Distances
THE ROC Wales 2027
- Race day
- Saturday, 8 May 2027
- Location
- Abersoch, Gwynedd
- Distance
- 114.8 km total
1.5km swim 99km bike 14.3km run
THE ROC Wales 2027: an Abersoch beach swim, a ride into Eryri and a run to the summit of Snowdon by the Watkin Path — dates, the five-leg course and entry.
240 days to go
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Saturday, 8 May 2027
- Venue
- Abersoch, Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd
- Distance
- Other Distances — 114.8km total
- Start Time
- Not published for 2027 — confirmed in the athlete information.
- Draft-Legal Bike
- No — non-drafting
- Cut-Off
- Per the organiser's Race Manual: a checkpoint 4km up the Watkin Path closes at 12:00 noon — miss it and you're turned back before the summit. The lead finisher typically comes through around 12:30pm.
Also this weekend
A single course. THE ROC also runs in England (Scafell Pike, from Windermere) and Scotland (Ben Nevis, from Kinlochleven). Completing all three in a season is THE ROC Trilogy.
Leg 1 of 3
Swim — 1.5km
An open-water sea swim from the beach at Abersoch on the Llŷn Peninsula, before the ride inland towards the mountains.
- Venue
- Abersoch beach, Llŷn Peninsula
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Sea — open water off a sheltered bay.
Wetsuit: Mandatory below 14°C, per the organiser's Race Manual — same BTF sliding scale used at THE ROC Scotland (12.5°C/12°C/11°C thresholds for shortened swim distances, with a full trail-run substitution below 11°C). The swim start is timed to high tide, so it can go off quite early depending on the year.
Leg 2 of 3
Bike — 99km
Ridden out from the coast to the foot of Snowdon and back again, in two legs. The organiser publishes the event's total distance and ascent but does not break the individual legs down publicly — the figure here is derived from the published total of 115km, so treat it as close rather than exact.
- Venue
- The Llŷn Peninsula and Eryri, out to Snowdon and back
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Road — coastal Llŷn lanes then Eryri mountain road.
Non-drafting
Leg 3 of 3
Run — 14.3km
Up Snowdon and back by the Watkin Path — the longest and, from sea level, the biggest ascent of the standard routes to the summit, and the one the organiser specifically bills the race around. As with the bike, the leg distance here is derived from the published 115km total rather than an official split.
- Venue
- Snowdon, by the Watkin Path
- Elevation gain
- No official figure published — see notes above
- Surface
- Mountain — the Watkin Path: rock, scree and steep ground near the top.
Transitions
Four transitions, matching the swim-bike-mountain-bike-run format used across THE ROC series.
THE ROC Wales Split Calculator
THE ROC Wales Split-Time Calculator
Enter your own swim, bike and run pace to project a real finish time.
Projected Finish Time
5:10:39
Racing a different distance? Try the generic split calculator or the swim pace calculator.
Where THE ROC Wales starts and finishes
THE ROC Wales starts at Abersoch, Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd and finishes at Abersoch beach, Llŷn Peninsula. We haven't been able to place those on a map accurately enough to show one — a pin in the wrong place is worse than no pin.
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 direct through THE ROC, with 2027 entries open at the time of writing. Pricing was not published in the sources checked. Mandatory mountain kit applies for the Snowdon leg.
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
- 115km in total with 5,825ft of ascent — the longest of the three ROC rounds and the one with the least climbing.
- The Snowdon leg uses the Watkin Path, which starts closest to sea level of the standard routes and therefore climbs the furthest.
- The format is swim, bike, mountain, bike, run — five legs and four transitions.
- Mandatory mountain kit applies for the summit leg.
- A live railway level crossing sits on the bike course near Pwllheli, with a published train timetable in the Race Manual — riders must stop if the barriers come down.
- Race pack, per the same template used across the series: an ankle timing tag (£40 if lost — slightly less than the Scotland round), helmet and seat-post stickers, race-number tattoos, and a drawstring mountain-kit bag for T2/T3.
- Bike aid at 25km on the return leg has water and bananas; T2 has water, Kinetica sports drinks/gels and fruit cake; the 4km checkpoint and summit carry emergency-only water and energy bars.
- The T2 transition mat has a sunken metal grid that organisers warn "could damage your wetsuit when removing it" — worth bringing a spare towel or mat. There's also no mobile signal at T2 and for roughly 2km up the Watkin Path.
- Same penalty structure as the Scotland round: a 2-minute penalty for an unfastened helmet strap, disqualification for headphones, nudity in transition, cutting corners on the mountain, or crossing the centre line.
- Bags are collected back around 4pm, with prize-giving at 5pm.
Checklist
- A wetsuit for a May sea swim off the Llŷn Peninsula
- Full mandatory mountain kit for Snowdon, packed for the mountain transition
- Fell or trail shoes for the Watkin Path — steep, loose ground near the top
- Climbing gears for a ride that goes from sea level into Eryri and back
- Warm layers for the summit, which in May can be a different season to Abersoch
Transport, Spectating & Where to Stay
Transport
Pwllheli is the nearest station, at the end of the Cambrian Coast line, around 7 miles from Abersoch with taxi or lift onward.
Lon Golff car park (postcode LL53 7EF), paid by cash or the PayByPhone app. A 10mph speed restriction and three speed bumps apply on the access lane.
The bike legs use open roads across the Llŷn Peninsula and into Eryri.
Spectator guide
Abersoch beach covers the swim, the transitions and the finish. Nant Gwynant, at the foot of the Watkin Path, is where the mountain leg starts and the natural place to see it.
Abersoch to Nant Gwynant is a long drive on slow roads. Pick one end rather than trying to cover both.
Where to stay
Abersoch
+ At the venue, on the beach, walkable to the start and finish.
– A popular seaside village in season — rooms are limited and priced accordingly.
Pwllheli
+ The nearest town with a station and more accommodation, a short drive from Abersoch.
– Not walkable to the venue.
Beddgelert / Nant Gwynant
+ At the foot of the Watkin Path, ideal for supporters focused on the mountain leg.
– A long way from the swim start and finish at Abersoch.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is THE ROC Wales 2027?
Saturday 8 May 2027, based at Abersoch on the Llŷn Peninsula.
How long is THE ROC Wales?
115km in total with 5,825ft of ascent, run as swim, bike, mountain, bike, run. The organiser publishes the total but not an official split between legs.
Which mountain does THE ROC Wales climb?
Snowdon, by the Watkin Path — the route that starts closest to sea level and therefore climbs the furthest of the standard ways up.
Is THE ROC Wales the easiest of the three?
It has the least climbing at 5,825ft, against 6,916ft in England and 7,874ft in Scotland, but it is also the longest at 115km. Easier is not the word most finishers use.
What is THE ROC Trilogy?
Completing all three ROC events in a season — Wales, England and Scotland — covering 300km with 20,615ft of ascent across the three highest mountains in Great Britain.
When were THE ROC Wales results published?
Results aren't published until after the race — check back here, or the official results source, once the race has taken place.
What is the cut-off for THE ROC Wales?
A checkpoint 4km up the Watkin Path closes at 12:00 noon — reach it after that and you're turned back before the summit.
Is there parking at THE ROC Wales?
Yes — Lon Golff car park (LL53 7EF), paid by cash or the PayByPhone app, with a 10mph limit and speed bumps on the access lane.