Triathlon Guides

Ironman Arizona

Unfortunately this is first on the list. Least favourite Ironman – poor swim location, desolate and boring bike and a twisty run on concrete. And no, Ironman didn’t pay us to write that

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Ironman Canada

Ironman Canada is the oldest mainland Ironman – absolutely cracking course with the bike being superb – long fast and tough – just what you want, need and expect. You’ll earn that finisher’s medal with the “Queen of Ironman Races”

Ironman Coeur D’Alene

Definitely a bucket list Ironman, Ironman CDA, as it’s usually known because of the difficult spelling, is beautiful challenging and really good fun to race.

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Ironman Florida

Traditionally the benchmark for Ironman times, Ironman Florida is “pancake flat” meaning that the biggest impediment to your forward progress at high speed is a lack of training or for some dedicated souls too much.

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Ironman World Championships – Hawaii – Kona

Ironman Hawaii is the big one. Unless you get to race in the Olympics or perhaps the ITU world championships it doesn’t get much bigger than this. The race is notorious for its hot and windy bike ride; sapping your energy as you ride through the lava fields. Then you have to run the humid marathon and that often chews up even the most experienced triathletes. A race in every triathletes bucket list

Ironman Lake Placid

Ironman Lake Placid has it all. At the site of the Winter Olympic games it has a challenging swim and then a totally amazing bike ride – lots of crashes and very high speeds (/h+ we had triathletes tell us) – though those aren’t necessarily related. The run comes and finishes toasting you. Usually a great day – and certainly amazing when you get that finisher’s medal.

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Ironman Louisville

You have to love the passion at Ironman Louisville. The river swim is different if not amazingly pretty – but the bike certainly makes up for that. The only downside is the heat and humidity – which really does sap your willpower during the run. it doesn’t get that much easier after dark either…

Ironman Mont Tremblant

A brand new Ironman for 2012. Done no research on it at all – but the pictures of the area do look pretty. We’re still working on this – to find out when it’s ready sign up to our newsletter. ETA July

Ironman US Championship – New York

Ironman New York is notoriously the most expensive Ironman coming in at just under $1000. For that you do get to have the fastest swim of your life if the currents on the Hudson are with you. We’re still working on this – to find out when it’s ready sign up to our newsletter. ETA July

Ironman St George

Ironman St George is set in lovely Utah and is famous for the passion and generosity of its volunteers. It’s also tough with the desert sun and lots of hard climbs – jaw dropingly beautiful if you have time to notice as you focus on staying cool and hydrated.

Ironman Wisconsin

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Ironman Texas

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Ironman 70.3 World Championships – Las Vegas

Ironman Hawaii is the big one. Unless you get to race in the Olympics or perhaps the ITU world championships it doesn’t get much bigger than this. The race is notorious for its hot and windy bike ride; sapping your energy as you ride through the lava fields. Then you have to run the humid marathon and that often chews up even the most experienced triathletes. A race in every triathletes bucket list

Ironman 70.3 Timberman

Ironman Hawaii is the big one. Unless you get to race in the Olympics or perhaps the ITU world championships it doesn’t get much bigger than this. The race is notorious for its hot and windy bike ride; sapping your energy as you ride through the lava fields. Then you have to run the humid marathon and that often chews up even the most experienced triathletes. A race in every triathletes bucket list

Ironman Austria

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Ironman France

Ironman Nice is one of the more challenging course – I used it unintentionally as a practice ride for my first sprint triathlon years ago. Up, up, up and down, down, down. Strong legs and good cornering skills are highly recommended. We’re still working on this – to find out when it’s ready sign up to our newsletter. ETA May

Ironman European Championships – Frankfurt

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Ironman Lanzarote

This sounded like a good idea when you signed up – hot – but after a winter battling frostbite on long bike rides you’re starting to think again as you ponder the heat, the wind and the hills. Probably Europe’s toughest Ironman and certainly not it’s fastest.

Ironman Regensburg

Ironman Regensburg is the fastest Ironman courses – this is where Marino Voenhacker broke the world record in 2011. We’re not asking you to do the same – just go there and break your PB

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Ironman Switzerland

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Ironman UK

Ironman UK has a good chance of being Europe’s hilliest bike course, and may even pip others such as CDA and St George on that front. If you’re lucky there’ll be sun; otherwise you’ll have a great if gruelling day on the Lancashire Moors.

Ironman Wales

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Norseman Extreme Triathlon

Hmmmm. This is probably not a race to chose for your first Ironman. It’s probably not a race to chose if you can’t do a ‘normal’ Ironman in less than 12 hours. Tough, terrible and a race to work towards – really more bragging rights than anything other than winning your AG at Kona.

Ironman Sweden

Ironman Sweden is a brand new Ironman for 2012 and the first in Scandinavia for Ironman. Not as tough as some of the other long course triathlon in the region – it’s should be an awesome day out – and 9 months of preparation….

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TriStar Monaco

Europe’s chock full of hilly Triathlons and TriStar Monaco does this. The normal convention for race directors is if you have a hilly bike course you have a flat run. Well they didn’t read that when they designed TriStar Monaco – but they do get you onto the F1 course…. (without cars)

Ironman Australia

Ironman Australia has a great swim in the Hastings River and then a scenic but windy and rough bike course before a flat fast run course through Port Macquarie.

Ironman Cairns

Ironman Cairns was originally Challenge Cairns and 2012 is the first year of it being an Ironman race. i’s going to be interesting to see whether it loses that family feel – or whether it corrupts Ironman and makes it less commercial

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Ironman Melbourne

Ironman Melbourne is the Ironman Asia Pacific Championship. On the surface it seems flat and fast – but there are stings in both the bike and the run – and the ever present threat of wind can make both the bike and swim a lot harder

Ironman New Zealand

The only Ironman in New Zealand this is the longest running Ironman after Kona. A beautiful swim, flat bike – with a short sharp shock at the beginning of each lap and a flat 3 loop run along the shores of Lake Taupo. Great if it doesn’t rain….

Ironman Western Australia

Ironman Western Australia in Busselton is fast flat and furious. Wales may be in the bay and you’ll almost certainly have a touch of wind on the bike as you cyle out to Tuart forest. The smell of the pines makes up for it as does the awesome chalk art on run course.

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Ironman 70.3 Asian Championships – Phuket

Ironman 70.3 Phuket is a tough course. It has a dual swim – with  half in the sea and half in a freshwater lagoon. The bike then takes you on a tour of Phuket Island – mostly flat but with some fantastically steep – zigzag across the road steep – hills that will knacker your legs for the hot, humid and flat run course.

Ironman 70.3 Sri Lanka

Ironman 70.3 Singapore is the newest Ironman 70.3 in Asia. A warm and friendly swim followed by high speed mayhem through a densely populated Indian city. It’s fast and very cool – but the run is hot and definitely not cool as you hope for some ocean breeze on the shadeless course

Singapore Triathlon

This is the biggest Olympic distance triathlon in Asia and is quite often the scene for ITU Asian championships. It’s flat, fast and unsurprisingly hot and humid. Well organised and a race to do if youre in the region – and people do fly in from all over to do it.

Ironman Brazil

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Ironman Cozumel

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Ironman South Africa

Ironman South Africa is a great race. With a potentially tough two lap swim, and undulating bike with the wind promising a kiss of death and a run course packed with cheering South Africans it’s an awesome race!