South Africa
IRONMAN in South Africa: which race to choose
4 IRONMAN races in South Africa in the catalogue: the full distance in Mossel Bay and 3 IRONMAN 70.3. The month, the water and the bike course separate them.
Where the figures come from
Counts, climbing, water averages and cut-offs are read from the catalogue and recalculated whenever a race is updated. They come from each race record in the catalogue, which names its source. The race-day water readings quoted come from the "Historical weather" table of the ironman.com course pages, for 2023 to 2026; the new Mossel Bay full distance has no reading yet.
South Africa is in the southern hemisphere, so its season runs from November to June and its June race falls in winter. The South Africa page lists every race in the country, and the IRONMAN calendar sets these dates against the rest of the world.
Every triathlon in South Africa
Add a month or a distance to narrow the list.
- IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay, South Africa
- Date
- 22 Nov 2026
- Distance
- Middle
- Circuit
- IRONMAN
- Water
- 21 °C
- Bike
- Hilly
- Run
- Rolling
- Entries
- Sold out
- IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Date
- 31 Jan 2027
- Distance
- Middle
- Circuit
- IRONMAN
- Water
- 20 °C
- Bike
- Rolling
- Run
- Rolling
- Entries
- Open
- IRONMAN South Africa, Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay, South Africa
- Date
- 18 Apr 2027
- Distance
- Full
- Circuit
- IRONMAN
- Water
- 20 °C
- Bike
- Hilly
- Run
- Rolling
- Entries
- Open
- IRONMAN 70.3 Durban
Durban, South Africa
- Date
- 6 Jun 2027
- Distance
- Middle
- Circuit
- IRONMAN
- Water
- 22 °C
- Bike
- Rolling
- Run
- Rolling
- Entries
- Open
April in Mossel Bay: the full distance
IRONMAN South Africa, Mossel Bay is held in April. ironman.com presents it as the only full-distance IRONMAN on the continent, and the catalogue lists no other in Africa. It is the IRONMAN African Championship, and 2027 is its first edition in Mossel Bay: ironman.com calls it a brand new location.
The swim is in the sea. ironman.com rates the bike hilly and the run rolling, but on 28 October 2026 the course maps were marked "coming soon", so the catalogue has no climbing figure or cut-off for this race yet. ironman.com gives an average water temperature of 20 °C and air from 12 to 23 °C.
For a first full distance, the IRONMAN for beginners page compares courses on other continents.
November in Mossel Bay: a hilly 70.3
IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay opens the South African season in November. The 1.9 km swim starts on Santos Beach and finishes at De Bakke Beach, with a rolling start for age-group athletes. The bike is a single out-and-back to Uitkyk on the Herbertsdale road, rated hilly, with 1020 m of climbing. The run is three laps through the harbour, the old town and the Point coastal walkway, with 365 m of climbing on roads and paths.
The cut-off is 8 h 30 min. ironman.com measured the water at 22 °C in 2023, 19 °C in 2024 and 20 °C in 2025. On 28 October 2026, general entry for the 22 November 2026 race was sold out.
June in Durban: the only bike rated flat, and the warmest water
IRONMAN 70.3 Durban closes the South African season in June. The swim is one loop in the Indian Ocean from uShaka Beach, near the harbour. The bike, two loops on the M4 highway north of the city, is rated flat by ironman.com, which also describes it as fast and undulating: 825 m of climbing, against 1020 m in Mossel Bay. The run is three laps of the beachfront promenade. ironman.com calls the race a first-timer and club favourite.
June is winter in Durban. All 4 South African IRONMAN races have air and water averages in the catalogue: Durban has the coolest mornings, 10 °C, and the warmest water, 22 °C on average; ironman.com measured 23 °C in 2024, 22 °C in 2025 and 23 °C in 2026. The cut-off is 8 h 30 min. The easiest 70.3 races page ranks flat courses worldwide.
January in Nelson Mandela Bay: a former world championship course
IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay returns to the calendar in January 2027 as the IRONMAN 70.3 African Championship. ironman.com notes that the course hosted the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2018.
Everything starts and finishes on Hobie Beach in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha). The swim is one lap of Algoa Bay. The bike covers two loops along Marine Drive and out of the city, rated rolling. The run is two loops of the beachfront towards Happy Valley. The catalogue has no climbing figure or cut-off for this course yet.
It has the mildest mornings of the 4 South African IRONMAN races: air from 19 to 26 °C. ironman.com measured the bay at 19 °C in 2024. On 28 October 2026, the entry page said the price would rise at midnight on 16 November.
Mossel Bay, Durban and Nelson Mandela Bay on the same rows
Month, water, climbing and cut-off, side by side.
IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay
IRONMAN 70.3 Durban
IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay
- Race 1 IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay
- Race 2 IRONMAN 70.3 Durban
- Race 3 IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay
- Circuit
- IRONMANIRONMANIRONMAN
- Distance
- Middle distanceMiddle distanceMiddle distance
- Terrain
- RoadRoadRoad
- Swim
- 1.9 km1.9 km1.9 km
- Bike
- 90 km90 km90 km
- Run
- 21.1 km21.1 km21.1 km
- Date
- 22 Nov 20266 Jun 202731 Jan 2027
- Country
- South AfricaSouth AfricaSouth Africa
- Registration
- Sold outOpenOpen
- Swim venue
- BayOceanBay
- Average water temperature
- 21 °C22 °C20 °C
- High air temperature
- 28 °C24 °C26 °C
- Low air temperature
- 14 °C10 °C19 °C
- Bike profile
- HillyRollingRolling
- Bike elevation gain
- 1,020 m825 mn/a
- Run profile
- RollingRollingRolling
- Run elevation gain
- 365 mn/an/a
- Overall cut-off
- 8 h 30 min8 h 30 minn/a
- Altitude
- 43 m22 m15 m
- First edition
- 20222015n/a
- Swim start
- Rolling startn/an/a
- Entry fee, from
- n/an/aZAR 5,014
What the averages leave out
On 28 October 2026, ironman.com showed IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay sold out; IRONMAN South Africa, IRONMAN 70.3 Durban and IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay were open. Prices are in rand, and the entry pages show prices that include processing fees and VAT. Registration is done on the organiser's site.
Under the 2026 IRONMAN Competition Rules, age-group athletes may wear a wetsuit up to 24.5 °C and must wear one below 16 °C. The limit for professionals is 21.9 °C. The race-day readings quoted on this page run from 19 to 23 °C, and the decision is made on race morning. The wetsuit rules guide sets out every threshold.
Off road, XTERRA South Africa in Grabouw, planned for 27 February 2027, will not take place: xterraplanet.com says refunds have been processed.
Questions
How many IRONMAN races are there in South Africa?
There are 4: the full distance IRONMAN South Africa, Mossel Bay and 3 IRONMAN 70.3, in Mossel Bay, Durban and Nelson Mandela Bay.
Where is IRONMAN South Africa held?
In Mossel Bay, on the Western Cape coast, in April 2027. ironman.com calls it a brand new location; the town already hosts IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay in November.
Which South African 70.3 is the easiest?
IRONMAN 70.3 Durban: its bike is rated flat, with 825 m of climbing, and ironman.com calls it a first-timer favourite. IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay has 1020 m on the bike and a hilly label.
Do I need a wetsuit in South Africa?
The race-day readings quoted here run from 19 to 23 °C. IRONMAN rules allow age-group athletes a wetsuit up to 24.5 °C, and the decision is made on race morning.
When is the best time to race in South Africa?
It depends on the weather you want. November and January are summer: highs of 28 °C in Mossel Bay and 26 °C in Nelson Mandela Bay. Durban, in June, has the coolest mornings, 10 °C, and the warmest water.
Pick the month, then the race
Open the finder on races in South Africa, or answer a few questions to get a shortlist.