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Triathlon Atlas

Half distance · 31 January 2027

IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

The race at a glance

Official race website
Circuit
IRONMAN
Distance
Middle distance
Terrain
Road
Swim
1.9 km
Bike
90 km
Run
21.1 km
Date
31 Jan 2027
Registration
Open
Swim venue
Bay
Average water temperature
20 °C
Bike profile
Rolling
Run profile
Rolling
High air temperature
26 °C
Low air temperature
19 °C
Entry fee, from
ZAR 5,014
Altitude
15 m

Edition history

202421 Apr 2024Held
20235 Mar 2023Held
20223 Apr 2022Held

How the day is laid out

The swim is held in a bay. An average of 20 °C sits in the range where a wetsuit is both allowed and worth wearing for nearly everyone.

The bike leg is labelled rolling.

The run is labelled rolling.

A rolling bike and a rolling run keep the effort changing all day, so pace by feel rather than by speed.

Expect air between 19 °C and 26 °C on race day. A spread of 7 degrees across the day matters as much as the peak, because what you wear at the swim exit is rarely what you want at the far end of the bike.

Back on the 2018 world championship course

ironman.com presents this race as returning, as the IRONMAN 70.3 African Championship, on the course that hosted the 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. Everything starts and finishes on Hobie Beach: one lap of Algoa Bay, two bike loops along Marine Drive and out of the city, then two run loops on the beachfront towards Happy Valley. The bay was measured at 19 °C in 2024. On 28 October 2026, the entry page announced a price rise at midnight on 16 November.

Source: ironman.com, read on 28 October 2026. The other South African races: IRONMAN in South Africa.

Against the calendar

Where this race sits among the others

Ranks are computed across every race of the same distance.

  • Average water temperature

    20 °C · median 21 °C

    The 43rd coldest of the 128 middle-distance races with a figure, across every circuit.

  • High air temperature

    26 °C · median 25 °C

    The 71st hottest of the 152 middle-distance races with a figure, across every circuit.

19

races of this distance pair a rolling bike with a rolling run, out of 159. 58 share the bike profile alone.

7

races across every distance fall in January, out of 354.

6

races are held in Africa. 1 of them in the same month as this one.

Questions about this race

When is IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay 2027?
IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay is held on 31 January 2027 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Registration is open on the official race page.
Is a wetsuit allowed at IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay?
Most likely. The average water temperature is 20 °C, below the 24.5 °C limit up to which wetsuits are allowed for age-group athletes. The official call is made on race morning.
How much is the entry fee for IRONMAN 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay?
Entries start at ZAR 5,014 for an individual age-group entry, before service fees. Prices rise by tier as the race fills.

Where to stay

Hotels and rentals around the race venue, for the nights around race day.

Suggested stay: 29 Jan 2027 to 1 Feb 2027

The map is provided by Stay22. Bookings are made with the provider.

Races of the same distance in the same region

Entries are handled by the organiser

Registration and the athlete guide are on the official race page.

Open the official race page