Skip to content
Triathlon Atlas

Full distance · 24 October 2027

IRONMAN California

Sacramento, United States

The race at a glance

Official race website
Circuit
IRONMAN
Distance
Full distance
Terrain
Road
Swim
3.8 km
Bike
180 km
Run
42.2 km
Date
24 Oct 2027
Registration
Open
Swim venue
River
Average water temperature
18 °C
Bike profile
Flat
Bike elevation gain
216 m
Run profile
Flat
Run elevation gain
120 m
High air temperature
24 °C
Low air temperature
9 °C
Overall cut-off
17 h
Altitude
8 m
First edition
2022
Swim start
Rolling start

Edition history

202618 Oct 2026Held
202519 Oct 2025Held
202427 Oct 2024Held
202322 Oct 2023Held
202223 Oct 2022Held

How the day is laid out

The swim is held in a river. The wetsuit call is made on race morning, against the temperature measured then.

The organiser publishes 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km on the bike and 42.2 km of running.

The swim uses a rolling start: athletes enter the water a few at a time. The water is usually around 18 °C at this time of year.

The bike course is flat, with about 216 m of climbing.

The run course is flat, with about 120 m of climbing.

Typical temperatures for the month run from 9 to 24 °C. The overall cut-off is 17 hours.

The race was first held in 2022.

A downriver swim, measured at 16 to 18 °C

The 3.8 km swim is point to point and downriver. It starts in the American River near Township 9 Park and finishes in the Sacramento River, near Tower Bridge. ironman.com places the turn buoys at the confluence to match the current.

The course page measured the water at 16 °C in 2024, 17 °C in 2025 and 18 °C in 2026. Under the 2026 IRONMAN Competition Rules, a wetsuit is compulsory for age-group athletes below 16 °C, so the 2024 reading sat at that threshold. The bike is two flat loops through the farmland of the Sacramento River delta. The run passes through Old Sacramento and Front Street and finishes on Capitol Mall.

Source: ironman.com, read on 27 October 2026.

Against the calendar

Where this race sits among the others

Ranks are computed across every race of the same distance.

  • Average water temperature

    18 °C · median 22 °C

    The 5th coldest of the 48 full-distance races with a figure, across every circuit.

  • High air temperature

    24 °C · median 25 °C

    The 18th coolest of the 52 full-distance races with a figure, across every circuit.

  • Bike elevation gain

    216 m · median 1130 m

    The 3rd flattest of the 43 full-distance races with a figure, across every circuit.

13

races of this distance pair a flat bike with a flat run, out of 55. 19 share the bike profile alone.

32

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

68

races are held in North America. 4 of them in the same month as this one.

Questions about this race

When is IRONMAN California 2027?
IRONMAN California is held on 24 October 2027 in Sacramento, United States. Registration is open on the official race page.
Is a wetsuit allowed at IRONMAN California?
Most likely. The average water temperature is 18 °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.
What is the cut-off at IRONMAN California?
The course closes 17 h after the start. Intermediate cut-offs after the swim and the bike are in the athlete guide.
How hard is IRONMAN California?
The bike course climbs about 216 m, the 3rd flattest of 43 full-distance races with a figure. The bike is labelled flat and the run flat. Expect highs of about 24 °C on race day.

Where to stay

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

Suggested stay: 22 Oct 2027 to 25 Oct 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