IRONMAN 70.3 Yunnan Dali
Dali, China · September · IRONMAN
Why people love it
- Lakeside Erhai backdrop beneath Cang Mountain
- Almost flat three-lap bike and flat two-lap run
- Inaugural edition drew over 1,000 athletes in September 2026
Watch out for
- Venue near 1,970 m (6,460 ft): slower paces and acclimatisation needed
- Water temperature and wetsuit rule unknown
- No athlete reports yet, so ratings rest on previews
- No 2027 date announced
- Travel via Dali Fengyi airport or rail from Kunming
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 27% of the overall score.
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.5
Inaugural 2026 race with only official-style coverage and no athlete opinions found. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.5
The 1,000-athlete debut ran on schedule, and no criticism was found; no athlete accounts either way. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable2.8
Flat course, but the venue is near 1,970 m (6,460 ft) and the trip is international. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage3.0
Flat and fast terrain offset by altitude; age-group overall winners took 3:51:23 and 4:22:31. · Low confidence
- Course easeTough3.0
Altitude is the challenge; the terrain is flat. · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalCoin flip3.3
No water temperature or wetsuit ruling published. · Low confidence
- Water temperatureAcceptable3.3
No water data found, so this is a neutral estimate for a high-altitude lake. · Low confidence
- Calm waterSome chop3.4
Large lake that can be exposed to wind; no race reports. · Low confidence
- Swim easeEasy3.5
Single 1.9 km (1.2 mi) lap swum south to north; start format unknown. · Low confidence
- Swim experienceGreat3.8
Erhai Lake with a mountain backdrop per previews; no athlete accounts. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 19% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceGood3.5
No surface information found. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.6
City avenues; the extent of closure is not confirmed. · Low confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful4.3
Erhai Lake and Cang Mountain views per previews. · Low confidence
- WindSome wind3.1
Open lakeside plateau; no wind data. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedFast3.8
Almost flat three laps, but one mid-pack finisher rode 2:59:08 at altitude. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessPancake flat4.5
Described as almost flat and no gain is published for the three lakeside laps. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicityMostly simple4.0
Three simple laps on avenues around the lake. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportDecent3.1
New event promoted by the city; no crowd reports. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.3
No aid reports found. · Low confidence
- Run sceneryBeautiful4.4
Erhai Lake ecological corridor. · Low confidence
- Run conditionsModerate3.2
Flat, but the altitude of 1,970 m (6,460 ft) will slow most runners. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessFlat4.6
Flat lakeside corridor over two laps. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Air temperaturePleasant3.9
September is probably 15 to 25 °C (59 to 77 °F); this is not confirmed by race reports. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Late rainy season; no race-day weather data. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyStunning4.5
Historic Dali between Erhai Lake and Cang Mountain. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.4
Multi-lap bike and run are watchable; no reports. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeHigh altitude1.2
About 1,970 m (6,460 ft), above the 1,500 m (4,900 ft) low end of the scale. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 11% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.0
Tourist destination with plentiful lodging. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.5
No price evidence found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.2
The venue is the Olympic Sports Center; distance from hotels unknown. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.5
Reached via Dali Fengyi airport or high-speed rail from Kunming; international visitors need connections. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.5
Single venue base and a repeated lap bike. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGood4.3
Well-known tourist destination with an old town and Yunnan cuisine. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Dali, Yunnan, China
- Typical month
- September
- Organiser
- IRONMAN
- Field size
- About 1,000 athletes
- First held
- 2026
- Distances
- 1.9 km (1.2 mi) swim, 90 km (56 mi) bike, 21.1 km (13.1 mi) run
- Swim venue
- Erhai Lake (Xierhe), Dali (lake)
- Swim laps
- 1
- Bike laps
- 3
- Run laps
- 2
- Air temperature
- 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
- Altitude
- 1,970 m (6,460 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Dali Fengyi Airport (DLU)
- Where to stay
- Dali old town, Erhai lakeside
- Booking
- High-speed rail from Kunming also available.
What racers and reviewers say
- People's Daily (Yunnan channel)Raced 2026 · article · Positive
Chinese-language recap: over a thousand athletes, 8:00 start, swim south-to-north in the Xierhe, three bike laps by the lake, run on the Erhai corridor; age-group winners 3:51:23 and 4:22:31; framed as city tourism promotion.
- UK Run Chat previewRaced 2026 · article · Positive
Preview: lake swim, almost flat three-lap bike, flat two-lap run, altitude about 1,970 m (6,460 ft), Dali Fengyi airport plus rail from Kunming.
- ProPakistaniRaced 2026 · article · Mixed
News on a Pakistani finisher: 6:30:41 overall with a 2:59:08 bike (about 30 km/h (18.6 mph) / 19 mph), course described as largely flat along Erhai (seen via search snippet; page unreachable).
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
Training for IRONMAN 70.3 Yunnan Dali? Moku Coach builds your plan around race day.