IRONMAN 70.3 Westfriesland
Hoorn, Netherlands · June · IRONMAN 70.3
Why people love it
- Swim start in Hoorn's historic harbour, then a flat, fast 90 km (56 mi) bike
- Old-town run sections with strong supporter presence
- Bike roads closed 07:00-13:00 and enforced by police
- Schiphol is about 50 km (31 mi) away
Watch out for
- 2023 heat reached about 30 °C (86 °F): about 90 treated and up to 16 hospitalised
- Late swim start, aid shortages and little English signage reported in 2023
- Narrow bridge on the swim route and about 8 turns
- Hotel demand pushes athletes to Alkmaar or Heerhugowaard
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 satisfactionLiked3.2
Racers liked the fast flat course and old-town run, but 2023 brought a late start, aid shortages, a heat crisis and a dull finish area. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.0
In 2023 the swim started 30 minutes late, aid ran out of drinks and English signage was poor; water tanks and ice baths followed. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.5
Flat, simple course, but heat and aid problems showed in 2023, and the harbour swim start was congested. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast4.0
Flat, smooth and fast; the 2023 winners went 3:55:36 and 4:29:32 in heat. · Medium confidence
- Course easeModerate3.9
Flat course; heat and wind are the challenge. · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalUsually3.8
Athletes waited in wetsuits in 2023, but no water temperature was found. · Low confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable3.5
No water temperature found; June in the Netherlands is typically cool to mild. · Low confidence
- Calm waterMostly calm3.8
Sheltered harbour start, though exposure on the Markermeer section was not reported. · Low confidence
- Swim easeModerate3.0
About 8 turns and a narrow bridge passage that was chaotic in 2023; the 2025 start moved to reduce congestion. · Medium confidence
- Swim experienceFine3.4
Historic harbour setting, marred by the 2023 delay. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 19% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceGood4.0
A 2023 racer reported smooth roads. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed4.3
Bike roads are closed 07:00-13:00 across West-Friesland and enforced by police. · Medium confidence
- Bike sceneryPleasant3.2
Dutch countryside; limited detail. · Low confidence
- WindSome wind2.8
Open dike and polder country, but no direct wind reports. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedFast4.3
Called very fast on smooth roads across flat polder. · Medium confidence
- Bike flatnessPancake flat4.8
Every report says flat; elevation is not published, so under 300 m (985 ft) is assumed. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicityMostly simple3.6
Rural and flat, with some roadworks reroutes. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportStrong3.8
A 2023 racer praised the old-town run sections for their supporters. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsStandard2.9
In 2023, water, isotonic drink and Red Bull ran low; organisers added tanks and sponges afterwards. · Medium confidence
- Run sceneryBeautiful3.8
Old town, Westerdijk and the city beach. · Low confidence
- Run conditionsModerate2.7
Heat protocols and little shade on the run in 2023. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessFlat4.7
Reported as very fast and flat. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.1
About 30 °C (86 °F) in 2023 triggered heat protocols; typical June range is 13-25 °C (55-77 °F). · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Heat risk is rising; otherwise limited data. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyLovely4.0
Historic harbour town of Hoorn. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.7
Compact town with a finish at Julianapark, though the finish area was crowded. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
About 1 m (3 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 11% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early2.8
Demand pushed participants to Alkmaar and Heerhugowaard. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.0
No pricing data. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.2
Start and finish are in Julianapark; hotels vary and some are far. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy4.2
Schiphol is about 50 km (31 mi) away, roughly 45 minutes by road. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.0
Complex transport and only partly English signage reported in 2023. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood4.0
Historic town with a lively old centre. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Hoorn, North Holland, Netherlands
- Typical month
- June
- Latest or next date
- 20 June 2027
- Organiser
- IRONMAN 70.3
- Field size
- About 1,345 athletes
- Distances
- 1.9 km (1.2 mi) swim, 90 km (56 mi) bike, 21.1 km (13.1 mi) run
- Swim venue
- Hoorn harbour and Markermeer; 2025 start at Oude Doelenkade (earlier from Baatland, with a narrow bridge bottleneck) (canal)
- Swim start
- rolling/wave (not confirmed)
- Run shade
- Limited; 2023 athletes and spectators overheated
- Air temperature
- 13–25 °C (55–77 °F)
- Humidity
- moderate
- Altitude
- 1 m (3 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), about 50 km (31 mi); roughly 45 minutes by road, 50 km (31 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Hoorn old town, Alkmaar, Heerhugowaard
- Booking
- Hotel demand pushed some athletes to Alkmaar; one 2023 racer advised against a Hoorn hotel while another stayed 20 minutes away in Heerhugowaard.
What racers and reviewers say
- Slowtwitch forum: IRONMAN 70.3 Westfriesland (Netherland)Raced 2023 · forum · Mixed
2023 racers liked the very fast, smooth bike and run but disliked a swim start about 30 minutes late with chaos near a narrow bridge, aid running out of water and drinks, poor signage in English and a dull finish area. One advised against a Hoorn hotel.
“the water ran out on the run”
- NH Nieuws: 2,000 athletes head to WestfrieslandRaced 2023 · article · Mixed
Preview of the June 2023 edition: swim in Hoorn harbour, around 2,000 athletes, 30 C (86 F) forecast, heat protocol with water tanks, sponges and an ice bath.
- NOS: dozens affected by heat at Hoorn triathlonRaced 2023 · article · Negative
About 90 people treated for heat, 8 to hospital, 2 after bike falls. Highlights the 2023 heat risk.
- NH Nieuws: organizers satisfied despite commotionRaced 2023 · article · Mixed
After the 2023 race the organizer defended heat handling, while 16 people were taken to hospital and councillors asked 18 questions. A local training-group owner said the heat made finishing even more heroic.
“De warmte heeft de prestatie van alle deelnemers zelfs iets heroïscher gemaakt.”
- Rodi: IRONMAN Westfriesland 2025 programmeRaced 2025 · article · Positive
22 June 2025 programme: new swim start at Oude Doelenkade, bike detours for roadworks, a mostly unchanged run with two new city-beach bridges, bike roads closed 07:00-13:00, run roads 08:30-16:30; over 3,000 athletes across 70.3 and 5150.
Show 2 more
- endurance-data: 2023 statisticsRaced 2023 · aggregator · Positive
25 June 2023: 1,241 of 1,345 starters finished; winning times 3:55:36 (men) and 4:29:32 (women).
- NH Nieuws: Horinezen give Ironman another chanceRaced 2022 · article · Mixed
Local residents, businesses and organizers weighed up road-closure disruption (blocked garages, lost restaurant trade) against enthusiasm for another edition.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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