IRONMAN 70.3 Wisconsin

Madison, United States · September · IRONMAN

IRONMAN 70.3 Wisconsin: madison skyline with the capitol across lake mononaPhoto is not from race dayRichard Hurd from Leland, USA, CC BY 2.0
Madison skyline with the Capitol across Lake Monona. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Why people love it

  • Finish in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol
  • Spiral helix transition at Monona Terrace
  • Compact downtown venue with hotels next to transition
  • Comfortable 20-24 °C (68-75 °F) lake water

Watch out for

  • Rough, grooved and potholed bike roads with technical turns
  • Hilly bike: 532 m (1,744 ft) official, felt harder by racers
  • Steep final 0.16 km (0.1 mi) up to the Capitol
  • Weather swings from 9 °C (48 °F) mornings to hot and humid
  • Murky lake with wind chop; an athlete died during the 2026 swim after a medical emergency

Race

4.1Very good

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 satisfactionLoved4.0

    Reviewers rate production and the Capitol finish highly and praise the event; complaints centre on rough roads and weather. · Medium confidence

  • OrganizationWell run4.2

    Well run with about 4,600 volunteers in 2024; minor issues were unfinished late aid stations in 2019 and a long transition run. · Medium confidence

  • First timer friendlyDoable3.1

    A hilly, technical bike with 532 m (1,744 ft) of climbing, rough roads and an uphill finish; first-timers still raced it happily. · Medium confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

  • PR potentialAverage2.8

    Hills, turns, rough pavement and an uphill finish keep times moderate. · Medium confidence

  • Course easeTough3.0

    Hilly bike, rough roads and weather from 9 °C (48 °F) to hot. · Medium confidence

Swim

3.5Very good

Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 15% of the overall score.

  • Wetsuit legalUsually3.6

    Average 24 °C (75 °F) sits near the 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) limit, while a 2024 practice swim was 20.5 °C (69 °F). · Low confidence

  • Water temperatureComfortable4.3

    20-24 °C (68-75 °F) is in the comfortable band. · Medium confidence

  • Calm waterSome chop3.3

    Flat in 2019, calm then choppy in 2024, and wind chop in 2018 and 2026. · Medium confidence

  • Swim easeEasy3.8

    Rolling start and buoys every 91 m (100 yd); murky water and sun on the return make sighting harder. · Medium confidence

  • Swim experienceFine3.2

    City-skyline swim in murky water, with a boat-ramp exit and a long run up the helix. · Medium confidence

Bike

1.7Below par

Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 19% of the overall score.

  • Road surfacePatchy2.2

    Multiple reports of rough, potholed and grooved roads, rougher than Lake Placid or Tremblant per one forum poster. · Medium confidence

  • Road closuresPartly closed3.0

    Police hold cross traffic, but roads are open (2024 report). · Medium confidence

  • Bike sceneryPleasant3.4

    Attractive farm-country views per a 2018 racer. · Medium confidence

  • WindSome wind3.0

    Headwinds noted in 2024, but no systematic data. · Low confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

  • Bike speedAverage2.8

    Many hills, turns, headwinds and rough roads; the 2019 amateur winner averaged 37 km (23 mi)/h (23.2 mph). · Medium confidence

  • Bike flatnessRolling3.2

    Official 532 m (1,744 ft) is mid-range for 90 km (56 mi), though racers describe it as hillier than the number. · Medium confidence

  • Bike simplicitySome technical parts2.6

    Tight turns through town and steep descents with sharp corners at the bottom. · Medium confidence

Run

3.5Very good

Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.

  • Crowd supportStrong3.5

    The organiser touts big crowds, but a 2018 racer found run crowds light. · Low confidence

  • Aid stationsGood3.6

    Finish volunteers praised; some late aid stations were not set up in 2019. · Low confidence

  • Run sceneryBeautiful4.2

    Lake views, city skyline and a Capitol finish. · Medium confidence

  • Run conditionsEasy3.5

    Shaded lakefront loops, but heat and humidity have been reported. · Medium confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

  • Run flatnessRolling3.3

    The organiser calls it hilly; racers call it mostly flat with a steep finish street. · Medium confidence

Conditions

3.8Very good

Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 15% of the overall score.

  • Air temperaturePleasant3.8

    Typical 10-27 °C (50-81 °F), ranging from 9 °C (48 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F). · Medium confidence

  • Weather reliabilityVariable2.9

    All-day rain in 2018, 9 °C (48 °F) mornings in 2024, and hot and humid in 2017. · Medium confidence

  • Venue beautyLovely4.4

    Lakes on both sides, the Capitol and Monona Terrace. · Medium confidence

  • Spectator friendlyEasy4.3

    Compact downtown; the garage is a good swim-start vantage point and the loop run is easy to watch. · Medium confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

  • Low altitudeSea level4.6

    About 262 m (860 ft). · High confidence

Stay and travel

3.8Very good

Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 11% of the overall score.

  • Hotel availabilityBook early3.0

    The combined 70.3 and full weekend fills downtown hotels; book early. · Low confidence

  • Hotel valueNormal2.8

    No pricing data; race-weekend demand in a mid-size city. · Low confidence

  • WalkabilityWalkable4.1

    Hotels next to Monona Terrace and transition; parking is remote with a shuttle. · Medium confidence

  • Travel easeEasy4.0

    Madison has its own airport, but flights usually connect via hubs. · Low confidence

  • LogisticsSome complexity3.4

    A single site near the Capitol, but a long transition run through a multi-level garage and shuttle parking. · Medium confidence

  • Town and foodGreat4.5

    Lively university capital with a full race-week festival. · Medium confidence

Key facts

Location
Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Typical month
September
Latest or next date
11 September 2027
Organiser
IRONMAN
Distances
1.9 km (1.2 mi) swim, 90 km (56 mi) bike, 21.1 km (13.1 mi) run
Swim venue
Lake Monona (Law Park Beach start per RaceRaves; Olin Park in a 2017 report) (lake)
Water temperature
20–24 °C (68–75 °F)
Wetsuit
Legal in most years, near the limit when warm
Swim start
rolling (self-seeded corrals)
Swim laps
1
Bike climbing
532 m (1,750 ft)
Bike laps
1
Key climbs
steep rollers with sharp turns at the bottom of many hills
Run laps
2
Run shade
shaded stretches along the lake
Air temperature
10–27 °C (50–81 °F)
Humidity
can be humid
Altitude
262 m (860 ft)
Nearest airport
Madison Dane County (MSN)
Where to stay
downtown near Monona Terrace
Booking
Downtown hotels beside Monona Terrace (Hilton, Embassy Suites, Concourse) fill for the combined 70.3 and full weekend. Parking at Alliant Energy Center with shuttle.

Official race website (ironman.com)

What racers and reviewers say

  • RaceRaves (catherinereneeworrall)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Positive

    First-timer rated it top marks: choppy windy swim, hilly bike with fun descents, mostly flat run with a steep final 0.16 km (0.1 mi) hill, in gorgeous weather.

  • RaceRaves (emilyfeldkamp)Raced 2018 · aggregator · Mixed

    Rainy, muddy-transition edition with a rough swim; found the bike tough but manageable with attractive farm views, the run hillier than expected with light crowd support, great finish volunteers and disappointing post-race food.

  • Earth TrekkersRaced 2024 · blog · Positive

    Describes murky but calm-then-choppy swim, a long garage transition, a hilly bike with 1,744 ft (532 m (1,750 ft)) in 9 C (48 F) air plus rough grooved roads, and a shaded, mostly flat run with a hard uphill finish. Praised organisation and spectator experience; lists nearby hotels.

  • Slowtwitch forum (erengel23)Raced 2019 · forum · Mixed

    Overall winner of the amateur-only race reports a flat, fast swim, a bike with many hills, turns, steep descents and pothole-filled roads, and a run that decided the race. Some late aid stations were not fully set up.

  • Sweet Sweat LifeRaced 2017 · blog · Mixed

    Summer edition was summed up as heat, humidity and hills; calm time-trial start from Olin Park and a hilly bike with many turns and fast descents. Called it hard but a good fitness test.

Show 3 more
  • PJAMM CyclingRaced 2025 · article · Mixed

    Course page advises parking at the Alliant Energy Center with a shuttle to Monona Terrace and notes many downtown streets close. Offers no elevation data.

  • BibRave / Slowtwitch snippetsforum · Mixed

    Seen via search summaries only: posters call the Madison roads rough and technical, with sharp turns at the bottom of hills that make recovery hard.

  • IRONMAN race pageRaced 2026 · article · Positive

    Organiser pitch: Capitol finish line, helix transition, big crowd support and rolling bike with hilly run; lists 24 C (75 F) water. Promotional.

Sources

Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.

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