IRONMAN 70.3 BoltonVerified
IRONMAN 70.3 Bolton: 90 km bike leg, 695 m of climbing. Elevation profile, what the terrain asks of you, the weather this race day usually brings, and how to pace this course.
Course intel
90 km in two parts: two loops through the villages of Lowton, Abram and Bickershaw, then north to Bolton for two loops around Horwich and Bolton, with the biggest crowds along Chorley New Road. The out-and-back from Victoria Road to Old Kiln Road is the main climb of the day; official total elevation gain is 840 m, mostly short steep rises. Early June in northern England is cool, with a fair chance of rain.
Source: Adapted from the official course description (the course page on ironman.com)
The terrain on this course
- Flat (±1.2%) makes up 60%
- Main climb 56.2–57.1 km: 39 m of gain (avg 4.4%)
- Main climb 63.6–65.7 km: 52 m of gain (avg 2.5%)
- Main climb 81.2–82.2 km: 40 m of gain (avg 4.0%)
Speed score
Rolling terrain is where you overspend without noticing: 20 extra watts on every little rise adds up and empties your legs for the back half. Let power touch the top of the range on the small stuff and leave it there.
Historical race-day weather (around 06-06): 12.2°C · Wind 3.5 m/s
0 to 100, and the higher it is the easier it is to post a good time. Points come off for terrain, for corners, and for the heat and wind this race has actually had over the last five years at the same time of year. Full explanation in the article “How the course score works”.