IRONMAN CairnsVerified
IRONMAN Cairns: 180 km bike leg, 881 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
North along the Captain Cook Highway to the U-turn at Port Douglas: gently rolling coast with tropical scenery, a little over 1,000 m of elevation gain spread across the course. June is the cool season and comfortable; watch for crosswind on the coastal sections.
Source: Compiled from the official route and public race information · every course rechecked before launch
The terrain on this course
- Flat (±1.2%) makes up 76%
- Main climb 17.8–18.9 km: 45 m of gain (avg 3.8%)
- Main climb 92.8–93.9 km: 45 m of gain (avg 3.9%)
- Main climb 132.9–133.8 km: 32 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 06-15): 24.4°C · Wind 3.4 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”.