IRONMAN LeedsVerified
IRONMAN Leeds: 178 km bike leg, 1910 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
A new full-distance course in Yorkshire style: 6 km out to Shadwell, then three 55 km laps of the north Leeds loop, with over 2,500 m of elevation gain, one of the hardest 226 courses in the library. Continuous short steep climbs and technically demanding descents; mid-August in northern England is cool but often wet. Strategy: ride the same climb at the same level every lap, and do not use up your legs on the first one.
Source: Adapted from the official course description (the course page on ironman.com)
The terrain on this course
- Flat (±1.2%) makes up 42%
- Main climb 46.8–48.5 km: 110 m of gain (avg 6.6%)
- Main climb 102.2–104.0 km: 110 m of gain (avg 6.5%)
- Main climb 157.7–159.3 km: 110 m of gain (avg 6.5%)
Speed score
On a climb-heavy course, few people lose to the hills; most lose to attacking them. Hold your range going up, relax and recover going down, and save your legs for the run.
Historical race-day weather (around 08-15): 17.6°C · Wind 3.9 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”.