IRONMAN Switzerland · ThunVerified
IRONMAN Switzerland · Thun: 180 km bike leg, 1833 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
Two laps by Lake Thun: flat valley roads alternating with steep climbs at the foot of the Alps, close to 1900 m of elevation gain on climbs that are short but steep. The whole race is a back-and-forth between recovering on the flats and pushing on the steep sections, and holding a steady rhythm matters more than anything.
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 43%
- Main climb 46.9–49.6 km: 95 m of gain (avg 3.5%)
- Main climb 56.5–59.0 km: 70 m of gain (avg 2.8%)
- Main climb 136.8–139.5 km: 95 m of gain (avg 3.5%)
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 07-13): 21.2°C · Wind 1.1 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”.