IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta
Course breakdown, historical weather, field analysis, and pacing notes.
The fast downriver swim and Southern hospitality of the Savannah
Augusta, United States · September 27, 2026
IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta is one of the most popular half-distances in the American South, famous for its current-assisted downriver swim in the Savannah River, a rolling bike through the Georgia countryside, and a spectator-lined run finishing at the Augusta Common. Held on the last Sunday of September.
- Swim
- 1.9 km
- River
- Bike
- 89.7 km
- ↑561m · Rolling
- Run
- 21.1 km
- ↑111m · Rolling
- Air Temp
- 23°C
- Water Temp
- 23°C
- Wind
- 8 km/h
- SE
Swim Course
Current-assisted downriver swim in the Savannah River
The 1.9 km swim is a point-to-point run down the Savannah River with the current at your back — one of the fastest 70.3 swims anywhere, routinely producing personal-best splits. Water temperatures in late September sit around 23°C, normally wetsuit-legal but close enough to the cutoff to check on race morning. The river is calm with no chop, but the current makes sighting important to hold the racing line.
- Downriver current produces very fast swim splits
- Calm river — no waves or swell
- Typically ~23°C and wetsuit-legal (can run close to the cutoff)
- Sight often to stay on the fastest line
Bike Course
Rolling one-loop ride through the Georgia countryside
The 90 km bike leaves Augusta for a single loop through the rolling countryside on the Georgia–South Carolina border, with around 560 m of climbing. There are no brutal climbs, but the constant rollers reward steady power and good position rather than surges. Road surfaces are good and the scenery is pastoral.
- One loop, ~560 m of gain — rolling, not mountainous
- Constant rollers reward steady, even power
- Good road surfaces through pastoral countryside
- One intermediate bike cut-off enforced
Run Course
Flat, crowd-lined run to the Augusta Common
The 21.1 km run winds through downtown Augusta with strong crowd support before finishing at the Augusta Common. The terrain is gently rolling to flat (~110 m of gain), and aid stations roughly every mile make fuelling easy. The downtown atmosphere and Southern hospitality are a big part of this race's popularity.
- Gently rolling to flat — fast finishing 13.1
- Aid roughly every mile
- Strong downtown crowd support
- Finish at the Augusta Common
Race Day Conditions
Warm, humid Southern early autumn
Late September in Augusta is warm and often humid, with race-day highs commonly in the mid-to-upper 20s°C. Mornings on the river are still; the afternoon run can get warm, so pacing and hydration matter. Conditions are usually settled, though the region sits in the tail of hurricane season — the 2024 edition was cancelled by Hurricane Helene.
Race Field Insights
How the Field Performs
Aggregated from 7,925 finishers (2021–2025)
- Total Starters
- 8,299
- Finishers
- 7,925
- DNF Rate
- 4.2%
- Years of Data
- 2021–2025
- Median Finish
- 6h 10m
Finish Time Distribution
How the Median Finisher Spends Race Day
What Each Pace Looks Like
Fast | Solid | Median | Back of Pack | Slow (P90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swim | 24m 59s | 27m 29s | 30m 21s | 33m 48s | 37m 40s |
| Bike | 2h 34m | 2h 47m | 3h 04m | 3h 23m | 3h 43m |
| Run | 1h 42m | 1h 58m | 2h 20m | 2h 44m | 3h 06m |
| Finish | 4h 55m | 5h 29m | 6h 10m | 6h 56m | 7h 37m |
Related reading
Race Day Weather and What It's Really Doing to Your Pacing Plan
Performance starts dropping over 22°C and humidity makes it worse. How heat compounds across the bike and run — and why the bike hides it.
Read postYour Race Plan Isn't Generic — Why Course Intelligence Changes Everything
Same FTP on two different courses produces two completely different races. Elevation, wind, and shelter change what every watt is worth.
Read postPlan IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta with Keiro
Get a complete pacing strategy for every discipline — built from this course, forecast weather, and your fitness.
Independent analysis. KeiroLabs is not the event organizer and is not affiliated with the race organizer.