IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina
Course breakdown, historical weather, and field analysis.
A fast Wrightsville Beach channel swim and flat coastal racing
Wilmington, United States · October 17, 2026
IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina runs from Wrightsville Beach into Wilmington — a fast, tidal channel swim, flat coastal-plain roads, and a flat downtown run. Notably held on a Saturday in late October, it's one of the biggest and most popular fields on the US circuit.
- Swim
- 2.1 km
- Ocean
- Bike
- 91.2 km
- ↑182m · Flat
- Run
- 21.3 km
- ↑48m · Flat
- Air Temp
- 6–26°C
- Water Temp
- 19°C
- Wind
- 14 km/h
- E
Swim Course
Fast point-to-point swim in Banks Channel
The 1.9 km swim is a point-to-point in the Intracoastal Waterway (Banks Channel) at Wrightsville Beach — tidal saltwater, not the open Atlantic surf — which can carry a helpful current. Late-October water averages around 19°C, comfortably wetsuit-legal. It's a fast, sheltered swim compared with an ocean-surf start.
- Point-to-point in tidal Banks Channel (not open surf)
- Tidal current can assist
- ~19°C — wetsuit-legal
- Fast and sheltered vs an ocean start
Bike Course
Flat coastal-plain riding
The 90 km bike is flat — only around 180 m of gain across the coastal plain inland from Wilmington. It's a course for sustained aero power, with wind off the coast the main variable. Expect fast, honest splits on good roads.
- Flat coastal plain (~180 m of gain)
- Sustained-aero-power course
- Coastal wind is the main variable
- One intermediate bike cut-off
Run Course
Flat downtown Wilmington run
The 21.1 km run is flat (~50 m of gain) through historic downtown Wilmington and along the Cape Fear riverfront, with aid roughly every mile and strong crowd support. The flat profile and large field make for a fast, lively finish.
- Flat (~50 m) — fast finishing 13.1
- Historic downtown Wilmington & riverfront
- Aid roughly every mile
- Big field, lively crowds
Race Day Conditions
Mild coastal autumn — a Saturday race
Late October on the North Carolina coast is mild and often pleasant, with comfortable race-day temperatures and coastal wind the main variable. Unusually, the race is held on a Saturday. Sitting late in the season, an occasional coastal system can bring wind or rain, but conditions are typically fast and forgiving.
Race Field Insights
How the Field Performs
Aggregated from 9,396 finishers (2022–2025)
- Total Starters
- 9,662
- Finishers
- 9,396
- DNF Rate
- 2.7%
- Years of Data
- 2022–2025
- Median Finish
- 5h 59m
Finish Time Distribution
How the Median Finisher Spends Race Day
What Each Pace Looks Like
Fast | Solid | Median | Back of Pack | Slow (P90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swim | 27m 31s | 30m 15s | 33m 22s | 36m 35s | 40m 04s |
| Bike | 2h 33m | 2h 44m | 3h 00m | 3h 19m | 3h 37m |
| Run | 1h 40m | 1h 52m | 2h 09m | 2h 32m | 2h 54m |
| Finish | 4h 57m | 5h 24m | 5h 59m | 6h 42m | 7h 26m |
Plan IRONMAN 70.3 North Carolina with Keiro
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Independent analysis. KeiroLabs is not the event organizer and is not affiliated with the race organizer.