Course description
A beautiful race along the Loire with a stunning castle backdrop. The swim is in the river, followed by a flat, fast bike course along the banks of the Cher, passing historic châteaux such as the Château d'Ussé. The run is flat and scenic by the water. Very fast — but prone to wind.
Coach tip
Flat and fast, so ideal for personal bests — but the bike course is prone to wind, so ride low in your aero position and to power. The river swim can vary with the current. Enjoy the flat run along the historic gardens and châteaux to hold an even pace through to the finish.
Kona qualification – IRONMAN Tours Métropole – Loire Valley
Typical qualifying times for the IRONMAN World Championship, estimated from the official qualification method and public results of the last few years (2026).
| Age group | Typical qualifying time | With roll-down (8 in 10) | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | |||
| F18-24 | 10:08:51 | 10:08:51 | 10:08:51–10:08:51 |
| F25-29 | 9:58:31 | 9:58:31 | 9:58:31–9:58:31 |
| F30-34 | 9:11:13 | 9:48:24 | 9:11:13–9:11:13 |
| F35-39 | 9:55:24 | 9:58:09 | 9:55:24–9:55:24 |
| F40-44 | 9:43:15 | 9:43:15 | 9:43:15–9:43:15 |
| F45-49 | 10:28:30 | 10:31:03 | 10:28:30–10:28:30 |
| F50-54 | 9:57:41 | 9:57:41 | 9:57:41–9:57:41 |
| F55-59 | 11:45:33 | 11:45:33 | 11:45:33–11:45:33 |
| F60-64 | 11:29:16 | 11:29:16 | 11:29:16–11:29:16 |
| Men | |||
| M18-24 | 8:41:02 | 8:41:02 | 8:41:02–8:41:02 |
| M25-29 | 8:32:37 | 8:36:45 | 8:32:37–8:32:37 |
| M30-34 | 8:16:04 | 8:31:29 | 8:16:04–8:16:04 |
| M35-39 | 8:34:39 | 8:36:53 | 8:34:39–8:34:39 |
| M40-44 | 8:48:09 | 8:48:09 | 8:48:09–8:48:09 |
| M45-49 | 8:54:53 | 9:10:05 | 8:54:53–8:54:53 |
| M50-54 | 9:29:41 | 9:31:46 | 9:29:41–9:29:41 |
| M55-59 | 9:47:36 | 10:02:16 | 9:47:36–9:47:36 |
| M60-64 | 10:02:40 | 10:28:28 | 10:02:40–10:02:40 |
| M65-69 | 10:51:06 | 10:51:06 | 10:51:06–10:51:06 |
Estimate, not a guarantee – field strength shifts the real cutoff. The roll-down column is a scenario assuming 8 in 10 athletes accept their slot; IRONMAN publishes no acceptance rates per age group.
Detailed breakdown & shareable image →