Course description
'Face the Dragon' — a legendary race in Tenby. The swim is in the rough sea at North Beach (around a 1 km run to transition), followed by a brutal bike course with around 2,500 metres of climbing and the infamous 'Heartbreak Hill' in Saundersfoot. The undulating run and electric atmosphere are unique.
Coach tip
Control your heart rate on the many hills — pick an easy gear and don't over-pace the climbs. The run is a constant up and down that never lets you settle into a rhythm: ration your effort defensively. The world-famous crowd support carries you through all four run laps.
Kona qualification – Ironman Wales (Tenby)
Typical qualifying times for the IRONMAN World Championship, estimated from the official qualification method and public results of the last few years (2025, 2024, 2023).
| Age group | Typical qualifying time | With roll-down (8 in 10) | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | |||
| F18-24 | 11:38:53 | 11:38:53 | 11:19:12–11:46:23 |
| F25-29 | 11:23:18 | 11:23:18 | 11:03:02–11:30:30 |
| F30-34 | 11:19:36 | 12:03:32 | 11:06:00–11:44:04 |
| F35-39 | 11:33:34 | 12:10:47 | 11:20:40–12:16:36 |
| F40-44 | 11:37:44 | 11:55:01 | 11:31:26–11:42:25 |
| F45-49 | 12:05:06 | 12:44:39 | 11:29:09–12:15:42 |
| F50-54 | 11:45:36 | 11:45:36 | 11:23:33–13:27:12 |
| F55-59 | 13:20:32 | 13:20:32 | 13:09:33–13:31:31 |
| Men | |||
| M18-24 | 10:33:42 | 10:33:42 | 9:39:45–10:46:02 |
| M25-29 | 10:07:17 | 10:08:51 | 10:03:01–10:08:51 |
| M30-34 | 10:05:13 | 10:09:40 | 9:58:17–10:09:40 |
| M35-39 | 10:09:55 | 10:15:31 | 9:58:03–10:17:18 |
| M40-44 | 10:20:38 | 10:25:47 | 10:20:16–10:25:40 |
| M45-49 | 10:43:24 | 10:53:10 | 10:42:47–10:47:36 |
| M50-54 | 11:13:51 | 11:17:33 | 11:07:40–11:17:33 |
| M55-59 | 11:42:41 | 11:55:37 | 11:39:37–11:45:21 |
| M60-64 | 12:11:55 | 12:23:34 | 11:56:56–12:36:39 |
| M65-69 | 13:31:01 | 13:31:01 | 13:31:01–13:31:01 |
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 →