Ironman Arizona

November 21, 2010
Tempe, Arizona

Ironman Arizona is the second flattest course behind Ironman Florida. The transition area, swim course and expo are all very close together, and thanks to the three-loop bike and run courses, race day viewing is nothing short of spectacular.

• official site
• link to 2008 athlete guide pdf
• Registration: Sold Out

2008 (April) Pro Winners

Ironman Arizona Course Profile

Swim: 2.4 miles

The very large 1 loop rectangle swim course takes place at Tempe Town Lake. Tempe Town Lake looks more like a river than a lake. It's relatively narrow, but is ready-made for a triathlon swim - spectators can follow the entire swim race by simply walking along the shore. While the water is very murky (you can barely see your hand in front of you), the cool water (about 64 degrees in 2005), is very pleasant to swim in!

• average water temperature on race day is around 65F
• fresh water
• water start

Bike: 112 miles

The bike course is a 3 loop course, fairly flat with one climb per lap. The bike course is surprisingly challenging thanks to the many on the course that goes through the city of Tempe and in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community located Northeast of the city.

Aid Stations: approximately every 10 miles, serving:

• Gatorade Endurance Formula (orange)
• Water
• PowerBar Gels
• PowerBars
• Oranges
• Bananas

Run: 26.2 miles

The run course here at Ironman Arizona is the highlight of the day for the competitors. A lot of the marathon runs alongside Tempe Town Lake. This has more-than-a-few upsides: the course is very spectator friendly, is cooler because of the proximity to the water, and is also quite scenic.

Aid Stations: located approximately every mile, serving:

• Gatorade Endurance Formula (lemon-lime)
• Water
• Cola
• PowerBar Gel
• Pretzels
• Chicken Soup Broth (Fulls only, after dark)
• Oranges
• Bananas
• PowerBar

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