Overview
Compete in IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Cruz with a scenic swim in the Pacific Ocean, a challenging bike through coastal hills, and a run along beautiful beachside trails.
Surf City Showdown Sandstone IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Cruz has a long history in Santa Cruz, blending a chill, local-race vibe with the world-class IRONMAN experience athletes expect. Welcome to the Surf City Showdown: where rugged coastline, legendary surf, and fierce competition come together for an unforgettable mid-season race. Whether you're chasing a personal best or soaking in the California coast, there's no better place to race than Santa Cruz.
Race categories
113K
IRONMAN 70.3
- Schedule
Friday, September 11, 2026
12 PM · Shakeout Run + Coffee Social presented by Silicon Valley Triclub · Depot Park + Firefly Coffee 2 PM - 7 PM · Athlete Check-In & Timing Chip Pick-Up · Depot Park 2 PM - 7 PM · IRONMAN Village PLAYTRI Triathlon Store & Tech Service Center Information Tent · Depot Park 2 PM - 7 PM · Official IRONMAN Store · Depot Park 3 PM · Athlete Briefing presented by Sandstone: Get Your Details and Facts Right! · Depot Park 4 PM · First Timer Q&A · Depot Park 5 PM · Athlete Briefing presented by Sandstone: Get Your Details and Facts Right! · Depot ParkSaturday, September 12, 2026
8 AM - 9 AM · Morning Yoga with Cuisine Solutions · Depot Park 9 AM - 4 PM · Athlete Check-In & Timing Chip Pick-Up (AWA Priority Check-In Ends at Noon) · Depot Park 9 AM - 4 PM · IRONMAN Village PLAYTRI Triathlon Store & Tech Service Center Information Tent · Depot Park 9 AM - 4 PM · Official IRONMAN Store · Depot Park 9 AM - 4:30 PM · Mandatory Bike Check-In · Depot Park 9 AM · Getting Your Bike Race Day Ready · Depot Park 10 AM · Athlete Briefing presented by Sandstone: Get Your Details and Facts Right! · Depot Park 11 AM · Swim Tips & Tricks Stage Talk presented by Martin Spierings from TCM Tri Squad · Depot Park 12 PM · Athlete Briefing presented by Sandstone: Get Your Details and Facts Right! · Depot Park 1 PM · First Timer Q&A · Depot Park 2 PM · Athlete Briefing presented by Sandstone: Get Your Details and Facts Right! · Depot ParkSunday, September 13, 2026 - Race Day!
5 AM - 6:30 AM · Transition Area Open · Depot Park 7 AM · Age Group Rolling Start · Main Beach 8 AM - 4 PM · IRONMAN Village Information Tent/Lost & Found · Depot Park 8 AM - 4 PM · Official IRONMAN Store & Medal Engraving · Depot Park 10:30 AM - 5 PM · Athlete Post-Race Food · Depot Park 11 AM - 4 PM · Finish Line · Cowell’s Beach 2 PM - 5 PM · Mandatory Bike & Gear Check-Out · Depot Park 3 PM · Awards Ceremony & 2027 Precision Fuel & Hydration IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Slot Allocation/Rolldown Automatic Qualifiers need to be present during the Awards Ceremony to claim their slot with their award. Slot Allocation/Rolldown for the remaining age group “Performance Pool Slots” will begin immediately following Awards. Be early! Must be present to claim a slot. · Depot Park- Route
Swim
Ocean
Bike
Flat
Run
Rolling
Typical race-day conditions
Air 13–22 °C · Water 17 °CSwim course
The swim will start on Santa Cruz Main Beach next to the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Swimmers will swim clockwise around the Wharf and exit the water on Cowell’s Beach.Bike course
The bike course is a scenic tour of the California Coastline beginning at Depot Park. The course then takes athletes north on beautiful Highway 1 as you pass more beautiful California coastline to the turnaround near historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Riders will then head back south on Highway 1 and return back to the DepotRun course
The run course is an out-and-back starting at Depot Park and heading across the West Cliff Bridge to the West Cliff Path. From there, it’s a primarily flat, fast, and coastal run along the West Cliff path around Natural Bridges State Park. The course takes athletes through the surrounding community, along an access path to Wilder Ranch State Park for the dramatic turnaround on the rugged ocean bluffs. Runners will then return on the same route to an exciting finish on the beach at Cowell’s Beach. The last 100 yards of the run course will be completed on the beach and in the sand.
Update history
6 Oct 2026
Registration opened: — → https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-santa-cruz
6 Oct 2026
Time changed: 12 September at 0:00 → 12 September at 4:00
5 Oct 2026
Details added from ironman.com: description, scheduleText, routeInfo, location
5 Oct 2026
Auto-published (trusted source above threshold)
5 Oct 2026
Discovered on ironman.com (JSONLD, confidence 90%)
IRONMAN 70.3 Santa Cruz
Sun, 12 Sept 2027