Insights · courses
30 courses ranked by total climbing
The Ironman courses with the least climbing in the directory, by total elevation gain across bike and run. Climbing is the single biggest driver of the automatic difficulty rating, together with water temperature and how finishers compare with the average for the distance. Use the flattest courses as a reference when you are chasing a personal best; the Race Lab converts climbing into time once you set your own bike and run paces.
| # | Race | Total climbing | Bike | Run | Water | Difficulty | Next edition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ironman Maryland | 88 m | 39 m | 49 m | — | Easy | 19 Sep 2026 |
| 2 | Ironman Cozumel | 208 m | 173 m | 35 m | 26 °C | Medium | 22 Nov 2026 |
| 3 | Ironman California | 224 m | 107 m | 117 m | — | Easy | 18 Oct 2026 |
| 4 | Ironman Sacramento | 229 m | 104 m | 125 m | 18 °C | Easy | Oct 2026 |
| 5 | Ironman Western Australia | 250 m | 225 m | 25 m | — | Easy | 6 Dec 2026 |
| 6 | Challenge Almere | 320 m | 232 m | 88 m | 19 °C | Easy | — |
| 7 | Ironman Florida | 494 m | 462 m | 32 m | 22 °C | Easy | 7 Nov 2026 |
| 8 | Ironman Vietnam | 502 m | 444 m | 58 m | 27.7 °C | Medium | May 2027 |
| 9 | Ironman Jacksonville | 572 m | 450 m | 122 m | — | Medium | 16 May 2027 |
| 10 | Ironman Hamburg | 576 m | 500 m | 76 m | 21 °C | Easy | 6 Jun 2027 |
| 11 | Ironman Tallinn | 606 m | 524 m | 82 m | 18 °C | Easy | Aug 2027 |
| 12 | Ironman Emilia Romagna | 618 m | 603 m | 15 m | 22 °C | Medium | Sep 2026 |
| 13 | Ironman Texas | 677 m | 577 m | 100 m | 22 °C | Medium | 24 Apr 2027 |
| 14 | Ironman Kalmar | 770 m | 668 m | 102 m | 20 °C | Medium | Aug 2027 |
| 15 | Ironman Canada Ottawa | 887 m | 692 m | 195 m | — | Medium | Aug 2027 |
| 16 | Ironman Oman | 925 m | 819 m | 106 m | — | Medium | 5 Dec 2026 |
| 17 | Ironman Valdivia | 934 m | 803 m | 131 m | 14.1 °C | Medium | 29 Nov 2026 |
| 18 | Ironman Barcelona | 956 m | 752 m | 204 m | 22 °C | Easy | 4 Oct 2026 |
| 19 | Ironman San Juan | 998 m | 781 m | 217 m | 29.3 °C | Medium | 1 Nov 2026 |
| 20 | Ironman Tours Metropole Loire | 1126 m | 856 m | 270 m | — | Easy | Jun 2027 |
| 21 | Ironman Penghu | 1133 m | 1128 m | 5 m | — | Medium | Apr 2027 |
| 22 | Ironman Malaysia | 1215 m | 1191 m | 24 m | — | Medium | 21 Nov 2026 |
| 23 | Ironman Vitoria Gasteiz | 1245 m | 1099 m | 146 m | 21 °C | Easy | 11 Jul 2027 |
| 24 | Ironman Port Elizabeth | 1313 m | 1096 m | 217 m | 20 °C | Medium | Apr 2027 |
| 25 | Ironman Copenhagen | 1387 m | 1152 m | 235 m | 18 °C | Easy | Aug 2027 |
| 26 | Ironman Cairns | 1389 m | 1135 m | 254 m | 23 °C | Medium | 13 Jun 2027 |
| 27 | Ironman Frankfurt | 1404 m | 1316 m | 88 m | 23 °C | Medium | 27 Jun 2027 |
| 28 | Ironman Taupo | 1568 m | 1392 m | 176 m | 18 °C | Medium | Mar 2027 |
| 29 | Ironman Philippines | 1580 m | 1354 m | 226 m | 30.7 °C | Hard | 13 Jun 2027 |
| 30 | Ironman New Zealand | 1609 m | 1354 m | 255 m | — | Medium | 6 Mar 2027 |
Elevation figures come from organisers and course files in the Pacer Quest directory. Only races with a next edition in the calendar are listed.
Pacer Quest — plan your pace, chase your slot. · All races · Race directory · Updated 2026-09-07
Race names are used for identification only. Pacer Quest is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by The IRONMAN Group / World Triathlon Corporation, Challenge Family or PTO.