Insights · courses
30 courses ranked by total climbing
The Ironman courses with the most 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. Treat the numbers as a planning input: 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 Leeds | 2958 m | 2519 m | 439 m | 17 °C | Hard | Aug 2027 |
| 2 | Ironman Wales | 2906 m | 2353 m | 553 m | 17 °C | Hard | 13 Sep 2026 |
| 3 | Ironman Brazil | 2844 m | 2785 m | 59 m | — | Hard | 13 Jun 2027 |
| 4 | Ironman Les Sables D'Olonne-Vendee | 2755 m | 2518 m | 237 m | 19 °C | Hard | 27 Jun 2027 |
| 5 | Ironman France Nice | 2747 m | 2495 m | 252 m | 26.4 °C | Hard | 12 Sep 2027 |
| 6 | Ironman Lanzarote | 2614 m | 2499 m | 115 m | 19 °C | Hard | 15 May 2027 |
| 7 | Ironman Lake Placid - New York | 2481 m | 2179 m | 302 m | 22 °C | Hard | 25 Jul 2027 |
| 8 | Ironman Vichy | 2398 m | 2087 m | 311 m | — | Hard | Aug 2027 |
| 9 | Ironman Chattanooga | 2246 m | 1919 m | 327 m | 25 °C | Hard | 27 Sep 2026 |
| 10 | Ironman Wisconsin | 2171 m | 1965 m | 206 m | 24 °C | Hard | 13 Sep 2026 |
| 11 | Ironman Thun | 2036 m | 2004 m | 32 m | 17 °C | Hard | Jul 2027 |
| 12 | Ironman Cascais | 1931 m | 1708 m | 223 m | 17 °C | Hard | 17 Oct 2026 |
| 13 | Ironman Klagenfurt | 1846 m | 1772 m | 74 m | 23 °C | Medium | Jun 2027 |
| 14 | Ironman Australia Port Macquarie | 1840 m | 1512 m | 328 m | 23 °C | Medium | 18 Oct 2026 |
| 15 | Challenge Roth | 1658 m | 1516 m | 142 m | 22 °C | Medium | — |
| 16 | Ironman World Championship | 1615 m | 1367 m | 248 m | 27.1 °C | Hard | 10 Oct 2026 |
| 17 | Ironman New Zealand | 1609 m | 1354 m | 255 m | — | Medium | 6 Mar 2027 |
| 18 | Ironman Philippines | 1580 m | 1354 m | 226 m | 30.7 °C | Hard | 13 Jun 2027 |
| 19 | Ironman Taupo | 1568 m | 1392 m | 176 m | 18 °C | Medium | Mar 2027 |
| 20 | Ironman Frankfurt | 1404 m | 1316 m | 88 m | 23 °C | Medium | 27 Jun 2027 |
| 21 | Ironman Cairns | 1389 m | 1135 m | 254 m | 23 °C | Medium | 13 Jun 2027 |
| 22 | Ironman Copenhagen | 1387 m | 1152 m | 235 m | 18 °C | Easy | Aug 2027 |
| 23 | Ironman Port Elizabeth | 1313 m | 1096 m | 217 m | 20 °C | Medium | Apr 2027 |
| 24 | Ironman Vitoria Gasteiz | 1245 m | 1099 m | 146 m | 21 °C | Easy | 11 Jul 2027 |
| 25 | Ironman Malaysia | 1215 m | 1191 m | 24 m | — | Medium | 21 Nov 2026 |
| 26 | Ironman Penghu | 1133 m | 1128 m | 5 m | — | Medium | Apr 2027 |
| 27 | Ironman Tours Metropole Loire | 1126 m | 856 m | 270 m | — | Easy | Jun 2027 |
| 28 | Ironman San Juan | 998 m | 781 m | 217 m | 29.3 °C | Medium | 1 Nov 2026 |
| 29 | Ironman Barcelona | 956 m | 752 m | 204 m | 22 °C | Easy | 4 Oct 2026 |
| 30 | Ironman Valdivia | 934 m | 803 m | 131 m | 14.1 °C | Medium | 29 Nov 2026 |
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.