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IRONMAN Australia, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
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IRONMAN Australia 2026

Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
18 October 2026 Triathlon Full (iron distance) Hastings River swimWinery Drive out-and-backFour-lap run

A full-distance race at Port Macquarie: a Hastings River swim, a bike via Hastings River Drive and Winery Drive and a four-lap run.

Terrain
Road
Hastings River Drive and Winery Drive
Elevation
Not yet published
The organiser does not state a course profile or elevation gain
Swim
River
Swim in the Hastings River.
Wetsuit
Wetsuit-legal at 24.5°C (76.1°F) or colder
up to 5 mm thick; prohibited above 24.5°C (organiser rule)
Region
New South Wales
Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
Your runway

2 weeks to race day: the sharpening window

A full build no longer fits, but a sharp one does. This close in, the job is specificity and freshness: race-pace touches, open-water or brick rehearsal, and a taper your nervous system actually absorbs. No heroics; arrive fresh.

R
Recover
Consider recovery context, sleep and readiness before adding training load.
A
Align
Fit the plan to your actual life, not the one you wish you had.
C
Condition
Minimum effective dose. The right sessions, done fresh.
E
Execute
Race-week protocol, pacing, contingency. Nothing new on race day.

Building for this one? Ironman training plan covers the sessions, the weekly shape and how the block is paced. The R.A.C.E. Framework explains why it is built that way.

Road to Race

Build my pacing and preparation plan.

Commit to the date and the work gets a shape: your countdown starts, the emails arrive in step with your build, and the app anchors a recovery-led block so the final week lands exactly on race day.

One confirmation email, then the road begins. Registering for the race itself stays with the organiser.

Already have the app, or want it? The app takes this race and builds the block around it.
Abraham Spring, founder of Unbroken

“The bike includes a short out-and-back on Winery Drive and the run is four laps, so plan fuelling around the repeating loops. The organiser publishes no elevation figure.”

Abraham Spring: founder, Unbroken

The race

IRONMAN Australia is on Sunday 18 October 2026. Swim: The Hastings River. Bike: Heads west on Hastings River Drive, then turns onto Winery Drive for a short out-and-back to Cassegrain Wines. Run: Four laps, starting by heading east. Wetsuits are legal at 24.5°C (76.1°F) or colder, up to 5 mm thick, and prohibited above that. The organiser does not state bike elevation gain, cut-off times and bike lap count on the pages read, so those details are not given here.

The course

Swim3.8 km
Lap count not published

Swim in the Hastings River. Wetsuits are legal at 24.5°C (76.1°F) or colder, up to 5 mm thick, and prohibited above that.

Bike180 km
Lap count not published

Heads west on Hastings River Drive, then turns onto Winery Drive for a short out-and-back to Cassegrain Wines.

Run42.2 km
4 laps

Four laps, starting by heading east.

Not yet confirmed for this edition: bike elevation gain, cut-off times, aid station spacing, water temperature history, course maps (not checked against official GPX), bike lap count. We publish these only once they are on the official course page, so check there before you pace off anything here.

Course details verified against the official IRONMAN Australia course page on 4 October 2026. Courses change; the official page is always the last word.

Questions, answered

When is IRONMAN Australia 2026?

IRONMAN Australia takes place on 18 October 2026.

What distances can I race at IRONMAN Australia?

Full (iron distance). Pick the distance that fits your training runway, not your ego: the right distance is the one you can arrive at fresh.

How hard is the course?

Road terrain, not yet published profile. The organiser does not state a course profile or elevation gain

What is the swim like?

Swim in the Hastings River.. Wetsuit-legal at 24.5°C (76.1°F) or colder, up to 5 mm thick; prohibited above 24.5°C (organiser rule). Practise open water before race week, not during it.

How long do I need to train for it?

Race day is 18 October 2026. For the full distance, a proper recovery-led build wants about 20 weeks, which means starting around 31 May 2026. Later starts still work: the block compresses honestly rather than pretending, and it always anchors to the exact race date.

How do I enter?

Entries are handled by the organiser. Use the Register button above: it goes straight to the official site.

Read before you race

Half Ironman Recovery Time: A Practical Return

A practical 70.3 recovery guide covering the first 72 hours, the first easy sessions and a response-led return to structured training.

How to Choose Your First European IRONMAN

Choose a first full-distance race by swim confidence, bike demands, weather, travel friction and the preparation your life can sustain.

European IRONMAN Calendar and Race Comparison Guide

Choose a European Ironman by season, swim environment, bike profile, climate, travel friction and the training runway available to you.

This listing is for information only. Unbroken is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by IRONMAN Australia or its organiser. Details are based on publicly available information; names are used descriptively to identify the event. For accurate, up-to-date information and entry, always use the official event website.

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