Ironman China Triathlon Race : April 19, 2009 | Asia's Ultimate Endurance Experience

RACE COURSE
With new roads available and athlete feedback in hand, the race course is being redesigned. The 2009 course described below provides a feel for the venue and the 2009 race course. Check back periodically for updates or sign up for our newsletter.

Event Director’s Notes:
The major improvements of our new course include: a sheltered swim course in the clean, slow moving waters of the Nandu River; a simple flat 3-leg course that includes urban and rural sections; and an incredibly clean and wide-open bike course that retains the unique section through the rural villages that was the highlight of the 2008 course. By moving the course from the west side of Haikou to the east side, both the bike and run courses completely avoid the traffic generated by the Port of Haikou. In many ways, the new bike course retains the same character as the 2008 course and the reviews of the 2008 course will give athletes a taste of what they can expect on the new bike course.

Haikou Weather Forecast, China

View Course Map >
Updated 11.27.08

The swim course is two 1900m loops. The planned start is on the west bank of the Nandu River on the north side of the Guoxing Avenue Bridge. After completing the first loop, swimmers will exit the River, run through a chute and then re-enter the River for the second loop. After completing the second loop, swimmers will run through the swim finish arch and enter the transition area.

Expected swim conditions: Warm, flat, slow-moving water. The configuration of the course may be adjusted for currents. Wetsuits are expected to be legal regardless of warm water temperatures.

*The City of Haikou will build a swim start/finish and transition area for the event. The swim course design may be modified to accommodate the final design of these areas.

View Course Map, Description (Elevation map coming soon*) >
Updated 10.07.08

* An elevation chart of the 2009 bike course will be created and posted as soon as race technical staff returns to Haikou. Note that the attached chart is of the 2008 course not the 2009 course. The 2009 course is similar but not as hilly as the 2008 course. The climb and descent from 53K to 70K on the 2008 chart is the Shin Shan Village Road section that is part of the 2009 course. This is the only major climb on the 2009 course. Broken down by sections, the 2009 course can be profiled as follows (all elevations are approximate):

Transition Area to the Airport — Very gentle climb from 5m to 25m. No significant hills.
Haikou Bypass Highway— This is divided, closed-access highway with long rolling hills reaching a maximum elevation of 90m near the Shugang Road exit.
Shugang Road to Nan Hai Road— straight-line descent from 90m to 30m.
Shi Shan Village Road to Green Passage Road— Climbs from 30m to 150m as indicated on the 2008 elevation chart.
Haikou Bypass Highway to Transition Area— Rolling hills and gentle descent back to 5m.

The bike course is two-identical loops of 90 kilometers each.
From the transition area, cyclists will turn left (south) on the New River Road and follow this road until it ends. After turning left, cyclists will cross the "Third Bridge" over the Nandu River and then turn right on the airport access road. At the airport entrance, cyclists will turn right on to the westbound side of the Haikou Bypass, a closed access highway. This section includes a series of gentle rolling hills. Cyclists will continue west on the Bypass to a U-turn point to be determined east of the "West Highway" exit.

After making the U-turn, cyclists ride east on the Haikou Bypass to the Shugang Road exit. Shugang Road (north) is a straight downhill ride on a well-paved 2-lane rural road to Nan Hai Road. Cyclist turn left into Nan Hai Road's southside bike lane and ride against traffic to Shi Shan Village Road. The left turn onto Shi Shan Village Road begins the "Village" section of the course that received rave notices from athletes last year. This narrow rural road passes through Dao Tang Village and then turns south (uphill) on Dao Tang Village Road to Scenic Crater Park.

After passing Scenic Crater Park, the course turns left (downhill) on Green Passage Road to the eastbound entrance ramp to the Haikou Bypass Highway. At the end of the highway (airport exit), cyclist return to the transition area on the same roads (airport access, Third Bridge and New River roads).

Bike Course Snap Shot:
New River Road and the Haikou Bypass are new roads. Other course roads are generally wide and in excellent condition. The course requires very few traffic cones and riders will have wide open conditions except possibly the few kilometers around the airport.

The roads comprising the11K climb up to Scenic Crater Park are narrow rural roads that cut through two farming villages. These roads, which are normally dirty in spots due to agricultural activities, will be clean on race day. There is a short, sharp climb up to the first of these villages, Shi Shan, where the mud brick and rock buildings abut the road making for an exciting passage indeed. The higher village, Dao Tang, is larger and home to the area's traditional market day. Cyclists passing through Dao Tang on market days will find the village gridlocked with activity. On race day both these villages will be lined with amazed spectators.

Course Map > (Elevation map coming soon! Please check back.)
Updated 10.07.08

The Ironman China K-Swiss Run Course is three 14k legs of the following course:

Leaving the transition area runners turn right (north) on the New River Road. At the end of the road, runners turn right on Changdi Road and cross the flat Xinfu Bridge onto an island. Following the island road, runners turn right and then left (north) until reaching a U-turn in a small rural village. runners will return on the island road to a second U-turn and then return to the Xinfu Bridge.

After crossing the bridge, runners continue straight (west) on Changdi Road's pedestrian path along the river. At the Clock Tower, runners cross Changdi/ (Bin Hai Road) to Xin Hua Road and run through the old city to East West Park. At the entrance to the Park, runners turn left on East West Park Road to a U-turn point (14k / end of leg #1)

After making the U-turn, runners return along the same course to the transition area (28k/ end of leg #2).

After making the U-turn, runners return along the same course to East West Lake Park. At the entrance to the park, runners run through the park gate and over the arch bridge to the finish line (42k/ end of leg #3).

View Map >
Updated 10.07.08

The finish line is located in East West Lake Park. Runners enter the Park through the pedestrian entrance, and traverse the traditional arch bridge over the lake to the finish line in front of the Park's monument.

Updated 10.07.08
Please check back for transition area information and maps.