Ironman 70.3 Peru 2026: Preview of the Race on April 26 in Lima

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On Sunday, 26 April 2026, the Ironman 70.3 Peru will kick off in Lima—the only Ironman 70.3 race of the weekend boasting a prize purse of US$15,000. For German triathlon fans, it’s the first must-attend event of the South America season, and for age-groupers eyeing a slot at the World Championship in Nice, it’s a serious point-scoring opportunity.

Course profile along the Costa Verde

The swim takes place in open water off Playa Agua Dulce in the Chorrillos district. Two laps, out against the current and back with it. The Pacific off Lima in April is more energetic than a Bavarian lake: swell and small waves are part of the programme. Anyone used to pools and calm waters will underestimate the discipline. Two test swims the day before are listed in the event programme, according to the Peruvian Triathlon Federation.

The 90 km bike leg follows the Costa Verde—the coastal road between Chorrillos and Magdalena del Mar. Flat to gently rolling terrain, with wind as the main adversary. There are no significant climbs, but the Pacific breeze can make the return leg tough in April. The half-marathon finale runs along the Malecón, the waterfront promenade with ocean views: virtually flat, sparse shade, temperatures between 18 °C and 22 °C.

What to expect from the field – and what German starters should do

Lima is not a race like the German classics in Roth or Hamburg, where half the Bundesliga shows up. The pro fields at these South American spring races are typically smaller and internationally mixed: local Peruvians, US and South American pros, rarely more than two or three European faces. That’s exactly what makes Peru interesting for age-groupers – the podium distance is shorter than in Europe.

For German age-groupers tackling this distance for the first time: the elevation profile is on your side, the water temperature is not. Seventeen degrees in the Pacific without prior acclimatisation is a brutal start – the only remedy is cold-water experience or two acclimatisation swims on Friday and Saturday. Travel strategy is the second lever: arrive at least four days before race day, with Friday as the ideal acclimatisation day. If you still want to refine your swim technique, our analysis which swim stroke builds the most capacity offers useful answers for the final six months of your season prep.

Live tracking from Germany on 26 April

The time-zone math works in Germany’s favour: Peru is seven hours behind CEST. A 6 a.m. local pro start equals 1 p.m. Central European Summer Time – coffee in the sun instead of a midnight shift. The first pro finishers cross the line around 9:50 a.m. Lima time, i.e. 4:50 p.m. in Germany. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon in front of the laptop.

Three primary sources for race day: the official Ironman tracker app (runs on bib numbers, shows live splits), the Professional Triathletes Organisation’s pro-time database (stats.protriathletes.org with forecast ratings) and Ironman Perú’s social channels – they post course photos and overtaking moments in real time. The German triathlon specialist portals triathlonworld.de and tri-mag.de usually follow up 24 hours later with in-depth analyses.

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Why Peru and not Texas this weekend?

The Ironman 70.3 Texas race already took place on 29 March 2026. Instead, on 25–26 April the action shifts to Peru (Lima), Brazil (Brasília) and Spain (Peñíscola). Of these three, Lima boasts the most star-studded pro field and the largest prize purse.

How many slots for the World Championship are up for grabs in Peru?

Ironman will publish the final slot allocation in the athlete guide. For a 70.3 of this size, expect roughly 30–50 age-group slots for the 70.3 World Championship in Nice 2026, distributed across age groups and starters per category. The exact number is released before race day.

What’s the entry fee for age-group athletes?

For 2026 the official site lists the entry fee between 350 and 450 US dollars, depending on registration timing. Registration for 2026 is already closed. The most interesting window for 2027 planners is the race-week slot at the end of April, which grants on-site access to next year’s registration.

When will the first results go live?

Live pro splits appear during the race. Full results—including age groups—typically drop 30–90 minutes after the final finisher crosses the line on ironman.com and the live tracker. For German readers, everything is online by Monday morning, including split times at every checkpoint.

Tobias Massow
CEO Evernine Media GmbH, Publisher / Evernine Media ››

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