Insights · courses
30 courses ranked by total climbing
The 70.3 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 | Challenge San Remo | 1867 m | 1447 m | 420 m | — | Hard | — |
| 2 | Challenge Israman | 1761 m | 1703 m | 58 m | 22 °C | Hard | — |
| 3 | Ironman Rio De Janeiro 70.3 | 1659 m | 1344 m | 315 m | 23 °C | Hard | Aug 2027 |
| 4 | Ironman Aix En Provence 70.3 | 1477 m | 1289 m | 188 m | — | Hard | May 2027 |
| 5 | Ironman Nice 70.3 | 1337 m | 1235 m | 102 m | 22 °C | Hard | Jun 2027 |
| 6 | Ironman Maine 70.3 | 1290 m | 1167 m | 123 m | 17 °C | Medium | Jul 2027 |
| 7 | Ironman Mossel Bay 70.3 | 1206 m | 954 m | 252 m | 19 °C | Hard | 22 Nov 2026 |
| 8 | Challenge Sandefjord | 1202 m | 962 m | 240 m | 17 °C | Medium | — |
| 9 | Challenge Forte Village Sardinia | 1190 m | 1055 m | 135 m | — | Medium | — |
| 10 | Ironman Kraichgau 70.3 | 1159 m | 1041 m | 118 m | 23 °C | Medium | May 2027 |
| 11 | Ironman Rapperswil Jona 70.3 | 1159 m | 1041 m | 118 m | 17 °C | Medium | Jun 2027 |
| 12 | Ironman Jonkoping 70.3 | 1155 m | 983 m | 172 m | 20 °C | Medium | Jul 2027 |
| 13 | Ironman Port Macquarie 70.3 | 1143 m | 992 m | 151 m | 23 °C | Medium | 18 Oct 2026 |
| 14 | Challenge Peguera Mallorca | 1140 m | 956 m | 184 m | — | Medium | — |
| 15 | Challenge Kaiserwinkl Walchsee | 1104 m | 1012 m | 92 m | — | Medium | — |
| 16 | Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay | 1102 m | 1026 m | 76 m | — | Hard | 14 Mar 2027 |
| 17 | Ironman Zell am See 70.3 | 1097 m | 1015 m | 82 m | 17 °C | Medium | Aug 2027 |
| 18 | Ironman Cascais 70.3 | 1091 m | 820 m | 271 m | 17 °C | Medium | 17 Oct 2026 |
| 19 | Ironman Vichy 70.3 | 1083 m | 988 m | 95 m | 25 °C | Hard | Aug 2027 |
| 20 | Ironman Florianopolis 70.3 | 1081 m | 979 m | 102 m | 21.6 °C | Medium | 18 Oct 2026 |
| 21 | Ironman Swansea 70.3 | 1075 m | 1062 m | 13 m | 16 °C | Hard | Jul 2027 |
| 22 | Ironman Bolton 70.3 | 1039 m | 825 m | 214 m | 19 °C | Medium | Jun 2027 |
| 23 | Ironman Victoria 70.3 | 1010 m | 900 m | 110 m | 19 °C | Medium | May 2027 |
| 24 | Ironman Barranquilla 70.3 | 995 m | 919 m | 76 m | 28.8 °C | Medium | Jun 2027 |
| 25 | Ironman Los Cabos 70.3 | 993 m | 918 m | 75 m | 14.5 °C | Medium | Apr 2027 |
| 26 | Ironman Hawaii 70.3 | 970 m | 802 m | 168 m | 27 °C | Hard | May 2027 |
| 27 | Ironman Western Massachusetts 70.3 | 954 m | 794 m | 160 m | — | Medium | Jun 2027 |
| 28 | Ironman Cartagena 70.3 | 944 m | 742 m | 202 m | 27 °C | Medium | 29 Nov 2026 |
| 29 | Ironman Versailles 70.3 | 927 m | 747 m | 180 m | — | Medium | Jul 2027 |
| 30 | Ironman Encarnacion 70.3 | 925 m | 919 m | 6 m | 26 °C | Medium | 11 Oct 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 2026-10-12
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.