Ironman 70.3 and Ironman Cutoff Times

Ironman 70.3 cutoffs: swim 1:10, bike 5:30 (cumulative), finish 8:30. Full Ironman: swim 2:20, bike 10:30 (cumulative), finish 17:00. Measured from your swim start. Your race's athlete guide overrides these.

Will I make the cutoffs?

Enter your race paces and transition times. The checker adds up your time at each cutoff point and shows the margin you have left.

1.9 km (1.2 mi) swim, 90 km (56 mi) bike, 21.1 km (13.1 mi) run

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Your margin at each cutoff, Ironman 70.3

Swim cutoff
You reach it at 0:48, cutoff 1:10
23 min to spare
Comfortable
Bike cutoff (swim + T1 + bike)
You reach it at 4:29, cutoff 5:30
62 min to spare
Comfortable
Finish cutoff
You reach it at 6:59, cutoff 8:30
91 min to spare
Comfortable

Green means at least 15 minutes to spare, yellow less than that, red a missed cutoff. The 15 minute line is this site's planning threshold, room for a puncture or a rough swim, not an Ironman rule. Leg times come from the same model as the triathlon finish time calculator, which gives your full predicted time.

70.3 and Ironman Cutoff Times Table

Every cutoff is counted from your swim start and is cumulative: the bike cutoff includes the swim and T1, the finish cutoff the whole race. Transitions have no cutoff of their own, but the time spent in them counts toward the bike and finish limits.

Ironman 70.3: 1.9 km (1.2 mi), 90 km (56 mi), 21.1 km (13.1 mi)

CutoffFrom swim startWhat it means in practice
Swim1:103:41 per 100 m (3:22 per 100 yd) or faster. Slow swimming with short rests still makes it.
Bike5:30After a full 1:10 swim and a 3 minute T1, 4:17 is left for the bike: 21.0 km/h (13.1 mph) on average.
Finish8:30Off the bike at 5:30 with a 2.5 minute T2, 2:58 is left for the run: 8:25 per km (13:32 per mile), a walking pace.

Full Ironman: 3.8 km (2.4 mi), 180 km (112 mi), 42.2 km (26.2 mi)

CutoffFrom swim startWhat it means in practice
Swim2:203:41 per 100 m (3:22 per 100 yd) or faster. Slow swimming with short rests still makes it.
Bike10:30After a full 2:20 swim and a 4 minute T1, 8:06 is left for the bike: 22.2 km/h (13.8 mph) on average.
Finish17:00Off the bike at 10:30 with a 3 minute T2, 6:27 is left for the run: 9:10 per km (14:46 per mile), a walking pace.

The practical column assumes you use every earlier allowance in full and take the planning transitions of the finish time calculator, 3 and 2.5 minutes on a 70.3, 4 and 3 on a full. It shows the slowest pace that still makes each cutoff, not a pace to plan for.

What Happens If You Miss a Cutoff

You are stopped at that point. Officials take you off the course, usually at the swim exit, in transition or at a timing point, you are recorded as DNF (did not finish), and there is no official finish time. You cannot continue the race once the cutoff has passed.

Intermediate Cutoffs on the Bike and Run

Some races add intermediate cutoffs at timing mats along the bike or run course, at points and times that depend on the course. They are listed in the athlete guide for your race, and only there.

Where these numbers come from

The cutoffs are the standard values printed in Ironman athlete guides, the same in most races: 1:10, 5:30 and 8:30 for a 70.3, 2:20, 10:30 and 17:00 for a full Ironman. They are not a rule Ironman publishes globally: every race publishes its own in its athlete guide. This page shows the most common value, and Wikipedia, marathonhandbook.com, besttriathletes.com and ekoi.com give the same figures.

Exceptions exist. Some full distance races close the bike at 10:00 or the finish at 16:00 or 16:30, depending on the course, and marathonhandbook.com lists Ironman Vitoria at 15:40 overall with the bike closing at 9:10. With the usual 7:00 start, a 17:00 finish cutoff is midnight.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a time limit for 70.3?

Yes. The standard Ironman 70.3 limits are 1:10 for the swim, 5:30 for swim and bike together, and 8:30 for the whole race, all measured from your swim start. Your race's athlete guide can set different ones, and it is the version that counts.

What is the Ironman bike cutoff?

On a full Ironman the standard bike cutoff is 10:30 from your swim start, which includes the swim and T1, so it is not 10:30 of riding. Some races close the bike at 10:00. On a 70.3 it is 5:30, again counted from the swim start.

Are 70.3 cutoffs strict?

Treat them as strict. A cutoff is a hard limit written into the athlete guide, not a target, and an athlete who reaches the cutoff point after it has passed is taken off the course. Plan for a margin rather than for the limit itself; the checker on this page shows how much you have.

What happens if I miss the swim cutoff?

You do not start the bike. Officials stop you at the swim exit or in transition, you are recorded as DNF (did not finish), and you get no official finish time. The same applies at the bike and finish cutoffs.

To predict your whole race time leg by leg, use the triathlon finish time calculator. For the paces a goal time needs, see the split calculator.