Race Reviews: Ironman 70.3 Warsaw

oliverbridge7
Nov 2
7 min read

Updated: Nov 5

Ironman 70.3 Warsaw course review - what is it like?

General

Warsaw is a race that is relatively new on the Ironman Europe calendar and provides a really fantastic race experience with some standout positives! The main one being - is there another race in the world that goes straight through the tourist heart of a capital city?

A course on the faster side with little elevation, good roads and flat (but mentally tough) run.
Cheaper side of entry fees, with lots of accommodation
The run is in the heart of Warsaw
The bike is slightly short, the run is slightly long.
A lake swim with a long run in weeds to start
T1 + T2 are in separate places, the start + T1 being far away is the most annoying part of this race.
Your bags are brought to T2 after the race
One of the races that does not have Maurten gels

Climate

The race happens typically in June and so typically is a good temperature for racing, neither too hot or cold and it is not a humid area. However that being said It can be windy, with quite a bit of exposure on the wide roads of the bike course and down the run straight.

What is the Ironman 70.3 Warsaw SWIM course like?

The lake - Lake Zegrzynski near Nieporęt Port - and start is a fair distance outside the capital city where you end up, and are likely staying.

There is a train that travels there and takes around 30 minutes, there is one organised for race day but be sure to get there early - it is not the easiest train station to figure out entry to and the train will be packed and very busy!

This is a train that will take you to T1 the day before to rack your bike so if you do that then you will have some comfort through practice. Otherise there are ubers and taxis that can take you, however be sure to go early enough as most roads will be closed once the race starts.

The swim isn't the most pleasant, no pretending. The lake looks pretty enough and the water seems clean from man made pollution but it has a very muddy bottom and so the water has zero visbility once your head is down, it's al just murky brown. The swim has a fairly unusual start in that it is quite shallow for a fair distance so you have a choice of how far to run before diving in and swimming. I think you can get about 30-50m before it becomes quicker to swim than wade. It's also very sludgy mud underfoot that doesn't feel very pleasant and who knows, you could stand on a rock as you are trying to run.

The swim seems one of the simple ones that goes out and back. However! You swim out and then turn slightly right so the buoys are not totally straight / perpendicular from the shore. You do the same when you turn around for the exit. Therefore it is worth thinking of a strategy of which one you'll sight on the way out to get the fastest route and then the way back doing the same, with perhaps taking a longer moment when you turn slightly to be sure you're going the right direction.

That final buoy and slight turn is good however because it works as a good milestone to squeeze whatever left you have in your arms out without risking going too early.

As a lake swim there is a chance of waves and wind but it is likely to be very gentle.

The swim exit is easy and not steep.

You're very quickly onto tarmac and run around 50m to T1.

T1 is all on grass once you enter, both the bags and your bikes. The ground is rather bumpy so watch your step.

T1 is not too long but is quite wide with several racks so make sure you know where your bike is and don't end up going to the wrong line.

What is the Ironman 70.3 Warsaw BIKE course like?

154m Elevation, circa 88km.

The bike is a 1 lap course that takes you out into the Polish countryside before coming in hot back to the capital city. The roads are really good without exception, smooth throughout and despiete a few turns it is dialled in for a fast time. You ride out of the T2 area for 100-200m and turn left and it's straight into your effort, fast from the start.

As you're going out and around the countryiside this not too much to talk about as the elevation stays consistent. One thing perhaps to comment is that there are quite a few curves and turns where people can surge so if you're trying to keep up with people you've targeted that is something to expect.

Othwerise, there are two small sections that are narrow and you cannot overtake however they are very short.

About halfway through the bike, you come past T1 and it's a nice feeling to feel like Warsaw is now a magnet drawing me in because you're on a relatively straight line through the suburbs.

Do not expect crowds or support on these bike course, the isolated nature of the start as well as main roads means there is next to no support on the sides.

The last quarter of the bike is the most interesting and worth preparing for. As you come into town you turn right onto a big road, main carriageway that is closed to cars, after a few 100ms there is a big roundabout you go left around and start onto a very large, long bridge that is only ever used for cars. This is pretty cool and is also where most of the courses elevation comes in. Be prepared to push harder, the adrenaline will rise and everyone will end up pushing a bit more. You come down off this bridge FAST around sweeping corners and then onto another main, multiple lane road that is totally closed. This goes slightly downhill into Warsaw and is a time for carrying a lot of speed and focus on keeping momentum.

You go past the finish line near the end of the ride and a cool part where you go in out, turn around then in out again of a fast underground tunnel. Be prepared for your GPS to disappear and your average speed to annoyingly drop as the distance I travelled under the tunnel seemingly didn't register in both directions.

As you come out of the tunnel for the second time, there is just 1-2km left so this is the time to finish your nutrition and focus for what you're doing in T2 and the run.

To get to T2 there is a little climb of around 300m and then a relatively precarious whizz around a crescent in a small park so don't get your feet out until you're over the climb and in the park.

Is on an astroruf football pitch that feels comfortable and sure underfoot. It can be a very quick transition and there is not much to report except one key thing!

You run to rack your bike, run to the end of the pitch to your bags and then you are going to run back to the end you came in to exit. HOWEVER, don't do what I did which is miss that there is a barriered lane you have to run out through that starts at the end you collect your bags.

So instead of being like me and running up-down twice, make sure you run to the end of the bag collection and to the T2 exit up the assigned barriered lane.

What is the Ironman 70.3 Warsaw RUN course like?

The run is a bit long, about 700m so.

The run is really cool! And very well supported

The run can be mentally tough because it is 4 laps and all on the same road.

Warsaw can be windy as I've said and on the run the wind was howling down one of the straights that although the air temperature was mild, the wind was making it quite cold.

As you leave T2 you turn right before , you are more or less at the turn-around point you'll take for each lap so you can gauge from the start what 1 lap is going to feel like. The run is all on the same road, running on both sides. The way out is ever so slightly more uphill and the way back downhill (obviously....).

So I'll describe 1 lap and then you do it 4 times + a BIG finish.

The lap starts on a relatively main road, closed of course and there isn't much to look around at, this is where you can feel the gradient the most even though it's slight. You pass under the arch of a building and that signals the real start of the fireworks. You do a slight wiggle and suddenly you're on one of, if not the most visited part of Warsaw that is full of tourists gawping at these 'lunatics' doing something so challenging. The surface for a part is kind of that tiled / cobbled, it doesn't feel tough whilst you might expect it to be a bit harder, it looks great and feels quite special as you sweat through the most aesthetic part of Warsaw.

Put a smile on and embrace how lucky you are in the moment to be experiencing it, particularly on the 1st lap. It might be harder on the last! There are a couple of entertainment points here and music playing loud - I was graced by an electric violin vesion of AC/DC's thunderstruck which was epic.

The main couple of aid stations are at the turn-round of the lap. On the first lap be prepared that there isn't one therefore in the first 2-3km. The stations are well stocked, kids with hoses, sponges and what you're used to.

HOWEVER - they did not have Maurten in 2025. So don't be like me who uses them but did not take any in T2, banking on the aid stations, and subequently do the whole run without half a smushed banana and the taste of two gels before they came back up.

The LAST lap - instead of turning around near T2, you will gratefully continue straight and there is a big sweeping downhill that makes the run longer than it should but it is also fast. If you're really struggling it's a sweet relief to roll to the finish. If you're feeling good you can push and go FAST.

The finish line is also EPIC. It is a very long carpeted finishing straight with amazing support, sound system and large sponsor balloons that give you such incredible energy on finishing.

The finish is also where you register so you'll have seen that it's a really cool area with a spectacular fountain.