When is IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau 2027?

On Sunday, 23 May 2027. The 5150 Kraichgau short-course race takes place the same day (source: ironman.com).

Where exactly does IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau take place?

The swim and T1 are at Lake Hardtsee in Ubstadt-Weiher. T2, the run and the finish are in Bad Schönborn (Pestalozzistraße 3). The race doesn't take place in Stuttgart itself (source: ironman.com, Directions).

In early October 2026, individual entry cost €559.28 including €139.28 processing fees, a relay €898.84. Prices rise when a tier fills (source: ironman.com, Registration).

How does the relay work?

Two or three people aged 18+ split swim, bike and run as they like. The captain registers and pays for everyone; team changes are possible until ten days before the race (source: ironman.com, Relay Teams and FAQs).

How hard is the bike course?

The 90 km form one loop through the hilly Kraichgau with climbs and fast straights. German Wikipedia puts it at around 1,000 metres of climbing (sources: ironman.com, Course; de.wikipedia.org).

How do I get there by train?

The station is Bad Schönborn-Kronau. According to the organiser it's about 1.5 hours from Stuttgart, 1:45 from Frankfurt and around 25 minutes by S-Bahn from Karlsruhe (source: ironman.com, Directions).

IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau 2027: Date, Course, Relay

On 23 May 2027 the race starts in Lake Hardtsee in Ubstadt-Weiher and finishes in Bad Schönborn. Here's how a race with two transition zones works, what it costs and how to enter as a relay with your running group.

Daniel Gruber · 4 October 2026 · 7 min read

IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau 2027: Date, Course, Relay

IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau 2027 takes place on Sunday, 23 May 2027 (source: ironman.com, IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau). The swim is in Lake Hardtsee in Ubstadt-Weiher, the finish is in Bad Schönborn, Pestalozzistraße 3 (source: ironman.com, Directions). So Stuttgart isn't the venue – it's one of the places you travel from: by train it's about 1.5 hours to Bad Schönborn-Kronau according to the organiser, and around 25 minutes by S-Bahn (suburban train) from Karlsruhe. Registration is open, and entering by 9 December 2026 gets you more flexible transfer and refund terms.

The race at a glance

Item	Details
Date	Sunday, 23 May 2027
Swim	1.9 km, one loop in Lake Hardtsee, Ubstadt-Weiher
Bike	90 km, one hilly loop through the Kraichgau
Run	21.1 km, three flat laps through Bad Schönborn
Transition 1	car park by the Hardtsee swim exit
Transition 2 and finish	Bad Schönborn-Mingolsheim
Individual entry	€559.28 all-in (€420 plus €139.28 processing fees), as of 4 October 2026
Relay entry	€898.84 all-in (€675 plus €223.84), 2 or 3 people, as of 4 October 2026
Same day	5150 Kraichgau (short course)
Last edition	31 May 2026, 2,219 finishers (record)

Sources: ironman.com (race page, course, registration, directions, relay teams, event schedule), de.wikipedia.org (2026 review). As of 3 October 2026.

Two towns, one race

First-timers should take the logistics seriously, because start and finish are in different places. Transition 1 is a car park about 100 metres from the Hardtsee swim exit, where you grab your blue bike bag and stow your wetsuit (source: ironman.com, Course). Transition 2 is in Bad Schönborn, where the red run bag waits.

That means two trips on race weekend: in 2026, the red bag was dropped at T2 in Bad Schönborn on Saturday and the bike plus blue bag checked in at T1 in Ubstadt-Weiher that afternoon (source: ironman.com, Event Schedule). Packet pick-up was at the Ohrenberghalle in Bad Schönborn-Mingolsheim. The 2027 schedule isn't out yet; the organiser explicitly offers the 2026 plan as a reference.

The course: one lake, a thousand hills, three laps

Swim: one 1.9 km loop in Lake Hardtsee, which the organiser describes as having flat banks and clear water (source: ironman.com, Course).

Bike: a single 90 km loop through the "Land of 1,000 Hills" with forests and vineyards, with challenging climbs and fast straights according to the organiser (source: ironman.com, Course). German Wikipedia puts the elevation gain at around 1,000 metres (source: de.wikipedia.org). For runners from flat regions, this is the leg that needs the most preparation.

Run: three flat laps totalling 21.1 km through Bad Schönborn, now including the redesigned Kurpark (spa gardens) (source: ironman.com, Course). Three laps mean your supporters see you three times, and you can pace by lap. The first usually feels easy after the bike; the third decides the race.

May weather: anything goes

The weather data from the last three editions shows why Kraichgau needs two plans (source: ironman.com, Course):

Year	Air temperature	Water temperature
2026	13 to 30 °C	no data
2025	8 to 17 °C	18 °C
2024	10 to 19 °C	19 °C

Anything from a chilly 8 °C morning to a 30 °C race day is possible. On the run: in heat, hold back on lap one and drink at every aid station; in cold, plan a dry layer for the bike.

Entry and costs

In early October 2026, individual entry cost €559.28, made up of €420 entry and €139.28 processing fees. Pricing is inventory-based and rises automatically when a tier fills (source: ironman.com, Registration). Enter by 9 December 2026 to qualify for Flex90: fee-free transfer and a partial refund if your plans change. Relay entries are excluded from Flex90. The race offers qualifying slots for the 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. Register via the official race page on ironman.com.

A relay with your running group

For many runners, the relay is the easiest way into Kraichgau. Teams have two or three people who split the legs as they like; a duo can combine legs in any way (source: ironman.com, FAQs). Everyone must be 18 on race day, ages and genders may be mixed, and each athlete may only be on one relay.

The team captain registers the team, pays €898.84 for everyone and invites the others by email (source: ironman.com, Relay Teams). The timing chip is handed over in a marked area just before the transition zone (source: ironman.com, Course). All team members must attend packet pick-up together (source: ironman.com, FAQs).

Key team deadlines (dates calculated from the rules):

By 9 May 2027 (two weeks out) a duo can still add a third member.
By 13 May 2027 (ten days out) team changes are possible, via the captain only.
Withdrawal: 50% refund up to four months before, 25% up to 45 days before, nothing after. Relays can't transfer or defer (source: ironman.com, Relay Teams).

If you take the half marathon, you know the distance. What's new is the waiting: the swim and 90 km bike take hours. Time your warm-up to your cyclist's arrival, not the start gun.

A season opener, counted backwards

IRONMAN itself calls Kraichgau the first IRONMAN race of the season in Germany (source: ironman.com, Relay Teams). So the crucial weeks fall in winter. From 3 October to 23 May is just under 33 weeks.

By 9 December 2026: enter while Flex90 applies. Until then, a calm build in all three sports is enough.
January to March: build bike volume, often on the indoor trainer. For the Kraichgau hills, climbing intervals pay off.
April: first outdoor rides of 60 to 90 km, each followed by a short brick run so your legs learn the transition.
May: get at least one open-water swim in if you can. In 2024 and 2025, race-day water was 18 to 19 °C (source: ironman.com, Course).

Long runs and brick sessions are easier with company. Find Lauftreffs (group runs) in the region at Running in Stuttgart and Running in Karlsruhe.

Looking back: 20 years of triathlon in the Kraichgau

The race started in 2005 as the Kraichgau Triathlon-Festival, ran as Challenge Kraichgau from 2009 to 2014 and has been an IRONMAN 70.3 since 2015 (source: de.wikipedia.org). The edition on 31 May 2026 set a record with 2,219 finishers; Cedric Osterholt and Daniela Kleiser won (source: de.wikipedia.org). Course records belong to Lasse Nygaard Priester with 3:45:19 (2025) and Laura Philipp with 4:13:12 (2024).

In 2026, the pros started at 8:00, age groupers from 8:15 in a rolling start, and the finish closed at 17:30 (source: ironman.com, Event Schedule). The day before, Germany's top-flight Triathlon-Bundesliga raced at the Hardtsee.

More triathlons and races nearby

Kraichgau is listed as a "nearby" race in our overview of running events in Stuttgart and in running events in Karlsruhe. Heading for full distance after the opener? IRONMAN Frankfurt is in June; another 70.3 later in the season is IRONMAN 70.3 Duisburg. For all the big races side by side, see Germany's biggest triathlons and IRONMAN races.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau 2027?: On Sunday, 23 May 2027. The 5150 Kraichgau short-course race takes place the same day (source: ironman.com).
Where exactly does IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau take place?: The swim and T1 are at Lake Hardtsee in Ubstadt-Weiher. T2, the run and the finish are in Bad Schönborn (Pestalozzistraße 3). The race doesn't take place in Stuttgart itself (source: ironman.com, Directions).
How much is entry?: In early October 2026, individual entry cost €559.28 including €139.28 processing fees, a relay €898.84. Prices rise when a tier fills (source: ironman.com, Registration).
How does the relay work?: Two or three people aged 18+ split swim, bike and run as they like. The captain registers and pays for everyone; team changes are possible until ten days before the race (source: ironman.com, Relay Teams and FAQs).
How hard is the bike course?: The 90 km form one loop through the hilly Kraichgau with climbs and fast straights. German Wikipedia puts it at around 1,000 metres of climbing (sources: ironman.com, Course; de.wikipedia.org).
How do I get there by train?: The station is Bad Schönborn-Kronau. According to the organiser it's about 1.5 hours from Stuttgart, 1:45 from Frankfurt and around 25 minutes by S-Bahn from Karlsruhe (source: ironman.com, Directions).