Leeds Ironman Course Review

Lucy Hurn
May 23
5 min read

A few weeks ago (May 25), I did my first recce of the Leeds Ironman course – here are my

thoughts.

Obviously, this is all in the context of my fitness, skills, and setup – everyone’s different – and

based on the conditions on the day I rode it. I’m a 48 year old female triathlete, and I ride an

aero road bike. I’ve added a few more notes at the end for more context.

Bike course recce – first impressions

Wow – it’s a beast. It’s going to be a long day, but what fun!

Between the hills, the turns, and the road surface, I reckon it’ll add at least an hour to my usual Ironman time. But with that comes a far more exciting ride than most standard Ironman courses. And if you’re based in the UK, it’s what we’re used to anyway!

No, we’re not heading deep into the Dales like I’d hoped – but there’s still some gorgeous countryside and a decent bit of variety.

Leeds Ironman Bike course road surface

There are quite a few roads that aren’t great, and sharp turns and hairpins with dodgy surfaces that you don't see until you're well into the turn – the big corner on Carr Lane was

particularly sneaky on the outside of the bend and caught me out every time.

I remember racing Ironman Austria, and even the tiniest cracks had warning signs. I don't think Ironman owns enough signs to mark each hazard on this course!

So make sure you ride safely, expect the unexpected, and really respect the rule about

adjusting your speed based on visibility around the bend.

But there's no point in stressing about it. It might improve, it might not – it’s out of your

control. Instead, focus on what you can control – ride smart and safe, and keep working on

your skills.

How hilly is the Leeds Ironman Bike course?

Yep, there are a fair few hills! The biggest is Black Hill (from the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire) but it's the little climbs that’ll wear you down.

I reckon the combo of hills and a fairly fiddly course will add about an hour to my normal Ironman bike time.

Course profile for Leeds Ironman, generated by Veloviewer

I use Best Bike Split to set power targets – or more accurately, caps. Riding to constant power, with just a small increase on climbs, is far more efficient than hammering the hills and paying for it later.

But I exceeded these caps constantly. Sometimes from not paying attention on the smaller

inclines. Sometimes through ego ("I could go faster up here" – “yes Lucy, of course you CAN

but you've got 3 laps of this followed by a hard marathon so keep it easy!”). Sometimes, just

because it was the only way to get up! So, depending on your setup, you might want to look

at changing gearing. (Watch out for the upcoming blog on kit for more on this.)

Best Bike Split power plan for Leeds Ironman course, generated by triathlon coach, Lucy Hurn — Best Bike Split power plan for Leeds Ironman course

And Black Hill? Yep, it’s steep! Maybe I'm unduly pessimistic, but I'm guessing I won't be

riding up here much every time on race day. It’s narrow and with three laps of athletes, it’s likely to be a bottleneck. Even if you can ride up it, if someone stops or swerves in front of you, chances are you’re trudging up too - it’s not the sort of hill where you’ll be able to jump back on. Again, there’s nothing you can do about it, other than train for it and hope you have a clear run on the day.

What about the fast bits?

All that said, there are some good, fairly fast bits. (Especially by Eccup reservoir, Thorner

Road and through Alwoodley (if you’re not too busy looking at the gated houses!) to balance

it out. (I’ll be giving my thoughts on aero bars and or not in my upcoming kit post.)

The course is fairly well shaded, which is mostly a good thing. It was warmish (for May) and

fairly windy when I went out, and I felt protected from both, and there didn't seem to be too

many gaps in hedges where the cross wind catches you by surprise.

However, the downhills often had dappled shade, making it harder to spot the holes, so

choose your glasses/ visor with care!

Ironman Nutrition planning

This deserves a mention even in a course review. The course is technical with constant

distractions, more so with 3 laps of athletes crowded on it.

So think about where you store your nutrition. It needs to be secure and easy to get to so

you can grab it in a spare moment (and if using aero bottles, make sure they're well attached or you’ll lose them at the first bump!)

And you need to remember to eat! With so much going on, it will be easy to forget, especially if it’s warm and you’re not feeling hungry. But this is going to be a long day – you need to keep fuelling.

I’d suggest setting your bike computer to beep every 15 mins (or whatever your fuelling plan

is) to remind you to eat or drink.

Summary

I had a proper sulk when they announced the course (I wanted something hard and hilly in

the Dales). I've got two of these three, and whilst not as beautiful as the Dales, I really

enjoyed the course. But it’s a course that demands respect – go too hard and that third lap

and the run will be misery. Ride smart, and it will be a great day out with lots of stories!

Recommendations if you’re planning your own Leeds Ironman course review

I parked in Shadwell rather than worrying about the bit from Roundhay, which includes a

bridge and the Ring Road.

I left out the right turn up to Harewood (it’s a busy road and didn’t seem worth the stress of

the right turn across the traffic, followed by the 180 degree turn in the road).

It’s a sociable day out - when I went there were plenty of others riding the course!

After laps of the bike course, I ran from my van to do the bit of the bike course I’d not done,

before doing the rest of the run course.

More about me for context

A Leeds Ironman course review is always going to depend on the experience and fitness, etc of the person

riding it. So here’s a bit more about me:

I’ve done 4 full distance races before (Barcelona, Austria, Bolton, and Roth).
I’m a 48 female. Pre-menopause I usually came top 10 in my age group, my best finish position was 5th in my age group at Austria in 2019. I dont know where I will come this year, perimenopause tends to wipe me out for a few weeks at a time but it doesn't check my diary before booking those weeks in.
My bike split in Austria was 5.47, and Best Bike Split is predicting about an hour longer than that for Leeds (that’s partly because I’m older, but mostly because the course is that much harder).
I ride a (rather old, rim brakes) Liv aero road bike.