Athlete's Guide to IRONMAN South Africa Competition Rules 18+ 2026

Under IRONMAN Competition Rules 3.01 and 3.02, referees show a coloured card and give a verbal instruction:

• Three blue cards in one race means disqualification.
• Referees don't have to warn you before giving a penalty.
• Referees may also penalise or disqualify you for something not listed in the rules if they judge that you gained an unfair advantage, or intentionally or recklessly created a dangerous situation.
• Serious violations can lead to suspension (3 months to 4 years) or expulsion for life from IRONMAN events.

Under IRONMAN Competition Rules 3.02 and 5.05:

At the penalty tent:

1. Report to the next penalty tent and tell the official the colour of the card you received. Not stopping, or giving the wrong colour, means disqualification.
2. The official marks your bike number with a slash (/), and you sign the penalty tent sheet.
3. Stay for the full time: yellow is 30 s (70.3) or 60 s (IRONMAN), and blue is 2 min (70.3) or 3 min (IRONMAN). Then rejoin the race.

While in the tent you may only eat or drink what is on your bike or person. You may not use the toilet or adjust or repair your bike. Breaking either rule means disqualification.

Referees don't have to warn you before giving a penalty (rule 3.02 b).

Drafting is prohibited at IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races (IRONMAN Competition Rules 5.04).

Draft zone: for age-groupers, 12 m, measured from the leading edge of the front wheel of the rider ahead. That is about 6 bike lengths of clear space. You must stay outside it except when passing.

Passing:

• You have a maximum of 25 seconds to pass through another rider's draft zone.
• Once you enter a draft zone, you must complete the pass. You may not back out.
• A pass is made when your front wheel passes the leading edge of the other rider's front wheel.

Being passed:

• Immediately drop back out of the passing rider's draft zone, continuously moving backwards.
• Re-passing before you have dropped out is an "overtaken" violation (yellow card).
• Staying in the passer's draft zone for more than 25 seconds is a drafting violation (blue card).

Position: ride single file on the side of the road set by local law, except when passing or for safety. In South Africa traffic keeps left, so that means the far left. Side-by-side riding is not permitted and may be penalised as drafting or blocking. Impeding other riders is a blocking violation (yellow card).

Allowed in the draft zone without penalty: completing a pass within the time; for safety; entering and leaving an aid station or transition; at an acute turn; and in sections exempted by a race official.

Penalties:

Referees notify you on the spot, or as soon as it is safe. Three blue cards means disqualification. Drafting calls can't be protested.

Under IRONMAN Competition Rules 4.02, for age-group athletes:

Breaking the wetsuit rules means disqualification.

Wetsuit specifications:

• It may cover any part of the body except the face, hands and feet.
• It may be no more than 5 mm thick. For two-piece suits, the overlapping pieces combined may not exceed 5 mm.
• The outermost layer must fit tightly while you are swimming.
• You may wear your race kit underneath, and a neoprene cap is allowed when wetsuits are allowed, with the official cap on top.

Professional athletes have a lower limit: wetsuits are allowed only up to 21.9 °C.

Under IRONMAN Competition Rules 4.01 to 4.04:

• Swim cap: wear the official cap provided at all times. If you wear two, the official one goes on the outside, including over a neoprene cap. Not wearing it may earn a time penalty, served in T1.
• Goggles or a face mask are optional.
• Banned (disqualification): snorkels, fins, gloves, paddles, and flotation devices of any kind, including pull buoys.
• Casts or splints need the Head Referee's approval beforehand.
• Booties (neoprene or other) are only allowed when the water is 18.3 °C or colder.

When wetsuits are not allowed (rule 4.03), your swimwear must:

• be 100% textile, such as nylon or lycra with no rubberised material like polyurethane or neoprene. A zip is allowed;
• not cover your arms below the elbow or your legs below the knee. Sleeves from shoulder to elbow are fine;
• not include neoprene buoyancy shorts.

Breaking these rules means disqualification. Athletes who need full body cover for religious or approved medical reasons may wear compliant textile covering everything except face, hands and feet, but must get the Head Referee's authorisation onsite before race day.

Swim penalties are served in T1, as a referee instructs.

Only within strict limits (IRONMAN Competition Rules 2.02):

• Race referees and officials, including official event volunteers, may give drinks, nutrition, and mechanical and medical help. Other necessary help needs the approval of the Event Director or Head Referee.
• Other athletes in the same race may help each other with incidental items, such as nutrition and drinks after an aid station, pumps, tyres, inner tubes and puncture repair kits.
• Athletes may not give another competitor essential race equipment during the race. That includes complete bikes, frames, wheels, helmets and shoes. The penalty is disqualification of both athletes.
• No one may deliberately help another athlete make physical forward progress anywhere on the course, unless the Event Director or Head Referee has pre-approved it. The penalty is disqualification.

In the swim (rule 4.01): individual paddlers or escorts are banned, and any assistance that moves you forward means disqualification. You may hold on to course kayaks, boats or stationary rafts to rest, as long as you make no forward progress. Officials and medical staff may remove you from the course if it is medically necessary.

Under IRONMAN Competition Rules 5.01 and 5.02:

Helmet

• It must be approved by a national accredited testing authority recognised by World Triathlon and the national federation.
• Wear it whenever you ride at the event, including course familiarisation and training.
• Don't alter it or remove any part, including the chin strap.
• It must be fastened from taking the bike off the rack until re-racking it. If you leave the course, undo it only once you are off the course and off the bike, and fasten it again before you ride on.
• Your helmet number goes on the front. Your frame number must be securely attached and visible from both sides.

Wheels

• The front wheel must have spokes (aero rims are allowed). Solid front wheels are banned.
• The rear wheel may be spoked or a disc. Wheel covers are allowed only on the rear wheel. Some events ban disc wheels.
• No mechanism may accelerate the wheel or keep it turning.

Bottles and hydration

• Front-mounted systems (on parts that turn with the steering, such as extensions or stem): 2 litres combined maximum.
• Rear-mounted: no more than 2 bottles, each 1 litre maximum.
• Bottles inside the frame triangle are excluded from both limits.
• Items on the top tube: no higher than 10 cm, not covering the headset, and no part of your body may rest on them.

Not allowed

• Electric or hand propulsion.
• Aerodynamic add-ons, such as bottles or inserts in the front of your race suit or in calf sleeves.
• Headphones or audio helmets and glasses.
• Using phones or smart devices in a distractive manner, including as a bike computer.
• Cameras.
• Mirrors, unless you tell the Head Referee before the race. Even then, you become ineligible for awards and World Championship slots.

Riding: obey traffic laws and never cross a solid no-passing line unless directed. Wear a top at all times, with any front zip joined at the bottom and shoulders covered. Slow down at accident sites. If your bike breaks, you may continue on foot pushing or carrying it, but you can't make progress without it.

Under IRONMAN Competition Rules 6.01 and 6.02 (time penalties: 30 s or 2 min at IRONMAN 70.3, 60 s or 3 min at IRONMAN):

• You may run, walk or crawl. Following the course is your responsibility, and no time is given back for going the wrong way.
• Obey traffic laws unless a referee or official directs otherwise. Stop where a traffic sign or signal requires it.
• Top: no bare torso. Wear a shirt, jersey or sports top at all times. A front zip may be undone any length, but must stay joined at the bottom, with your shoulders covered.
• Bib number: wear your IRONMAN bib on the front, clearly visible at all times. Folding, cutting, altering or not wearing it can mean disqualification.
• Littering: throw rubbish only at aid stations or designated disposal points. Intentional or careless littering earns a blue card (2 or 3 minutes) or disqualification, and at some venues intentional littering means automatic disqualification.
• No headphones, headsets or audio-capable eyewear, including AI glasses.
• Phones and devices: you may not use them in a "distractive manner", such as calls, messages, music, social media, photos or video. You also may not record images with any device. Either means disqualification.
• No poles, crutches or canes that help you push or pull yourself along.
• Shoes: stack height may not exceed 40 mm, and a shoe may have no more than one rigid plate, in line with World Athletics road shoe rules. Shoes can be checked at random.
• Run penalties are served on the spot. There is no penalty tent on the run.

Under IRONMAN Competition Rules 7.01 (penalty: 30 s at IRONMAN 70.3, 60 s at IRONMAN, unless stated):

• Racking: rack your bike so that most of it is on your side of the bike rack.
• Kit: keep your equipment in your transition bags, on your bike, or in your designated transition spot, depending on the event's policy.
• Don't interfere with anyone else's equipment, and don't impede other athletes.
• Mount and dismount lines: mounting before the mount line, or dismounting after the dismount line, is prohibited.
• Flow zones: you can't stop in them.
• Where penalties are served: any time penalty received in transition is served on the spot where the infringement happened.
• Nudity or indecent exposure is prohibited at all times. The penalty is disqualification.

Helmet (rule 5.02 b): your helmet must be securely fastened from when you take your bike off the rack at the start of the bike leg until you have racked it at the end.

Disqualification (IRONMAN Competition Rules 3.03):

• Three blue cards in one race means disqualification.
• A red card may be given for severe violations, such as repeated rule breaking, fraud (for example transferring your bib or timing chip to someone else), ignoring referees' or officials' instructions, or dangerous or unsportsmanlike conduct.
• A disqualified athlete may still finish unless a referee says otherwise. However, they are not eligible for age-group awards, including World Championship slots, and their splits aren't listed.
• More serious cases can lead to a suspension of 3 months to 4 years, or expulsion for life.

Protests (rule 3.06):

• Protests and appeals are handled by the event's sanctioning body or national federation.
• You can't protest a "judgement call", which includes drafting and other cycling position calls, blocking, obstruction or interference, and unsportsmanlike conduct. You also can't protest a penalty you have already served, or anything a referee observed or has already ruled on.
• You can protest matters such as another athlete's eligibility, conduct or equipment.

The finish (rules 2.05 and 6.03):

• You finish when any part of your torso crosses the vertical line from the leading edge of the finish gantry.
• Friends, family (including children), other spectators and animals may not cross the finish line or enter the finish chute with you. If they do, you are disqualified.
• Finishing before the course closes but outside a course or discipline cut-off is listed as "NC" (not classified). Crossing after the course closes is "DNF".