2023 Ironman 70 3 Waco Bike Course Preview

I rode the 2023 Ironman 70.3 Waco bike course on 9/4/2023 to check out the road conditions and see if there was anything to watch out for.

Elevation: Elevation: Course is made up of smooth rolling hills and I finished up with almost 1,200 ft of elevation gain (so a little more than last year). This year there are some climbs on HWY 77 that I’ll almost certainly be using my small ring.

Road Conditions: The roads were in pretty good shape 6 weeks out from the race. There are a couple sections with some bad cracks where things will probably get crowded on race day. Some notable call-outs:

6.3 miles cracks in left turn onto S 12th St
8.1 miles cracks on right
13 miles narrow road sharp right turn
13.5 miles pothole in turn
15.1 miles cracks on right
16.6 miles rough shoulder for 2.5 miles
35.1 miles cracks on right
35.6 miles big cracks on middle and right

Weather: This course is pretty exposed. We were battling a pretty stout S wind the whole way out and it helped push us back, but it’s going to be a challenge for many to pace in the wind on race day.

You can find the route and data from my ride here:

  / strava  
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/act...

0:04 Bike out
0:22 Left on Herring St
0:30 Right on MLK Blvd
1:11 Right on La Salle Ave
1:34 Left on S 12th St
1:54 Right on Garden Dr
2:01 Left on S 12th St Dr
2:46 Left on Hobbs Ln
3:12 Right on Downsville Rd
3:44 Right on S Old Robinson Rd
3:55 Left on Highway 77
6:30 Left on Highway 7
6:48 U-turn in Hilton
6:57 Right on Highway 77
8:28 Right on E Leona Pkwy
8:44 Left Cedilla Hill Rd
8:58 Right on E Rocket Rd
9:07 Left on S 3rd St
10:05 Right on Highway 340
10:43 S University Parks Dr
11:05 Right on La Salle Dr
11:14 Right on exit to MLK Blvd
11:19 Left on S MLK Blvd
11:39 Left on Washington Ave
11:46 Right on N University Parks Dr
11:53 Bike In