IRONMAN 70.3 Erkner: course, schedule and what the weekend means for the town

Erkner has around 12,000 residents. On one weekend in September, several thousand more people arrive: athletes, their families and spectators along the course. IRONMAN 70.3 is half the long distance – a 1.9-kilometre swim, 90 kilometres on the bike and a 21.1-kilometre run – and Erkner is one of the German race venues. In 2026 the race falls on Sunday, 13 September.

The course

The swim is in the Dämeritzsee, starting at Strandbad Erkner. One lap, 1.9 kilometres. The lake is divided: one half still belongs to Berlin, the other to Brandenburg – so you start in one federal state and swim into the next.

On the bike, two laps cover 90 kilometres through the Oder-Spree region, passing Hartmannsdorf, Mönchwinkel and Spreeau among other places, with stretches along the Spree. The course is flat and fast – if you're after climbing, you're in the wrong place.

Finally, three run laps totalling 21.1 kilometres right through the town, past the market square and the Gerhart Hauptmann Museum. The finish is at the Sportzentrum Erkner. Because the runners cover the same route three times, spectators get a handy bonus: pick one spot and you'll see the field go by three times.

The schedule

• Friday to Sunday, 11 to 13 September 2026: race weekend in Erkner
• Saturday: 5150 Erkner Triathlon and the IRONKIDS races for children
• Sunday from 8:00 am: IRONMAN 70.3 swim start

Road closures – the most important thing if you're here

The bike and run courses use public roads, and those are closed that weekend. This affects not just spectators but everyone who simply needs to get to their shift or wants to leave. If you have to drive somewhere on Sunday morning, it's best to plan it on Saturday evening – not at seven in the morning in front of a road block.

• The town of Erkner publishes up-to-date closure maps for Saturday and Sunday on erkner.de
• During the race days there is a hotline for the closures: +49 69 870002888
• Leaving the car in front of the house and taking the S-Bahn is often the quicker option that weekend
• If you have an early shift: sort out your departure time and route the evening before

Staying over that weekend

Erkner is a small town with few beds. On a race weekend you notice it: if you only start looking in August, you usually won't find anything – neither here nor in the surrounding area. For 2027 it's worth keeping an eye on the date as soon as the town announces it, and enquiring early.

The advantage of an apartment over a hotel room really shows on a weekend like this: your own kitchen for breakfast at half past five, space for your bike and kit, and after the race a place where half the race-number pick-up isn't sitting at the table with you.

IRONMAN 70.3 Erkner 2027

The 2026 race is over. The date for 2027 hasn't been set yet – in our experience IRONMAN announces it a few weeks after the race, and so far it has always been in September. As soon as it is published, you'll find it here.

If you want to race or watch in 2027, it's better to look for accommodation now rather than in the summer. Erkner has few beds, and on race weekend they are the first to go – the same is true for the neighbouring towns. You can enquire about the dates before they are official: just write to me with "IRONMAN 2027" and the number of people, and I'll get back to you as soon as the date is fixed.