GQEBERHA – After months of speculation, Ironman South Africa has confirmed that the Isuzu Ironman South Africa African Championship will move from Nelson Mandela Bay to Mossel Bay next year.

The full-distance triathlon will take place on 18 April next year, with athletes tackling a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km marathon.

The move forms part of a shake-up of the Ironman South African race calendar, with Nelson Mandela Bay set to host the ISUZU Ironman 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay African Championship on 31 January next year.

IRONMAN has listed the new full-distance event as the ISUZU IRONMAN South Africa Mossel Bay African Championship, making Mossel Bay the new home of the country’s full-distance African Championship.

The announcement brings an end to Nelson Mandela Bay’s hosting of the full-distance championship, which has taken place in the Metro since 2012.

The PE Express previously reported in June on unconfirmed reports that the African Championship could be moved from Nelson Mandela Bay to Mossel Bay, while the Ironman 70.3 event could potentially be staged in Nelson Mandela Bay as part of a proposed restructuring of the two races.

The reports followed a social media post by Mossel Bay mayor Dirk Kotzé, who referred to discussions at council level regarding a proposal involving Ironman South Africa and possible changes to the existing hosting arrangements.

At the time, neither Ironman South Africa nor the municipalities involved formally confirmed the proposed move.

New Mossel Bay course

The swim start and finish will be held at Santos Beach and the De Bakke resort precinct.

According to Ironman SA, the bike course will showcase the scenery of the Garden Route and Mossel Bay coastline, combining long stretches of open road, rolling terrain and sweeping coastal views.

The run course will take athletes on a marathon through some of Mossel Bay’s coastal and urban landscapes, including waterfront areas, historic landmarks and scenic coastal viewpoints.

Ironman 70.3 moves to Nelson Mandela Bay

While Nelson Mandela Bay will no longer host the full-distance African Championship, the Metro will retain an African Championship event.

The 70.3 event consists of a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and 21.1km run.

The change marks a major shift in the country’s Ironman landscape, with Nelson Mandela Bay continuing its more than two-decade triathlon legacy while Mossel Bay takes over as the new home of the full-distance South African championship.

The 2027 South African calendar will therefore comprise:

• 31 January 2027: ISUZU Ironman 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay African Championship
• 18 April 2027: ISUZU Ironman South Africa Mossel Bay African Championship
• 6 June 2027: ISUZU Ironman 70.3 Durban

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