Ironman Wales has a reputation as one of the toughest Ironman races around. A sea swim in Tenby is followed by a relentlessly hilly bike course and a challenging run through a town famous for getting behind the athletes.
Enduraprep athlete Ethan Dunning took it on in September 2026, finishing in 11 hours 39 minutes 28 seconds despite difficult weather and punctures on the bike.
Ironman Wales 2026 — Race at a Glance
Coach Cronk’s Introduction
Ethan went pretty much all-in on Ironman Wales this year.
The original goal was to go sub-12 hours, but as the season progressed it became increasingly obvious that he was capable of considerably more. By race week we were looking towards sub-11:15, and I was confident he had the fitness for a very strong performance.
The work he put in was exceptional. There were plenty of strong five- and six-hour rides, and I’ve genuinely lost count of the number of times we sent him up The Bwlch during the build.
We progressed those sessions from two repetitions, to three and eventually four, and watching the power Ethan could produce across those sessions improve throughout the year was incredible.
That progression showed up in his racing too, including 2nd in the M25–29 age group at the Porthcawl Standard Distance Triathlon during the Welsh Triathlon Super Series.
Everything was lining up for a big performance.
Then Tenby delivered the sort of day it occasionally does. Difficult swim conditions, relentless wet weather and punctures on the bike cost Ethan considerable time.
What impressed me was that he didn’t allow any of that to derail the race. His nutrition remained on point, he kept racing and reached T2 still confident that he had a good marathon in him.
He eventually crossed the line in 11:39:28, comfortably achieving that original sub-12 target despite everything that had happened.
You can’t control everything that happens on race day. You can make sure you’ve done enough work beforehand to deal with it when things don’t go perfectly.
Here’s Ethan’s experience of racing Ironman Wales.
Arriving in Tenby & Pre-Race Logistics
Ethan stayed overnight in Tenby before the race and found travelling to the event straightforward.
His biggest recommendation for future athletes is simple: stay as close to the centre of Tenby as possible. With the race taking over the town, being centrally located makes things considerably easier for both athletes and supporters.
Registration itself was straightforward, although understandably busy. Ethan found the volunteers helpful and described the pre-race atmosphere as “very good.”
Training & Race Expectations
Ethan’s headline goal had initially been to finish in under 12 hours. After the progress he’d made during training, however, expectations had moved considerably.
He didn’t feel quite as fresh or excited as he’d hoped immediately before the race, but race morning started with a good breakfast.
Once he arrived at transition and began preparing his equipment, the excitement started to build. There was just one fairly obvious problem: the weather was disgusting.
His approach on the start line was simple: “GO HARD but sensible.”
Ironman Wales Swim
The swim proved considerably slower than Ethan had expected.
There was a very strong current, making forward progress difficult. However, after emerging from the water ahead of several friends, Ethan realised the conditions had affected everyone.
Sighting wasn’t a problem, although congestion increased considerably on the second lap.
T1 was slightly slower than planned. With the weather as bad as it was, Ethan deliberately took some extra time to make sure he had everything he needed before heading onto the bike.
Ironman Wales Bike
The Ironman Wales bike course is hilly enough without adding persistent rain.
Ethan felt his pacing was good and, importantly for an Ironman, his nutrition went exactly to plan.
Unfortunately, his tyres didn’t cooperate quite as well.
They cost him valuable time and left Ethan trying to make up some of the deficit during the remainder of the bike.
That also made his power data harder to interpret. Rather than simply executing the planned ride from beginning to end, he’d been forced to respond to what had happened.
Despite the setback and the extremely wet conditions, Ethan arrived at T2 feeling confident that he still had a decent marathon in him. T2 itself went smoothly.
Ironman Wales Run
Initially, the signs were very good.
Ethan felt strong coming off the bike and described himself as feeling “very good” for the first three laps of the hilly run course.
And then came lap four.
After a long day battling the conditions and the frustration of the earlier punctures, he’d simply had enough of it. But he kept going.
One thing that certainly helped was the support. Ethan described the crowds in Tenby as “awesome”, with great support from volunteers and spectators throughout the day.
When he finally crossed the finish line, the overriding emotion was simple: relief.
Looking back afterwards, Ethan actually identified the run as one of the things that had gone particularly well during his race.
Ironman Wales Course & Race Organisation
One of the defining features of Ironman Wales is the atmosphere surrounding the event, and that came through strongly in Ethan’s report.
He found the run course easy to follow, with plenty of aid stations positioned in the right places, while the volunteers and spectators provided great support throughout the day.
Ethan’s Ironman Wales Race Ratings
Would Ethan Recommend Ironman Wales?
“Savage but exciting course.”
It’s not an Ironman to choose because you’re looking for an easy day.
But for athletes wanting a challenging course, huge crowd support and the experience of racing an Ironman in a town that really gets behind the event, Tenby has an enormous amount going for it.
Final Thoughts — 11:39:28 at Ironman Wales
An 11:39:28 Ironman Wales is a strong result in its own right. Doing it after difficult swim conditions, a soaking wet bike leg and punctures makes Ethan’s performance particularly satisfying.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from his race is that a well-executed Ironman isn’t necessarily one where everything goes perfectly.
Ethan had done the preparation. His bike power had progressed significantly, he’d completed the long rides, repeatedly trained on the climbs he’d face in Wales and had his nutrition dialled in.
When race day threw some problems at him, he had enough preparation behind him to keep going and still deliver the original goal:
Sub-12 at Ironman Wales — 11:39:28.