IRONMAN 70.3 Muscat, Middle East Championship

The race at a glance

IRONMAN 70.3 Muscat is raced on Saturday 6 February 2027. In 2027 it carries the title of Middle East Championship, bringing together the region's best age-group triathletes. A 70.3 is a half-IRONMAN: 70.3 miles, or 113 km, split into a 1.9 km swim, a 90 km bike and a 21.1 km half marathon.

A race with roots

The first edition was held in 2019. It grew out of an Olympic-distance race launched in 2018 with about 170 athletes, started by Mohammed Khalfan, the first Omani to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii. Since September 2025 Oman has been one of IRONMAN's official global destinations: Muscat now hosts a full-distance race, IRONMAN Oman, on 5 December 2026, and will stage the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2029.

How the 2026 edition ran

The 2027 schedule has not been published yet. The programme for the 14 February 2026 edition gives a feel for the weekend:

• the two days before: IRONMAN village and expo on Qurum Beach, athlete check-in from 1 to 6 pm, a morning practice swim in the sea, and the IRONKIDS race for children the day before;
• two evenings before: opening ceremony and athlete briefing at the InterContinental Muscat hotel;
• race day: transition opens at 5 am and the race starts at 6:30 am on Qurum Beach, followed in the evening by the awards and the allocation of qualifying slots.

All times are local; in early February, Muscat is 4 hours ahead of London.

Weather in early February

The organiser expects highs of 26 °C, lows of 18 °C and water averaging 22 °C. Climate normals for Muscat airport give an average February high of 26 °C.

Where to stay

In 2026 the start and transition were on Qurum Beach. Three hotels in the Sabaro selection sit on that beach in Shatti Al Qurum: the Grand Hyatt Muscat, from around €230 a night in March 2027, the Mandarin Oriental Muscat and W Muscat, next to the Royal Opera House. Prices are recorded including taxes, with any local taxes on top. The 2027 venue will be confirmed in the athlete guide, so book with free cancellation.

Before and after

The race falls two days before the expected start of Ramadan, around 8 February 2027. During the month of fasting, eating, drinking and smoking in public in daytime are forbidden, in cars too, and restaurants outside hotels close during the day. The Ramadan in Oman guide explains the rules.

A week earlier, the Muscat Marathon is run on 29 and 30 January. To recover, the Hajar Mountains around Jebel Akhdar are about two hours' drive away and the Wahiba Sands a little further. Since the Iranian strikes in the Gulf, foreign ministries have not all given the same advice; the Oman travel situation guide has the details. Yours:

Your country's advice is shown in the box at the top of the page.