IRONMAN Texas
The IRONMAN North American Championship in The Woodlands. A flat, fast bike on the Hardy Toll Road and a rolling run along the Waterway, set in late-April Gulf Coast heat and humidity where the run decides the day.
At IRONMAN Texas, plan 600 to 1000 mg sodium per hour, and 1000 to 1400 mg for salty sweaters in humid late-April heat. Take most of it on the flat Hardy Toll Road bike, where eating and drinking are easiest, then keep a fixed dose per loop on the three-loop Waterway run.
IM Texas Fueling Plan
For a 165 lb athlete finishing IM Texas in about 12 hr 30 min, plan roughly 55 g of carbs, 850 mg of sodium (1,150 mg for a salty sweater) and 1,000 ml of fluid per hour. That is about 690 g of carbs and 10,600 mg of sodium across the race.
| Finish time | Carbs | Sodium | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front of field9 hr | 65 g/hr590 g total | 900 mg/hrsalty sweater 1,250 mg | 1,050 ml/hr9.5 L total |
| Mid-pack12 hr 30 min | 55 g/hr690 g total | 850 mg/hrsalty sweater 1,150 mg | 1,000 ml/hr12.5 L total |
| Back of pack16 hr | 55 g/hr880 g total | 850 mg/hrsalty sweater 1,150 mg | 1,000 ml/hr16 L total |
Computed by the free sodium and carb calculators for a 165 lb athlete in hot and humid conditions. Fluid is a planning figure for what to carry, not a drinking schedule: on the day, drink to thirst. Your own numbers move with body weight and sweat rate.
Where The Sodium Math Bends
Schematic profile · Cramping windows tend to cluster around major climbs and the descents that follow them
What's On Course
Bike aid stations come about every 12 to 15 miles and run aid stations about every mile. They serve water, Precision Fuel & Hydration drink (bottles on the bike, cups on the run), Maurten Gel 100, Gel 100 CAF, Solid 225 and Solid 225 C, bars and bananas, and the run adds cola, chips, pretzels and oranges. Personal needs bags sit near the midpoint of the bike and of the run.
| Mile | Station | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 | Swim exit | 2 hr 20 min after the last swim start |
| 65.4 | Bike mile 63, start of the second Hardy Toll Road loop | 2:40 PM |
| 85.4 | Bike mile 83, south turnaround on the second loop | 4:08 PM |
| 114.4 | Bike dismount | 10 hr 30 min after the last swim start |
| 131.4 | Run mile 17 | 10:30 PM |
| 140.6 | Finish, Waterway Avenue | 17 hr after the last swim start |
65-86°F · high humidity
Climate
hot + humid
Humidity
high
Cutoff
17 hours
10-yr avg high
79°F
10-yr avg low
61°F
Record high / low
88° / 47°F
Years with rain
90%
The Cumulative Deficit Window
IRONMAN Texas is fast on paper and hot in practice. Late April in The Woodlands usually means the high 70s or 80s by afternoon with Gulf Coast humidity, and humid heat is the hardest kind to shed, because sweat drips off instead of evaporating and cooling you. Sweat rates climb while the cooling return drops, so athletes lose more sodium per hour than the air temperature suggests. The bike on the Hardy Toll Road is flat, exposed and steady, with no climbs to break up the effort, which makes it easy to fall behind on sodium for five hours without noticing. The deficit then shows up on the three-loop run along the Waterway in the hottest part of the day.
Key Considerations
- Front-load the bike. It is the only leg where you can eat and drink easily for hours; aim for 700 to 1100 mg sodium per hour on the Hardy Toll Road, more for salty sweaters.
- Humidity raises sweat loss without the cooling payoff. Use ice and cold sponges at every run aid station to lower thermal strain, and keep sodium going with the fluid.
- The run is three loops. Use each loop as a checkpoint: a set sodium dose per loop is easier to execute late in the day than counting by the mile.
- Pre-load the day before. Add 1000 to 1500 mg sodium across the evening meal and race-morning breakfast so you start with full plasma volume.
Who Finishes, And How Fast
IRONMAN Texas 2026 results
Men winner · 2026
Kristian Blummenfelt
7:21:24NOR
Women winner · 2026
Solveig Løvseth
8:11:09NOR
Free Tools, Pre-Filled For IM Texas
Tap any tool. We pre-load your event, climate, and sweat profile. Adjust your weight and finish target and the plan generates instantly.
Sodium plan
Per-hour sodium and fluid targets for IM Texas conditions.
Carb fueling
Hourly carb targets and a fuel menu calibrated to your weight and the IM Texas duration.
Heat protocol
10-14 day adaptation plan if you're racing into humidity.
Hydration audit
Weigh-in test that converts a 60-minute training session into a measured sweat rate.
Caffeine timing
Pre-race dose, mid-race top-ups, and race-week taper protocol for IM Texas timing.
Dig Into The Science
Sodium Calculator for Endurance Athletes (Free Tool)
Sweat sodium varies 3 to 4x across athletes. A free sodium calculator that sets an hourly target from your body, sweat history, and race-day climate.
Stop Leg Cramps: Supplement Protocol & Risk Calculator
Leg cramps have two causes: electrolyte depletion and neuromuscular fatigue. Score yours with the free calculator, then load the 5 supplements that fix both.
Why Endurance Athletes Need More Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate is the limiting fuel for endurance. Why glycogen runs the show, grams per hour by duration, and how to train your gut to take more.
Your IM Texas Plan,
Built From Real Data.
Pro unlocks a per-leg sodium, fluid, and carb schedule keyed to the actual course: the Lake Woodlands swim, the Hardy Toll Road bike, and the three-loop Waterway run, dosed for humid late-April heat.
- Your sweat rate, from a weigh-in test or your best estimate
- Per-leg sodium, fluid, and carb schedule keyed to the course profile
- Branded, printable PDF
- Post-race feedback capture so the next plan is sharper
Per race
Every race
Unlimited race plans today. Strava connection and the multi-event calendar are still in development.
Free tools stay free, always
About IM Texas
How much sodium should I take per hour at IRONMAN Texas?
Most age groupers need 600 to 1000 mg per hour, and salty sweaters often 1000 to 1400 mg in humid heat. Take most of it on the bike, where eating and drinking are easiest, and keep a steady dose through the run.
How hot is IRONMAN Texas?
Race mornings usually start in the 60s and climb into the high 70s or 80s by afternoon, with high humidity. The heat peaks during the marathon for most of the field, which is why sodium missed on the bike hurts most on the run.
What is the IRONMAN Texas course like?
The swim is in Lake Woodlands, the bike is a flat, exposed 112 miles largely on the Hardy Toll Road, and the run is three gently rolling loops along The Woodlands Waterway. Fast on paper, but the humidity makes it a heat race for most athletes.
How fast do athletes finish IRONMAN Texas?
In 2026 Kristian Blummenfelt won in 7:21:24 and Solveig Løvseth in 8:11:09. Most age-group finishers take 12 to 15 hours, against a 17-hour cutoff.