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What to pack for IRONMAN Cascais

IRONMAN Cascais runs out of one transition at the Manuel Possolo Hippodrome, separate from the 70.3's on the same day. European format, so it uses the full coloured-bag scheme — blue for the bike, red for the run, a white street-wear bag, and orange and black personal-needs bags.

FullSingle transitionCascais, PortugalSat 17 Oct 2026
Build my Cascais plan →Jump to the bags
ⓘThe layout, bags and check-in shape come from the race calendar and don't change year to year. Exact times are confirmed from the 2026 athlete guide.
how the race is laid out

A single transition, in two places.

Swim, bike and run all turn through one transition at the Hippodrome. You swim one 3.8 km loop of Cascais Bay from Ribeira Beach, run about 600 m to transition, and finish back on the bay.

T1 / T2 · one transitionManuel Possolo Hippodrome (Transition Area)Swim exit into the blue bag, bike out; then bike in, red bag, run out — the same transition twice.
→
finishCascais Bay — Finish LineRun finish on the bay. The white-bag area at Seixas Palace sits directly behind it.
▪The full and the 70.3 race the same morning from different transitions, at different times. Yours is the Hippodrome, not the Citadel, and the registration tent has separate desks for each race. On race morning your personal-needs bags must be in by 07:20, even though transition and the white-bag area stay open until 08:00.
what to pack

Five bags, by colour.

Cascais issues five bags: blue for bike gear, red for run gear, white for street wear, and orange and black for bike and run personal needs. Blue and red are hung with the bike on Friday; the white bag and the optional personal-needs bags go in on race morning.

Blue bag — Bike gearBike / T1 — what you ride in
  • Helmetsticker on the front
  • Race belt + bibworn on the back
  • Bike shoesor clipped to the bike
  • Socks
  • Sunglasses
  • Bike nutritiongels · bars
Hung in transition on Friday with your helmet and bib inside. Your wetsuit, cap and goggles go back into it as you come through T1.
Red bag — Run gearRun / T2 — what you finish in
  • Running shoes
  • Run cap or visor
  • Run nutritiongels
  • Sunscreen
  • Head torchlate finishers
Hung next to the blue bag on Friday. Your helmet and bike shoes go into it in T2.
White bag — Street wearStreet wear — dropped race morning
  • Clean, dry clothes
  • Shoes or sandals
  • Towel
  • Warm layer for the start
  • Your own bike pumpif you brought one
Dropped at the white-bag area behind the finish, Seixas Palace, between 05:30 and 08:00 on Saturday, and collected there afterwards.
Orange bag — Bike personal needsSpecial needs / bike — km 90.6
  • Preferred gels or bars
  • Electrolyte mix
  • Spare tube + CO2
Optional. Collected at registration, dropped at transition on race morning by 07:20, and handed out once at km 90.6. Not returned after the race.
Black bag — Run personal needsSpecial needs / run — km 5.6, 20.6, 35.7
  • Preferred gels
  • Spare socks
  • Anti-chafe balm
Optional. Dropped with the orange bag by 07:20, and available three times on the run. Not returned — leave nothing valuable in it.
+What you carry to the water (not in a bag): wetsuit if it is legal on the day, goggles, the official ROKA swim cap, and the timing chip on your left ankle. Do not swim with your bib — it waits in the blue bag. Wetsuits are optional up to 24.5 °C and mandatory below 16 °C.
check-in & the clock

Your bike goes in the night before.

Cascais runs a mandatory bike and bags check-in on Friday, 15:00 to 19:00 at the Manuel Possolo Hippodrome, with the bike racked overnight. Your timing chip is handed to you at the check-in exit — don't leave without it.

Manuel Possolo Hippodrome, Transition Area
Day beforeMandatoryRacked overnightNo race-morning check-in
Bike check-in & bag drop closecut-off

The 2026 official guide is in. The times below are now confirmed for this edition — a few moved from last year.

race morning

How the morning typically runs.

Transition and the white-bag area open at 05:30. Personal-needs bags must be dropped by 07:20; transition and the white-bag area close at 08:00. The rolling swim start begins at 08:35 from Ribeira Beach — you self-seed by expected swim time, and your race clock starts when you cross the mat.

Wednesday — three days before
Athlete registration opens
Athlete registration closes
Night Run (5 km)
Thursday — two days before
Athlete registration opens
Athlete briefing (English)
Athlete briefing (Portuguese)
Athlete briefing (English)
Athlete registration closes
Parade of Nations & Welcome Ceremony
Friday — day before
Athlete registration opens
Bike & bags check-in opens
Athlete registration closescut-off
Bike & bags check-in closescut-off
Saturday — race day
Transition opens
White bag drop opens
Personal-needs bags drop closescut-off
Transition closescut-off
White bag drop closes
Rolling swim start
Bike cut-off — km 90
Bike cut-off — km 152.8
Bike check-out opens
Run cut-off — km 29.2
Sunday — day after
Overnight bike check-out closes
Bike check-out reopens
Bike check-out closes
Awards & slot allocation
common questions

Cascais, answered.

How many bags does IRONMAN Cascais use?

Five. Blue for the bike, red for the run, white for street wear, and orange and black for bike and run personal needs. Blue and red go in with the bike on Friday. The personal-needs bags are optional: pick them up at registration and drop them at transition on race morning by 07:20.

What time does bike and bags check-in close?

It closes Friday 16 October at 19:00. It opens at 15:00 at the Manuel Possolo Hippodrome, and the bike is racked overnight. Confirmed from the 2026 athlete guide.

What are the cut-offs?

Three are measured from your own individual start: 2 hours 20 minutes for the swim, 10 hours through the bike, and 16 hours 15 minutes overall. Three more are fixed clock times: bike km 90 by 15:25, bike km 152.8 by 18:00, and run km 29.2 by 23:30.

Is it the same transition as the 70.3?

No. The full uses the Manuel Possolo Hippodrome; the 70.3 uses the Citadel Platform. Both swim from Ribeira Beach and finish on Cascais Bay on the same Saturday, but the full starts later, at 08:35.

When do I get my bike and bags back?

Check-out runs Saturday 19:15 until 02:00, and again Sunday 09:30 to 11:30, at the Hippodrome. Bring your wristband and timing chip — the chip is handed back at the entrance.

Do I need a Portuguese triathlon licence?

You need either a Portuguese Federation annual licence or the event's One Day Licence — no other national licence is accepted. Add the One Day Licence online through your registration, or at the licence desk at registration.

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