Blue bagBike / T1 — what you ride in
- Helmet
- Bike shoes
- Sunglasses
- Race belt + number
- Bike nutritiongels · bars
- Socksoptional
Racked with your bike at the Plan d'Eau on Saturday, 14:00–19:00. Your wetsuit goes in here after the swim.
Race day for this edition — 23 August 2026 — has passed. The guide stays up for reference.
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What to pack for IRONMAN Vichy
IRONMAN Vichy is a flat, fast single-transition 140.6 with five colour-coded bags — blue and red for the bike and run, white for morning clothes, plus orange and black personal-aid bags out on course. Swim, bike and run all turn through one transition on the sandy car park beside the Lac d'Allier. Here's exactly what goes in each, when check-in closes, and how the long day runs.
FullSingle transitionVichy, FranceSun 23 Aug 2026
ⓘ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.
A single transition, in three places.
Swim, bike and run all turn through one transition on the Parking sablé du Plan d'Eau — you come back to the same rack between disciplines and finish at the Parc Omnisports alongside. One spot for the gear bags; the personal-aid bags are the only kit that leaves the park.
T1 / T2 · one transitionParking sablé du Plan d'Eau, Parc OmnisportsSwim exit, bike out, then bike in and run out — all at the same rack. Your blue and red bags are both here from Saturday.
→personal aidBike & run coursesYour orange (bike) and black (run) personal-aid bags are set out on course, handed in separately by 06:45 on race morning.
→finishParc Omnisports AURA, VichyRun finish at the Parc Omnisports, beside the lake and the transition. Your white bag meets you here.
▪One transition keeps the logistics simple, but a 140.6 in late August does not: the course stays open until 23:00 and bags aren't back until 23:30. Pack the red bag for a finish in the dark and the orange bag for the hottest part of the ride. The personal-aid bags are handed in on race morning and are not returned.
Five bags, by colour.
IRONMAN's colour-to-bag scheme carries the bike and run gear; a 140.6 adds bike and run personal-aid bags. Pack each for the moment it powers and label nothing else.
Red bagRun / T2 — what you finish in
- Running shoes
- Run cap or visor
- Run nutritiongels
- Anti-chafe balm
- Headlamplate finish
- Light layerafter dark
- Electrolyteslate-Aug heat
Racked at the same transition on Saturday. It's waiting for you off the bike, at your own spot.
Orange bagPersonal aid / bike — mid-course resupply
- Extra nutritionsecond half
- Spare tube + CO2
- Salt tabs
- Fresh bottleoptional
Handed in by 06:45 on race morning and set out at the bike personal-aid station. Not returned.
Black bagPersonal aid / run — mid-course resupply
- Run nutritiontop-up
- Dry socks
- Blister kit
- Warm layerafter dark
Handed in with the orange bag by 06:45 and set out on the run course. Not returned — no valuables.
White bagStreet wear — start → finish
- Warm dry layer
- Flip-flops or sandals
- Small towel
- Pre-swim throwaway top
- Phone + keys pouch
- Recovery snackoptional
Dropped before the 07:00 close on race morning and moved to the finish, so dry clothes meet you at the Parc Omnisports.
+What you carry to the water (not in a bag): wetsuit, goggles, timing chip on the ankle, and the swim cap from your race pack. The orange and black personal-aid bags are handed in separately by 06:45 — everything else went in on Saturday.
Your bike goes in the night before.
Vichy runs a mandatory day-before bike and bag check-in with the bike racked overnight at the Plan d'Eau — there's no race-morning bike check-in. Transition opens for check-in at 14:00 on Saturday and closes at 19:00; athlete registration closes earlier, at 16:00, and the English briefing is at 12:00.
Parking sablé du Plan d'Eau, Parc Omnisports
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.
How the morning typically runs.
Transition opens at 05:30, the personal-needs drop closes at 06:45, transition closes at 06:50, and the rolling start goes at 07:00 — the same moment the street-wear bag drop shuts. From there it's a long day: the bike cut-off is 17:30 and the overall cut-off 23:00.
Thursday — three days before
Athlete registration opens
Athlete registration closes
Friday — two days before
Athlete registration opens
Athlete registration closes
Saturday — day before
Swim practice opens
Athlete registration opens
Swim practice closescut-off
Athlete briefing (FR session)
Athlete briefing (ENG session)
Transition opens (Bike & bags check-in opens)
Athlete registration closescut-off
Transition closes (Bike & bags check-in closes)cut-off
Sunday — race day
Transition opens (race morning)
Personal needs bag drop closescut-off
Transition closes (race morning)cut-off
IRONMAN Vichy start (rolling start)
Street wear bag drop closes
Swim cut-off (2:20 after final athlete starts)
Bike intermediate cut-off (KM 61)
Bike intermediate cut-off (KM 108)
Swim + T1 + Bike cut-off (10:30 after final athlete starts)
Transition opens (Bike & bags check-out opens)
Run intermediate cut-off (KM 31)
Swim + T1 + Bike + T2 + Run cut-off (16:00 after final athlete starts)
Transition closes (Bike & bags check-out closes)
Monday — day after
Finishers Official Store opens
Official hearing (timing/results objections)
Awards ceremony & 2027 IRONMAN World Championship Slot Allocation
Finishers Official Store closescut-off
Vichy, answered.
How many bags does IRONMAN Vichy use?
Five: blue for the bike, red for the run, white for street wear, plus orange and black personal-aid bags set out on the bike and run courses. It's a single-transition race, so blue and red both sit at the one rack.
Is this the same race as IRONMAN 70.3 Vichy?
No — they're two races on the same weekend at the same venue. This page is the full-distance 140.6, with five bags and a 23:00 cut-off. The 70.3 is a separate, shorter day with its own bag scheme and its own timings.
Do I have to check my bike in the day before?
Yes. Bike and bag check-in closes at 19:00 on Saturday, racked overnight beside the lake. There is no race-morning bike check-in — race morning is only for the personal-aid and street-wear bags.
What are the orange and black bags for?
They're your personal-aid bags — orange for the bike, black for the run. You hand them in by 06:45 on race morning and they're set out on course. You won't get them back, so pack a resupply, not a spare kit.
What time does the course close?
The overall cut-off is 23:00 — 16 hours after the final athlete starts. The swim cut-off is 09:20 and the bike cut-off 17:30. Bike and transition bags are collected between 18:15 and 23:30, so plan for a late night.
Where do my morning clothes go?
In the white street-wear bag, which closes at 07:00 — the same minute the race starts. It's moved to the Parc Omnisports so dry clothes are waiting at the finish.
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