Ironman drafting rule: minimum distance and time-out penalty
IntensityIronman Age Group: 12 metres minimum front wheel to front wheel, 25 seconds to complete a pass. Otherwise a 5-minute penalty in the time-out tent.
Drafting reduces the following rider's energy cost by 15-30%. In long-course non-draft-legal triathlon (Ironman and 70.3 Age Group), it is forbidden. IRONMAN rules: 12 metres front wheel to front wheel on standard bikes, 25 seconds to complete a pass (following rider's front wheel behind your rear wheel, then in front of your front wheel). Motorbike marshalls patrol the course. Penalty: 5-minute time-out (tent). 3 penalties = disqualification. Tip: keep a 15-metre buffer for safety. In technical zones (tight corners, aid stations), officials tolerate mild bunching without penalty.
In TriPaced:
TriPaced does not evaluate drafting (no GPS-based tracking), but the race card in Settings > Race A recaps event-specific rules. On long training rides, if you ride in a group, the target IF stays the same: riding without drafting is what actually trains you for race day.
Source IRONMAN Competition Rules 2026, section 5.02 (a) Drafting Rules