Plan your travel ahead for this month's IRONMAN event

IRONMAN is taking place in and around Weymouth and Dorchester on Sunday 14 September 2025.

Whether you're planning to attend or not, please check the arrangements, as they may affect your travel.

At a glance

• IRONMAN is an international 70.3 mile triathlon with participants taking part in a 1.2 mile swim in Weymouth Bay, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run
• Dorset Council’s highways team will be supporting on the day with marshals at key points along the route
• There will be road closures during the event
• Some Weymouth car parks are affected, with Lodmoor coach/motorhome sections affected from 6pm on 7 September
• Care providers can request an access pass from the event organisers – many have already been issued
• Access to both Weymouth and Dorchester HRCs (tips) will be affected on the race day
• Please check with your bus provider if you are travelling in Weymouth or Dorchester on the day
• Letters have been sent to 70,000 households.

Road closures, routes and parking

Leaflets showing road closures along the cycling and running routes and a ‘live’ closure map showing affected routes can be found here.

Diversions for road closures

There are so many different scenarios, that it would be extremely difficult to recommend alternative routes and so diversions are not being suggested or signed. On this basis, drivers should make judgement based on the roads being closed and plan journeys around them. It is not a mandatory requirement to provide diversions.

Travel advice and deliveries

Road closures and parking restrictions will affect residents, businesses and visitors, so please check what is happening before the day of the event.

If you live in or are visiting somewhere directly off a route that will be closed, you may want to consider:

• delaying travel until the road reopens
• moving your vehicle while the roads are open and/or leave it parked off the route so it is not affected by the event
• allowing yourself extra travel time and be prepared to wait for access to become available
• asking marshals for advice during the event

If travelling for work or appointments, please allow extra time.

If deliveries may be affected, try to reschedule or contact race organisers in advance. If you are a business, please advise your customers of the restrictions in the area.

Download the public notice for a comprehensive list of all affected highways 

Stay up-to-date with travel on the day

On event day, check Live travel disruptions or @TravelDorset on X, or search for #IRONMANtraveldorset on social media before you travel . Only check while on the move if it is safe and legal to do so. Checking this

Check the live closure map, updated throughout the day on 14 September

Parking in Weymouth and Dorchester

There will be no access to the Pavilion car park in Weymouth.  Even though the finish isn’t at the Pavilion this year, the run route is still using the whole of the Esplanade so vehicles will not be able to access the Pavilion car park.

Additionally, because of the Harbour wall works affecting some spaces in the Pavilion car park, there are some changes to parking this year:

• Beach car park – closed from 4am to 6pm on Sunday 14 September
• Overcombe car park – no access all day Sunday 14 September
• Lodmoor main car park – closed from 7pm on Tuesday 9 September to 6pm on Monday 15 September
• Lodmoor Coach/Multiuse and Motorhome sections – closed from 5pm on Sunday 7 September to 6pm on Tuesday 16 September

Motorhomes, coaches and other vehicles that normally use the Lodmoor coach/multi-use will be able to use the Mount Pleasant Park and Ride site at Mercery Road DT3 5HJ during the closure.

All other Weymouth car parks, including the Swannery, will be open as normal. Minimal disruption is expected to car parks in Dorchester.

Bus travel

Please check with your bus operator for any planned service changes.

Access

Care providers

To protect vulnerable residents, car passes have been made available on request for social carers and care workers to access service users’ homes and care homes during the event.

Contact IRONMAN race control on 03330 11 66 00 if you have any issues on the day.

Household recycling centres

Access to both Weymouth and Dorchester’s Household Recycling Centres (HRCs, or “the tip”) will be directly affected by road closures around the IRONMAN 70.3 Weymouth event on Sunday 14 September.

Weymouth HRC on Preston Beach Road will be closed all day. Local residents are being urged to take their waste to Portland’s HRC, or wait until the Weymouth site reopens on Monday 15 September.

Dorchester HRC at Louds Mill will be open, but access is likely to be disrupted until early afternoon. Local residents are advised to either delay their journey until later that day, visit Wareham’s HRC, or wait to visit Dorchester HRC on Monday 15 September.

Contacts

Access - If you have any IRONMAN access questions, please call the organisers on 03330 11 66 00 or contact weymouth@ironmanroadaccess.com, and provide the following details:

• Name
• Telephone number
• Journey start postcode
• Journey end postcode
• Time of departure
• Details of enquiry.

Please note the e-mail inbox will not be monitored on the event weekend.

If you have any general IRONMAN Weymouth enquiries, please email weymouth70.3@ironman.com