I have done it twice. One of the most appreciated IMs on the circuit by both athletes and spectators. Nice cozy town that goes absolutely triathlon mad for a weekend. Come on over and do it! Course is nice, good scenery, one loop bike course, 3 loop run course. Not the fastest course but still fast. Usually relatively good weather like sun and 20 degrees C.

Largest issue is housing as Kalmar in a smaller town. All cheap hotells get sold out 1 year beforehand (during the event) when they release housing for next year. What is left as options is more pricey hotells, Nirvana and private rentals (via Facebook or Swedens craigslist). You will always be able to find housing without Nirvana but might end up on Öland which is too far to be optimal.

Let me know if you have any further questions

You dont need to book through Nirvana! Its and exra service for someone to take care of thins for you and you pay quite a lot for that :)
Unless ofcourse the race is sold out and only Nirvana tickets/entries are left.

I was there two times on the camping place: plenty of place without reservation.
Arrived with rental car.

Kalmar Ironman: anytime again!

I am doing Ironman Kalmar this year. We ended up booking an Airbnb 25 minutes away for $192 for 3 nights. I have only heard good things about this race.

Thanks everyone for the info!! It's on the radar for next year so we'll see how things go. Doing a family trip to Finland and the surrounding countries and I'm trying to fit either a full or half in as well. Kind of all comes down to timing.

I did this race a few years ago. We rented an air B and B on Oland. I am traveling with 3 kids and I found it hard to find accommodations for a family our size. The house was perfect. It was a little far from the race- but not too bad. The bike course goes around the island of oland, so it was easy for my family to stay in the house and spectate. It is a great course and I highly recommend it. It can be much harder than you might imagine if conditions are windy.

I did it a few years ago too. I found that training in the days leading up to the event, was super dangerous.

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Raced there last year and absolutely loved it. There are several hotels right there near everything and you don't even need a car to get anywhere. I was even able to use the bathroom one last time and put on my wetsuit just before the swim start. The locals are awesome and come out on droves to cheer you on. I would definitely do that one again. And as noted you do not have to book through anything specific, you can just find a room on your own.

Cycling in Sweden is very safe, however there are cycle lanes in the towns and cities and you're expected to use them. Swedes are very law abiding people and frown on those who don't behave correctly, regardless of whether the correct behaviour has been made explicit or not. Hence look at the maps, follow the cycle lanes in Kalmar until you're out in the countryside, you'll be appreciated. Also, don't be a fool and ride the Öland bridge. On race day the roads will be cleared for you, but at other times be respectful, alas this isn't always easy for the "don't you know who I think I am" international triathlete brigade to comprehend... The locals are very supportive of this event, it's a real snub to Stockholm which typically gets all the attention. Also, do spend some time exploring Öland, there's a viking settlement, many arty outlets, the ruins of a large castle, the Royal family's summer residence, amazing beaches, and other touristy things to do (ping me if you want further details or suggestions either in Kalmar or on Öland).

SteveMc

I did it in 2013 traveling from Florida. We flew into Copenhagen and spent a few days there then took the train to Kalmar. I booked a room through Nirvana but none of their other services. My family loved the town and this was my second most favorite IM of 14.

Yes and no...it is safe except winter time, you may hit run over by an inhumanly fast nordic skier.

Joking aside, if I could pick one Ironman to do outside of the US that I'm interested in, it would be this one. It would be hard to top the trip to New Zealand back when I did Ironman, Brazil wasn't hard to top, Canada/Penticton was "ok" but Kalmar would be just the shizmo I think. But I'm currently *retired* from those after 30...and have no immediate interest in hopping in one anytime soon.