Starting in 2026, the Ironman World Championship will once again have women and men competing on the same day, and in the same place — its home in Kona since 1981.

“This was not a decision that was made willy nilly,” Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda said Wednesday morning.

For the past two Ironman World Championships, and for the 2025 version coming up this fall, the women and men compete in the grueling 140.6-mile run, bike and swim triathlon at separate locations, alternating between Kona and Nice, France.

This is due to the Kona community blowback from the 2022 event, when a record 5,200 athletes qualified for the World Championship due to deferrals caused by the COVID pandemic and canceled or relocated races.

To accommodate the large number of athletes, about double the normal number of 2,500, Ironman organizers — for the first time in its 45-year history — split the championship into two days, on Thursday and the traditional Saturday.

This new format taxed the community, with many locals upset with the weekday road closures, and several downtown businesses unable to open on that Thursday due to the large crowds and lack of parking.

When Ironman announced it would do the same two-day format for the 2023 World Championship, some in the community loudly voiced their concerns. It led to Ironman changing its format again to the alternating location by gender.

Ironman organizers also hoped this change in format would enable the women to have more of the limelight, and increase the number of women competing in Ironman. But the number of women did not go up, according to Ironman CEO Scott DeRue.

And, Ironman organizers said they have learned through surveys and other research that the majority of athletes would like the championship to go back to the original format and always be held in Kona.

Ironman has been polling athletes since 2022 to get their thoughts on the race format. After the race last year, more than 10,000 athletes were surveyed with the majority of them voicing the desire to return to a single-day race with men and women sharing the field, Bertsch said.

Ironman organizers also have been hosting community talk story events to discuss Ironman’s place in Kona, Ironman officials said.

While France has been a good spot for the Ironman World Championship, Diana Bertsch, senior vice president of world championship events for The Ironman Group, said it’s not the true home of the iconic race.

At an exclusive announcement with community members and leaders at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort, the site of the championship’s start and finish, Bertsch said: “It’s time to celebrate and embrace what we have here. There’s nothing like the magic of Kona.”

Alameda said community members involved with the race were involved in discussions about having women and men compete together again in Kona, but the consensus was that it had to be only a one day event.

“The two-day event won’t happen again,” Alameda said. 

Alameda thinks the Kona community can handle a single race day. He said Ironman continues to get better in streamlining the event, making things easier for participants and volunteers. He said they have become better at informing athletes the best protocol for training in Kona’s public pool and roads before the race.

While DeRue said in a letter on the Ironman website that there are 3,000 slots for competitors at the 2026 World Championship in Kona, Bertsch said the exact number has not been determined, but she expects it to be less.

Local Ironman athlete Skye Ombac said from a spectator’s perspective, she likes seeing men and women race in the same place because you get to see both world champions crowned.

As an athlete, Ombac is worried that with less participants, women will get fewer spots.

DeRue joined Wednesday morning’s event virtually, saying he was humbled by the support from the community: “The Aloha spirit is woven through the culture of Ironman around the world. Pros and age groupers from around the world share the common desire to race in Kona together.”

Alameda said: “It’s not just a big event for the Big Island. It’s a world-class event. It’s been our trademark, especially for this side of the island.”

Hawai‘i County Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas, who represents the Kona community, said when Ironman raced on two separate days in Kona, it was problematic and the racing organization listened.

“They’ve been willing to adapt to align with the community,” she said on Wednesday.

This will be the last year of the split format, with the women competing in Kona on Oct. 11 and the men racing in Nice, France, on Sept. 14.

Craig “Crowie” Alexander won the Ironman World Championship in 2008, 2009 and 2011, and now the Aussie is coming to the Big Island in March to impart his years of triathlon racing knowledge to aspiring and experienced triathletes.

The 51-year-old Alexander will be hosting a triathlon boot camp March 9 to 14 in South Kohala. People can sign up through February.

Alexander competed in his last Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona in 2014 and now is retired from the sport. But he continues to make his mark through Sansego, a triathlon training club he founded in 2015.

Sansego holds boot camps throughout the year in various places in the United States. For the first time, Alexander is partnering Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection and holding his triathlon training on the Big Island, where the Ironman World Championship has been held for decades.

The bootcamp — which includes five nights accommodations, several meals, one-on-one 60-minute consultation with Alexander and a training program — costs $1,997 double occupancy or $3,097 single occupancy.

There is a local-only rate of $1,597 that opens 60 days before the camp starts. Austin Watkins, director of sales and marketing at Mauna Lani, said about 20 to 24 people have signed up so far.

Watkins said a partnership with Alexander was natural for Mauna Lani because of his sterling reputation as a coach that has been developed over the years.

Watkins loves triathlons and competed in several Ironman races including the championship in Kona in 2016. He’s also participated in Ironman 70.3, known as Honu, and Lava Man.

Watkins has teamed up with Ironman World Champion Dave Scott for a triathlon camp while working at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. He said the camps, in general, are a great bonding experience for new and seasoned athletes.

When Watkins first started in triathlons, he said the camps provided a way he could learn and grow a network within the endurance sport community.

As an amateur racer, Watkins said those interested in the sport should embrace the unknown.

“Know your goals and how you’re going to achieve them,” he said.

For the past two years, the championship — which involves a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run — has split the men’s and women’s races on two different days in two locations. This year, Kona will host the women’s race on Oct. 11, while the men will compete in Nice, France, on Sept. 14.

Alexander said the goal behind Sansego is to make the things that he learned and the people he came in contact with during his 25 years of professional racing accessible to every athlete.

Through his years of training and coaching, Alexander said the critical thing athletes need to remember is triathlon training is “never a one-size-fits-all.”

“Great training looks a little differently for each athlete,” he said. “The principles of endurance training are not a secret, never have been. It’s about applying those principles in each individual circumstance.”

During the camp, Alexander said trainers will talk specifically about nutrition pacing, training requirements for the course and its nuances.

During the boot camp in March, athletes will get a taste of the 140.6-mile course’s intensity: high winds; hot, humid temperatures; and 1,800 vertical meters of elevation on the bike course.

Boot camp training includes running in Kona’s technology park, Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority, swimming in Kailua Bay and cycling on Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway.

The training also is great for course reconnaissance for those able to qualify for the world championship.

“It’s never just a one-size-fits-all, and great training looks a little differently for each athlete,” Alexander said. “Even though the principles of training don’t really change, you have to meet people where they’re at in their own journey with their own current level of experience.”

He remembers the first time he watched on TV the iconic swim, bike, run race. It was in the 1980s, with the opening shot from a helicopter showing palm trees swaying with the trade winds, followed by a cut to “superhuman athletes battling through the lava fields.”

Watching athletes race over long distances in extreme conditions of heat and humidity captured his attention and imagination.

Alexander witnessed some of the world championship’s early iconic moments, including Dave Scott and Mark Allen running shoulder to shoulder in 1989. He also watched the 1982 race replay of Julie Moss crawling across the finish line.

“I just thought these athletes are crazy,” Alexander said.

But Alexander would go on to carve out his own path, competing in his first Ironman World Championship in 2007. In his third championship victory in 2011, he broke the course record that stood for 15 years, at 8 hours, 3 minutes and 56 seconds, which he said with a laugh “is pretty pedestrian by today’s standards.”

German Patrick Lange beat Alexander’s course record in 2017 with 8:01:40, and last year Lange posted an eye-popping new record of 7:35:53. Of course, these advances in time also are helped by advances in technology, equipment and nutrition.

Sansego enables triathletes of all levels to train like an elite competitor for up to a week, and take what they learn to incorporate into their own training.

The camp includes time with coaches who specialize in performance mindset, nutrition and strength and conditioning to make “your body bomb-proof.”

Alexander said: “Nutrition is a very big thing in our sport. Fueling your body and staying hydrated, particularly in a climate like Hawai‘i.”

The boot camp also offers one-on-one swim stroke analysis, nuanced bike fit adjustments for more power, aerodynamics and comfort and guidance on how to train and race in extreme heat.

In the boot camps, Alexander said he sees so much enjoyment from the pros to the beginners as they improve their time, or learn more about nutrition and recovery.

“You see athletes light up when they meet their goals,” Alexander said. “People want to learn and improve and get good training in.

“We just try and give them a little bit of a good grounding and all those things so they can hopefully leave the camp and they have the information that they need to go and make smart training choices and continue their journey on their own back in their home environment.”

Lieto, now 21, remembers his dad picking him up at the finish line of many races. He especially recalls the father-son greeting in 2009, when Chris Lieto finished the most important and iconic triathlete of them all, the Ironman World Championship, in second place with a time of 8 hours, 22 minutes, 56 seconds — less than 3 minutes behind winner Craig Alexander of Australia.

“I thought my dad was the coolest in the world and I wanted to be like him,” he said.

Now, Kaiden Lieto has big dreams of becoming the first athlete from Kona to win the grueling 140.6-mile Ironman World Championship, which involves a 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay, a 112-mile bike ride to Hawī and back, and a marathon that finishes through a fan-lined Aliʻi Drive.

It’s a lofty goal, even with someone with his good athletic genes, but donʻt discount him. Kaiden Lieto already has shown he knows how to persevere. In his short life he has survived a bike-versus-car training accident, life-threatening brain surgery and his first crack at the 140.6-mile triathlon course, finishing the Oct. 26 race in 642nd place out of about 2,300 participants.

This time the roles were reversed and it was Chris Lieto waiting at the finish line to greet his son with a big hug.

And, nobody would like to see Kaiden beat his father’s best finish at the Ironman World Championship and win it all more than his father, who is also his coach.

During the two years leading up to Kaiden Lieto’s first Ironman World Championship, he faced a lifetime of challenges. But he overcame each of them to cross the finish line on Ali‘i Drive in 9:58:12, beating his dad’s time in his first Kona championship by 23 minutes.

“I was stoked,” said Kaiden’s proud father. “It shows a lot of potential, which we knew there was a lot of potential already, but it just kind of reinforced that he’s on the right track and has the ability to do really well.”

The finish was especially gratifying because of those challenges that began in January 2023, when Kaiden was training for the Hawaiʻi 70.3 Ironman race, a local qualifier for the Ironman World Championship.

He was hit by a car while biking on the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway, suffering a concussion and broken collarbone. He healed enough by June to complete the grueling half Ironman race in Waikōloa, also known as the Honu.

And Kaiden didn’t just finish. He placed first in his 18-24 age group and third overall among the 988 finishers.

But the celebration was short-lived. The next day Kaiden flew to O’ahu for a follow-up to the crash injuries that left him struggling with memory loss and post-concussion issues. It was during that doctor visit that an MRI showed he had venous malformations (veins that develop abnormally) and needed brain surgery.

In March, he finally underwent the surgery after taking months to find the right doctor. Two weeks after the successful operation, Lieto found out he had earned a slot for the most recent Ironman World Championship in Kona.

But nothing would come easy. Two days before the race in October, Karis Lieto said her son couldn’t get out of bed. He was hit with body fatigue, body aches and headaches.

He had been seeing a doctor about a potential auto-immune disease, and will be following up with the doctor in the coming weeks to create a health plan to address the symptoms.

By race day, Kaiden Lieto had recovered and felt ready. As he walked down the steps to Kailua Bay for the start of the swim, he took a moment and gazed upward.

“I was looking at my home,” Kaiden Lieto said. “I switched into feeling like it was just another day at home swimming at the pier, just with a couple extra thousand people around.”

Karis Lieto said it’s been difficult to watch her son fight so hard, calling it a miracle he made it to the start line.

“It shows his integrity and willpower,” Karis Lieto said. “I’m in absolute awe of who he is.”

Leading up to race day, Chris Lieto said his nerves were all over the place, from anxious to excited with his biggest hope that his son would have a good experience and journey.

He followed his son as much as he could throughout race day, including watching him bike at the top of Palani Road and Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway. During the run, he used a motorized bike to get ahead of Kaiden so he could encourage him every step of the way.

For the swim portion, Kaiden Lieto finished fifth in his age group despite being stung by jellyfish during the last 100 meters. He said there was a Jetski or a boat that was trying to wake the jellyfish out of the area, but instead the wake hit him so hard his goggles flew off.

During the 112-mile bike ride to Hawī, he was feeling good until miles 42 and 43, when the sun came out after a brief rain. The water on the asphalt heated up like a sauna. Kaiden had no water to pour on himself to cool off.

While he did have carbohydrate-mix energy drink, he said: “You don’t want to over-drink carb mix because it will upset your stomach. So I kind of got stuck and started slowly getting dehydrated.”

He rallied for the remainder of the bike, grabbing water at aid stations.

Lieto started the final marathon leg strong, but started going downhill about mile 9. He really was feeling it at mile 17, as he entered the 4-mile stretch in Hawai‘i Ocean Science Technology Park, a few miles south of Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport.

“It’s usually where pretty much everyone starts falling apart,” said Chris Lieto, who would know having competed on this course in 12 Ironman World Championships.

He explained it’s usually when the legs start tightening up and the heat starts getting to you. The park also is a difficult stretch to run because the area is quiet with few spectators and no support crews allowed.

“At least on the highway, it’s easier because you have the energy of the crowd,” Chris Lieto said.

The younger Lieto doesn’t remember much of the run portion at the technology park saying: “I was pretty out of it.”

At the beginning of the run, Chris Lieto said Kaiden looked amazing. He was smooth and relaxed. When Kaiden started to struggle, his father got tactical and tried to guide his son through the pain, telling him: “You cannot stop. You cannot stop and walk.”

Chris Lieto told Kaiden to get to an aid station where he could walk to reset, cool off and get nutrition.

“Even if he was saying there was no way he can keep going, I was like, ‘there’s a way,'” Chris Lieto said.

While Kaiden Lieto’s run didn’t go as desired, the elder Lieto said it was expected since it was his son’s first Ironman and it’s hard to train without the experience of actually doing the race.

“There’s things you can’t teach or coach through. You kind of just have to do it,” said Chris Lieto, who at 52 retired as a professional triathlete in 2012 because of his age and issues with his Achilles.

Chris Lieto said his son will train differently with an Ironman under his belt because he now knows how to manage the heat, nutrition and pain.

“Knowing what you’re body is capable of allows you to push through when your body is telling you to stop,” said Chris Lieto, who won the 2006 Ironman Japan, 2005 Ironman Canada, and 2002 Ironman Wisconsin, as well as many other races throughout his career.

Chris Lieto, who is now a performance and life coach, trains everyone differently based on their ability and goals. For Kaiden, he said there’s a lot of development that needs to happen without going too much too soon or too hard too soon.

Part of that is figuring out how Kaiden Lieto’s health reacts to the training.

“Ideally, it’s to train him in a way and build his body up to support whatever’s going on instead of taking away or making it worse,” he said. “Being healthy and exercising has shown to be a benefit to everybody in any health situation.”

Kaiden Lieto hasn’t thought much about what he’s doing now that he’s finished an Ironman World Championship other than taking some much-needed rest.

He was thinking about participating in the USA Triathlon Long Course Nationals in Daytona, Fla., on Dec. 7, but decided to take a break for now to get to the bottom of his health issues, and recover from exhaustion with head and body aches.

“I’ve been full gas through the car crash and brain surgery and I feel like I just need a break,” he said. “I have plans but not holding on to them tightly. Just going day-by-day for now.”

In the meantime, Kaiden Lieto will train others for triathlon and running events. He also hopes to race again in the Ironman 70.3 Hawai‘i in June 2025. He wants to beat the course record for his age group, and also the overall record of 3:50:55 set in 2020 by Lance Armstrong, the winner of a record seven Tour de France titles before a doping scandal stripped them from him.

“I want to beat that. And after that, I’m going to take my pro card,” Kaiden Lieto said.

He no longer is dealing with issues surrounding his brain surgery, which he said is “less of a pain than whatever this is.” His potential auto-immune disease is different because it hasn’t been figured out.

But as he navigates his future, Kaiden Lieto looks back with happiness about the support he received on race day in his hometown of Kona.

“Every aid station, every single aid station, especially the run, was just people shouting my name,” Kaiden Lieto said. “Kona continually surprises me when they choose to back someone and support someone. It’s just one big family, and I can’t thank everyone enough for that.”

Karis Lieto said it’s been amazing to watch her husband and now her son take on the grueling sport.

“It’s such a gift to see their passion,” she said.

The VinFast Ironman World Championship Saturday had moments of chaos, where one after another athletes crossed the finish line, with some dancing and others collapsing.

But each of the approximately 2,300 participants that crossed the finish line on Aliʻi Drive in Kona on Saturday heard their name and the announcer saying “You are an Ironman.” This included at least 13 of the 16 triathletes from the Big Island that participated this year in the grueling 140.6-mile swim, bike and run race.

Laurentiu Grigore, 46, of Waikōloa finished the Ironman World Championship in 2017 and 2022, and this year had the goal to complete the course in under 11 hours.

“I don’t know if I did it, but I think I almost did it, I don’t know,” he said as he walked through the grounds of the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort, wrapped in an Ironman towel to get food, hydration and rest.

According to the Ironman Athlete Tracker app, Grigore came in at 10:57:55, placing 198th out of 339 in his age group and 1,225th overall in what he thought was fantastic weather.

“It was overcast, although there was a little bit of wind,” Grigore said, adding on the way back to town on the bike it was windier than he wanted.

“But you know, you cannot have all the perfect conditions,” Grigore said. “But I think this was like the most overcast of all the previous Ironmans.”

Grigore was particularly proud of his run, saying he couldn’t believe he pushed so hard.

“I wanted to go under four hours on the run, and I did,” he said.

Kaiden Lieto, 21, of Kona was the first Kona athlete to cross the finish line.

Lieto clocked in at 9:58:12, placing 41st out of 59 for the 18-24 age group. He finished his swim in 52:17, followed by a 5:45:04 bike and a 4:07:24 marathon.

Thirty-year-old Michael Kemp of Kona finished his first Ironman World Championship with a time of 13:23:13, placing 200th out of 204 in the 30-34 age group despite starting the day being stung by a jellyfish.

Walking back toward the hotel he said he felt accomplished and happy for himself.

“I had a couple moments where I didn’t think I’d finish,” Kemp said. “Mile 85 on the bike and mile 21 on the run. They were tough.”

Kemp said his body was turning off and he had to find a “new on switch.”

One reason to keep going was for his fundraising. As a member of the Team Ironman Foundations fundraising team, Kemp said the hardest part of the Ironman was raising nearly $27,000 that will go toward volunteerism grants and keiki in the community.

“I feel appreciative of everyone from my family, friends, to volunteers, coworkers, community,” Kemp said.

At the end of it all, Kemp said every one should try hard things.

“I don’t have to do this every year, but I mean, try it. Who cares if you don’t finish? Just give it a shot,” Kemp said. “Go to the start line.”

Toi “Gary” Wong of Kona had been trying for three years to get into Ironman. On Saturday, he finished the iconic race with a time of 12:23:09.

The 49-year-old, who is a housing and community development specialist with Hawaiʻi County, placed 270th out of 335 for the 45-49 age group.

After walking off the carpet at the finish line, Wong said he was tired, but happy he finished.

Wong also was stung by jellyfish on his neck and face.

“Many people got stung in the water, but perfect weather today,” said Wong, a native of Malaysia.

To read about the pro athletes in the 2024 Ironman World Championship, click here.

Here are the list of the 13 Ironman World Championship finishers from the Big Island as of 10 p.m. Saturday:

• Jose Graca: 9:12:47, 2nd out of 411 in his 50-54 age group.
• Kaiden Lieto: 9:58:15, 41st out of 57 in his 18-24 age group.
• Robert Loveridge: 10:54:34, 47th out of 276 in his 55-59 age group.
• Laurentiu Grigore: 10:57:55, 198th out of 335 in his 45-49 age group.
• Keish Doi: 11:07:52, 63rd out of 276 for his 55-59 age group.
• Steffen Brocks: 11:28:30, 91st out of 276 in his 55-59 age group.
• Daniel Hill: 11:36:33, 213th out of 411 in his 50-54 age group.
• Toi “Gary” Wong: 12:23:09, 270th out of 335 in 45-49 age group.
• Lloyd Gillespie: 12:29:19, 276th out of 335 for his 45-49 age group.
• Anthony Kotas: 12:29:24, 161st out of 276 in his 55-59 age group.
• Michael Breen: 12:37:07, 274th out of 409 in his 50-54 age group.
• Timothy Connelly: 13:12:06, 185th out of 276 for his 55-59 age group.
• Michael Kemp: 13:23:13, 200th out of 204 in his 30-34 age group.
• Ian Hersey: 14:24:17, 115th out of 159 in his 60-64 age group.
• Ron Kalich: 14:31:31, 232nd out of 275 in his age group 55-59.
• Alexander Hsia: 16:08:13, 152nd out of 159 for his age group 60-64.

Andrew Loeb did not finish the race within the cutoff time.

5 p.m. Update: Kaiden Lieto, 21, of Kona was the first Kona athlete to cross the finish line at the VinFast Ironman World Championship Saturday afternoon.

Lieto clocked in at 9:58:12. According to the Ironman Athlete Tracker app, the 21-year-old placed 41st out of 59 for the 18-24 age group. His swim was 52:17, his bike time was 5:45:04 and his 26.2-mile run clocked in at 4:07:24.

All local athletes finished the bike course and are tackling the marathon. Updates on when they cross the finish line will be provided as it becomes available.

1 p.m. update: Kaiden Lieto, 21, of Kona, is the first of the Big Island athletes to finish the 112-mile bike course in today’s VinFast Ironman World Championship.

He is now 4 miles into the 26.2-mile marathon that will take triathletes back out onto Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway, through the Hawai‘i Ocean Science Technology Park by Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport and back down Ali‘i Drive, where men will cross the finish line by Kailua Bay.

Lieto is estimated to finish at 3:45 p.m. with a 9-hour and 6-minute race time.

Lieto is fifth for the 18-24 age group. He finished the swim in 52:17 and the bike in 5 hours and 45 minutes.

Original post: All 16 of the men from Hawai‘i Island who are competing in the 2024 VinFast Ironman World Championship have completed the 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay and now are on the bike course headed to Hawī on Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway.

The local triathletes share the field today with 2,400 other amateur men from 85 countries.

The race started with pros entering the water at 6:25 a.m., followed by the different age groups.

Kaiden Lieto, 21, was the first Big Island athlete out of the water after a 52-minute swim. As of 9:30 a.m., he’s completed approximately 54 miles of the 112-mile bike course.

Lieto, with bib number 182, is competing in the iconic race months after undergoing surgery for a venous malformation in his brain.

Earlier this week, Lieto said he was going into Saturday with the goal of pushing through to the finish line.

He said he is strongest on the bike and swim but feels like he’s on an even playing field for all the Ironman events. His worry earlier this week was that his body wouldn’t function the way he wanted it to on race day.

“I think my day on Saturday, I’ll finish in 9 hours or 15 hours, depending on how my body is on the day,” he said.

At the pace he’s going, Lieto is on track to finish in just over 8 hours.

Michael Kemp, 30, of Kona, has completed 20 miles of the bike course and is estimated to finish the race in just under 11 hours.

With bib number 1110, Kemp is among 40 athletes who are part of Team Ironman Foundation’s fundraising team, which is dedicated to raising funds to support the communities where an Ironman event is occurring.

Laurentiu Grigore, 46, of Waikōloa, is 15 miles into the bike. Earlier this week, he said he had a goal of finishing the triathlon in under 11 hours. As of 9:30 a.m., he’s on track to finish in just under 10 hours.

With bib number 1754, this is Grigore’s third Ironman World Championship. He’s crossed the finish line in Kona in 2017 and 2022.

Leading up to today, the 46-year-old said he’s sacrificed lots of sleep during his six months of training.

Gary Wong of Kona, is 10 miles into the bike course. Donning bib number 1560, the 49-year-old is estimated to finish the race in 11 hours.

Jose Graca, competing in age group 50-54, is 25 miles into the bike course. He is estimated to finish the race at this point in just over 8 hours. His bib number is 2314.

Anthony Kotas, competing in age group 55-59, has pedaled 11 miles of the bike course. With bib number 2587, he estimated to finish the triathlon in just under 11 hours.

Timothy Connelly, competing in age group 55-59, has completed 15 miles on the bike. With bib number 2549, he’s estimated to finish the triathlon in more than 10 hours.

Andrew Loeb, competing in age group 75-79, has completed 15 miles of the bike course. With bib number 918, he’s estimated to finish in 13 hours.

Ron Kalich, competing in age group 55-59, has completed 5 miles on the bike course. With bib number 2429, he estimated to finish the full race in 15 hours.

Steffen Brocks, competing in age group 55-59, has completed 14 miles of the bike. With bib number 2540, he’s estimated to finish the full race in more than 10 hours.

Keish Doi, competing in the 55-59 age group, has completed 18 miles of the bike course. With bib number 2430, he’s estimated to finish the full race in just under 10 hours.

Lloyd Gillespie, competing in the 45-49 age group, has completed 28 miles on the bike. With a bib number of 1852, he estimated to finish the triathlon in under 10 hours.

Ian Hersey, competing in age group 60-64, has completed 25 miles so far on the bike. With bib number 652, he is estimated to finish the triathlon in more than 10 hours.

Daniel Hill, competing in age group 50-54, has completed 10 miles of the bike course. With bib number 2040, he is estimated to finish the full course in just under 10 hours.

Alexander Hsia, competing in the 60-64 age group, has completed 18 miles on the bike course. With bib number 742, he is estimated to finish the full race in more than 11 hours.

Track the athletes on the Ironman Athlete Tracker app.

And his exuberant celebration with the fans lasted for more than 7 minutes before Magnus Ditlev of Denmark made it the 600 yards past a cheering throng of people along Aliʻi Drive in Kailua-Kona to finish in second place.

American Rudy von Berg came in third for the race that began at 6:25 a.m. with a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.

At the finish line, Lange said during the race he thought about his mother who had died of cancer in 2020 and dedicated the win to her.

In the post-race press conference, he elaborated that about 5 kilometers into the run, he started getting goosebumps all over his body despite it being really hot.

“That was the moment when I definitely felt her,” he said. “When I was with her in hospice, when I had my last talk to her, she said: ‘I really wish you could be on that top step. I really want you to kick butt one more time. And I’m really proud I did this for her.”

The $125,000 first place prize also was nice.

But after the bike, it looked like the race would belong to defending champion Sam Laidlow of France. He broke his own bike course record to start the run with a nearly 6 minute lead over the field, including 9 minutes and 6 seconds over Lange.

The 25-year-old Laidlow was feeling so good off the bike that as he ran past King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort he punched his fists into the air to the roar of the crowd.

But the run temperature was in the mid 80s, with energy-sapping high humidity and searing sun. Thatʻs when the 38-year-old Lange, who became the second oldest winner of the championship, showed his younger competitors how it is done.

He quickly picked off the 12 athletes ahead of him after the bike, one by one. The last was Laidlow, who began showing signs of distress around the 10-mile mark, including walking through an aid station.

At about mile 11 of the run, and 6:02:38 into the race, Lange passed Laidlow like he was a pylon, patted him on the back for encouragement, and was off in a blue streak.

“I definitely tapped him on the back. I mean he’s a champion so he earned my respect,” Lange said. “I just said to him to fight through the pain because he looked in pain to me. So I tried to motivate him a little bit.”

Was that the moment Lange knew he had the race?

“No, no, no,” he said. “You cannot be sure that you have the race in the pocket until you cross the banyan tree,” which is at the finish line.”

Ditlev, who won $65,000 for second, and von Berg, who took home $45,000 for third, both tried to catch Lange. But the German never faltered en route to a course record 7 hours, 35 minutes and 53 seconds. The time smashed by five minutes the previous best mark set by Gustav Iden of Norway in 2022.

When Lange won his other two World Championships, in 2017 and 2018, he also set course records each time. And when he did so in 2018, he became the first to break the 8-hour barrier in Kona.

On Thursday, when pro triathlete Matt Hanson was asked how many pros would break 8 hours on Saturday, he said 15 half jokingly, justifying the estimate as the number of paychecks awarded for the race.

But Hanson, who finished the race in 10th place, was wrong. An incredible 16 racers finished under 8 hours, with all but Lange wobbling and having trouble standing upright after crossing the finish line on Aliʻi Drive.

This was the first all men’s Ironman World Championship on the Big Island. Beginning in 2023, in order to accommodate the growing number of participants, an alternating site format began. The men competed last year in Nice, France, where Laidlow pulled out the title win in his home country.

He really was hoping to win at Kona, the iconic spot for the race. But as was the case in 2022, Laidlow could not hold on for the victory after finishing first after the bike. That year Iden caught him during his record-breaking victory.

After Lange past Laidlow, who continued to struggle, it left the battle for the other two podium spots. Leon Chevalier of France had moved into second place, but he also began to struggle and walked through an aid station around the 17-mile mark.

That’s when Ditlev, who looked exhausted after finishing the bike, ran past the walking Chevalier into second place. Soon after that, von Berg made his move into third.

Throughout the run, most of the triathletes tried to keep cool by pouring gallons of water on their heads. Ditlev also grabbed ice, but one time it came out as a big chunk that broadcasters joked was an iceberg.

“I really wanted to carry it with me, but I just didn’t know where to put it, so I ran with it for maybe 500 meters just trying to crack it,” he said. “I tried to put it down my neck, but it was simply too big, so I just threw it to the ground.”

Lange’s day, like many of the other pro swimmers, began with with jelly fish stings. Lange asked photographers if they had an vinegar.

“I was desperately trying to problem solve,” he said. “Right now, I’m still in pain from the jellyfish stings. I have it on both of my arms and my face and my feet and it’s really hurting.”

Menno Koolhaas of the Netherlands, who finished fifth, said he also got stung at the start “and it was really, really painful.”

“My heart was pumping like crazy, and I thought I’m going to maybe die or something. I thought I might be allergic or something. But when the gun goes (to start the race), I felt it, but it was okay.”

It must have been, because Koolhaas was the first out of the water at 47 minutes and 2 seconds, just ahead of Laidlow. Lange, who said he changed swim coaches this year and has worked hard on that aspect of his race, finished the swim in fourth.

Lange’s bike leg was 4:06:22, for an average pace of 27.39 miles per hour, and then he posted a 2:37:34 marathon, for an average pace of 6:16 per mile. His run was just shy of the course record of 2:36:15 set by Iden in 2022.

Lange becomes the second athlete from Germany to win three world championships, joining Jan Frodeno.

Back in the pack, Laidlow didn’t give up, finishing in 18th place in 8:02:01, which for decades of the race would have been a winning time.

Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt, the 2021 Ironman World Champion, also was a race favorite. But he had digestive issues while on the bike, throwing up at least eight times, and finished in 8:29:58 for 35th place.

The only person older than Lange to win the World Championship is Australian Craig Alexander. In 2011, he won the last of his three titles at an older 38.

And another added bonus for Lange. He moved into first place in the Ironman’s inaugural Pro Series. With his World Championship victory, he earned 6,000 points for a total of 18,623. He is just ahead of Hanson, who has 17,853.

The top ranked male at the end of the series wins a $200,000 bonus.

Bike finish update: Defending champion Sam Laidlow of France pumped his fist in the air as he left the second transition in front of the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel to start the final run leg in first place on Saturday in the VinFast Ironman World Championship.

The crowd roared. Laidlow broke his own Kona bike course record with a time of 3 hours, 57 minutes, 22 seconds, beating the previous best time of 4:04:36 he cycled in 2022.

Laidlow cycled the 112-mile bike course averaging 28.43 miles per hour, which included a 6-mile climb into a headwind to Hawi.

Six other pros on Saturday also finished the bike route faster than the previous record.

But this time, Laidlow is hoping for a better overall outcome. In 2022, Gustav Iden of Norway caught him on the run en route to a run course record 2:36:15 in the marathon. Iden won the title in record setting time of 7:40:24.

Laidlow said he has emphasized his running during his training the past two months.

While Laidlow looked cool as a cucumber coming off the bike, the Ironman has proven over the 40 plus years that anything can happen during the run.

Two-time World Champion Patrick Lange of Germany is a better runner than Laidlow, starting the marathon in 13th place, 9 minutes and 6 seconds behind Laidlow.

Bike halfway update: At the turnaround point at Hawi of the 112-mile bike leg of the VinFast Ironman World Championship, defending champ Sam Laidlow of France was in control of the 140.6-mile triathlon.

After coming second out of the swim, Laidlow started the bike course blazing fast and by mile 2 he had built a 54-second lead.

He kept up the pressure on Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway and by the 31-mile mark he had built a nearly 2-minute lead with an incredible average pace of 30.3 miles per hour before the climb to Hawi.

Another favorite, Magnus Ditlev of Denmark, made his move out of the pack to pull into second place, with 2021 World Champion Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway right behind him. At the 41-mile mark they were still almost 2 minutes behind Laidlow.

But Blummenfelt had difficulty with his nutrition, and threw up about eight times. He fell back to a big chase group of 19 athletes led by Americans Matt Marquardt and Rudy von Berg.

After the 6-mile climb into Hawi, with a headwind, Laidlow had built a 5-minute plus lead over the chase group.

The riders will have a nice downhill with a tailwind out of Hawi.

Swim update: Menno Koolhaas of the Netherlands was the first out of Kailua Bay after a 2.4-mile swim, the first leg of the VinFast Ironman World Championship, which began at 6:25 a.m. Saturday in Kona on the Big Island.

With a time of 47 minutes, 2 seconds, the 28-year-old Koolhaas just barely beat defending champion Sam Laidlow of France by four seconds.

Conditions were fairly good with rolling waves and a water temperature of 80 degrees.

But the World Championship swim record remains with Jan Sibbersen of Germany, who set it in 2018 with a time of 46 minutes, 29 seconds.

Third out of the water was Antonio Benito Lopez, who finished in 47:08.

But most telling was the fourth-place person out of the water: two-time Ironman World Champion Patrick Lange of Germany, just three seconds behind Laidlow.

Other race favorites: 2021 Ironman World Champsion Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway, was 14th in the swim, 17 seconds behind Laidlow. And Magnus Ditlev of Denmark found himself down 1 minute and 12 seconds after the swim, in which he came out of the water in 20th.

Original story: As the sun rises over Kailua-Kona this morning, more than 50 pro triathletes and about 2,400 amateurs from 85 countries will dive into Kailua Bay for the start of the VinFast Ironman World Championship.

The pros start at 6:25 a.m., with various age groups to follow.

On Friday, downtown Kona was buzzing with activity in preparation for the big day. Triathletes took their bikes to the transition area on the Kailua Pier, with some getting last-minute tuneups. Workers were scurrying to finish a variety of tasks, including putting up scaffolding and banners at the iconic finish line, installing the sound system, and placing metal barriers to hold back the crowds. Some people were getting in a last minute run.

Two local residents set up a makeshift business selling chalk to race supporters who wrote messages on the final 100 yards of Aliʻi Drive leading to the finish line. The messages in many languages likely will be well smudged by the time the last pair of sore feet runs on this final stretch 17 hours after starting.

Unless conditions are exceedingly tough, the winner will have crossed the finish line in less than 8 hours, a time unheard of more than 40 years ago when the first Ironman was held in 1978 on Oʻahu.

Many of the pros and triathlon experts say this could be one of the closest and fastest races, with one of the championship’s best fields. Leading the way is defending champion Sam Laidlow of France, but other favorites include two-time World Champion Patrick Lange of Germany, Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt (the 2021 World Champion) and Denmark’s hungry-for-a-Kona victory Magnus Ditlev.

Gustav Iden, who won in Kona in record fashion in 2022, said he has not been able to do the type of training required to win the title. But some fellow athletes think he might be sandbagging.

Other contenders include three Americans: up-and-coming Matt Marquardt and Trevor Foley and Rudy von Berg, who ended 2023 with a record crushing 7:34:41 in the Florida Ironman.

Saturday marks the return to Kona for the men’s championship race, which last year was held in Nice, France. In 2023, the men and women began alternating their championship sites because the duo event was outgrowing the capacity of the small community of Kona.

As always, there are inspiring stories about people who have overcome challenges to tackle the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. They include participants who have terminal cancer, PTSD, Cerebral Palsy and no legs.

There are also 16 Big Island triathletes competing in the race.

For information about road closures, how to track Ironman athletes live and other things you need to know about race day, click here.

Live race day coverage will be broadcast for free across multiple platforms for global viewers including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN and YouTube, as well as Outside TV in the United States and Canada, L’Équipe in France and ZDF in Germany. 

Editorʻs Note: This story will be updated throughout race day.

But the field in Kona on the Big Island also will include about 2,400 amateur athletes who also are inspiring, including a man with terminal cancer, a 26-year-old double amputee, a man with post-traumatic stress syndrome, and a father who will tow and push his son with Cerebral Palsy.

Six Ironman Ambassador Athletes were on a stage at Hale Halāwai on Ali‘i Drive, currently home to the Ironman Village, to share their incredible journeys with an audience baking in the Kona heat. Long-time Ironman announcer Joanne Murphy asked them on Thursday about their struggles, successes, training and motivation.

Sitting on the far left of the stage was double amputee Billy Monger, 25, of Great Britain. The former race car driver lost his legs after a crash when he was 17 years old. He is competing Saturday to raise funds for the UK nonprofit Comic Relief, which provides funding to organizations that are working on projects to stamp out poverty.

Monger finished the Ironman 70.3 Weymouth in the United Kingdom, which is half the distance of a full Ironman race. The Kona race will be his first attempt at the 140.6-mile distance.

His dive into the endurance sport and journey started in 2021 when he did a 140-mile endurance challenge in four days, raising $3 million pounds. For the past year, he has set his sites on Kona.

“So there’s a little bit of extra nerves that I haven’t done a full Ironman before (or even a marathon), but I’m just super excited,” he said. “This is going to hold firm in my memory for years to come. … Just being on the island, meeting so many incredible people, the sense of community that I felt out here, and everyone wanting and wishing me to do well.”

Monger hopes to break the double-amputee record set by Roderick Sewell, an ex Paralympic swimmer, who finished an Ironman race in 2019 on prosthetic legs in 16 hours and 26 minutes.

While the “competitor within me means that I can’t just come here and want to finish,” he also said during the process of training for Kona he realized it ultimately is about the journey.

“I remember when I first started in October of last year, I could barely run 5 kilometers,” he said. “I was getting sores from wearing my prosthetics. And to think where I’m at now and what I’m going to be trying to attempt to do on Saturday, I feel like I’ve already won from just going on this journey.”

Beau Jones, 38, of Australia never dreamed of being at the Ironman World Championship as an athlete. When he was nearly 300 pounds, Jones was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder caused by almost losing his wife and son during a difficult birth.

After his diagnosis, Jones determined if he was going to be mentally healthy, he needed to be physically healthy. Enter Ironman, which is described as having the fittest humans in the world.

Jones became an Ironman in 2022 when he finished the Ironman Australia in Port Macquarie.

He also has been on a mission to ensure no man, no human, suffers in silence, founding Bottle.It, an organization that provides a space where people can share their mental health stories and the positive journeys out of depression.

“There are a lot of other foundations and movements that use negative statistics about suicide. And obviously we were aware the dark exists, but there was nothing in the place that promotes the positive and … a bit of a pathway forward out of depression,” said Jones, who is being supported in Kona by his wife Ali and son Duke.

American father and son duo Jeff and Johnny Agar made their first attempt at the Ironman World Championship in Kona in 2016. They are back this year to finish what they started after missing the bike cut-off.

Jeff Agar said his son has done amazing things that were never expected after being born 11 weeks premature with Cerebral Palsy, an incurable neurological condition that affects movement and balance.

“We were told he would never walk,” Jeff Agar said. “But he’s had some iconic finishes walking across the finish line with his walker.”

Over the years, the pair have become a staple on the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 triathlon circuit. In 2022 in Maryland, they finally completed their first full Ironman.

“My family has always taught me that I have to overcome my challenges no matter what,” Johnny Agar said.

The seven years father and son have raced together has been a tremendous bonding experience, and provided much experience to understand their equipment, their abilities and what it takes to finish.

This includes not wearing underwear under bike shorts. Jeff Agar said he disregarded this advice in 2016 and paid for it with his skin rubbed raw in some parts.

“In 2016, we were chafing. In 2024, we’re chasing,” Johnny Agar said.

He joked that he also occasionally wonders why his son couldn’t have found a hobby in stamp collecting or baseball cards, “but he wanted to do endurance sports and be an athlete so we’re really appreciative of the support.”

American Dave McGillivray, now 70, always dreamed of being a professional athlete, but at 5 feet 4 he was always the last one picked in sports.

In 1978, he ran 3,452 miles in 80 days across the United States, from Medford, Ore., to his hometown of Medford, Mass. A year later he picked up an issue of Sports Illustrated with an article written by Barry McDermott about the Ironman.

” I read about it and I said: ‘Wow, right up my alley,'” McGillivray said.

McGillivray participated in the Ironman World Championship from 1983 to 1989. He also has directed or consulted on more than 1,400 mass participation events, including more than 150 triathlons, while raising millions of dollars for various causes.

But in 2013, he was diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease.

“I’m like, wait a minute, I’ve done all these Ironmans, I’ve run across the country, I’ve run all these marathons, and I have coronary artery disease? Like, that’s not fair,” he said.

McGillivray underwent open heart triple bypass surgery. At that time, he said he needed something to focus on and he came back to Kona in 2014 to race in Ironman. It was three years after he was inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in 2011.

On Saturday, McGillivray is going for his 10th finish in Kona.

American Jonathan Pascual, 49, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2007 but was able to have it cut out. In 2022, he was diagnosed with stage IV of a rare form of cancer called mediastinal paraganglioma.

“It has extended all the way to my neck, blocking the big vessels and veins,” Pascual said. “It’s spread to my lungs, and it’s spread throughout my skeleton. And in fact, the cancer has eaten away at my bones that it broke.”

During the last two years, Pascual said he’s undergone treatment, radiation and targeted therapy to stabilize the cancer. But it’s been diagnosed as terminal.

“There is no cure. There is no bell for me to ring,” Pascual said. “However, I’ve always seen this as another endurance challenge.”

Despite suffering from shortness of breath and chronic pain, he is in Kona to fundraise for the F— Cancer Foundation and show his cancer is not a death sentence: “I’m here to challenge that. That notion is a myth.”

Pascual has completed 15 Ironman triathlons, but this is his first at the world championship. The swim will be the most challenging because when he’s in the prone position, blood pools around his face and neck, and even his tongue swells up making it harder and harder to breathe.

To keep his mind calm, he tries to be as relaxed as possible and flips over if he needs to take a deep breath.

If he can get through the swim, Pascual said he can manage the bike and the run since he’ll be able to breath better as soon as he’s upright.

“And as far as pain, hey, you know, we’re suckers for pain,” he said. “So we’ll deal with it.”

The headwear has provided fun with his friends and is an homage to his University of Colorado Boulder Buffaloes. But von Berg added with a smile: “They’re the only animal that heads into the storm when the storm is coming.”

On Saturday in Kona, whoever crosses the finish line on Ali’i Drive first will have conquered the grueling course’s heat, humidity, hills and crosswinds ‑— and weathered one of the strongest men’s fields in the history of the championship, which began in 1978.

Leading the field of 56 pro athletes is defending champion Sam Laidlow of France. But the chasing pack includes the two strong Norwegians Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden, who each have won in Kona, two-time World Champion Patrick Lange of Germany, up-and-coming Americans Matt Marquardt and Trevor Foley, Denmark’s hungry-for-a-Kona victory Magnus Ditlev, strong cyclist Robert Kallin of Sweden, and Von Berg, who ended 2023 with a record crushing 7:34:41 in the Florida Ironman.

Saturday marks the return to Kona for the men’s championship race, which last year was held in Nice, France. In 2023, the men and women began alternating their championship sites because the duo event was outgrowing the capacity of the small community of Kona.

The women competed in Kona last year, with super swimmer Lucy Charles-Barclay leading almost the minute she entered Kailua Bay enroute to her first World Championship victory after finishing second four times.

Lange, who won in Kona in 2017 and 2018, said he is happy to be back on the Big Island, despite “missing the women big time.”

“The beauty of the race is still there,” he said. “It’s still the greatest race of them all. It’s still the magic and the love for the island.”

In addition to the pros, about 2,400 amateur male athletes ranging in age from 20 to 84 also will be competing on the 140.6-mile grueling course that begins with a 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay. Next is a 112-mile bike on the route renowned for its historic long sustained climbs, strong crosswinds and exposed terrain beauty with lava fields on one side and the ocean coastline on the other.

The final leg is a 26.2-mile run, the length of a marathon, on a route that takes athletes past the spirited crowds on Aliʻi Drive, up Palani Road to the Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway that leads them to the long-awaited HOST Park at the National Energy Laboratory Hawaiʻi Authority. There they turn around and head back to town, where roaring crowds greet them.

And for the first time this year, there is a race within the race, with many of the men’s elite athletes also competing in Ironman’s inaugural Pro Series, which features a $375,000 professional prize purse. The winner takes home $125,000.

American Matt Hanson leads the Pro Series standings due to his fast, consistent racing this season despite having to balance training with his new fatherhood duties to a now 7-month girl, Olivia. But Hanson is not among the favorites to win the World Championship, with his best finish in six races just 13^th (in 2022).

“None of the guys behind me are going to just kind of give up and say: ‘It’s all yours.’” Hanson said. “So I’ve got to do my job this weekend to have a chance to stay near the points lead.”

Laidlow, 25, will wear the No. 1 bib due to his impressive World Championship victory in his home country of France in a time of 8 hours, 6 minutes and 22 seconds. This victory was despite having battled COVID 2 ½ weeks earlier.

Laidlow entered the second transition with a six-minute lead, and this time, unlike in Kona, he was able to hold on during the run to beat Lange by nearly four minutes. Ditlev took third.

In 2022, Laidlow was leading the championship in Kona late into the race, but with about 4 miles to go, Iden caught Laidlow. The two Kona rookies, drenched in sweat on Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway, shook hands briefly while still in stride — and then Iden was gone.

Iden smashed three-time Ironman champion Jan Frodeno’s course record by nearly 11 minutes, finishing in 7 hours, 40 minutes and 24 seconds. Iden also broke Lange’s Kona running course record.

But Iden had a difficult 2023 that included poor performances, the passing of his mother from cancer, and a painful Achilles injury. And this year, he said he has not put in the type of training required to win the World Championship.

“If I won this year, it would just mean that I’m a talent,” he said, smiling.

But his fellow Norwegian, 30-year-old Blummenfelt, could very well find himself on the top rung of the podium again after winning his first Ironman World Championship in 2021. Blummenfelt had been concentrating on short-course triathlons last year and part of this year, but he won the Ironman Frankfurt just two weeks after competing in the Olympics. And this victory is despite having problems with his nutrition that led to a mid-race bathroom break and tossing his cookies during the run.

Blummenfelt said he thinks all triathletes “want to win this race. It’s where the sport was born.”

And maybe this year his secret weapon is his bushy beard: “It’s good for the humidity,” he said. “It’s keeping a little bit of moisture to your skin.”

Ditlev also is among the favorites. He finished third at the World Championship last year in Nice, and he wants to make up for his 2022 race in Kona, in which a drafting penalty led to a disappointing 8^th place finish.

“I’ve been having nightmares about that race,” Ditlev said. But, he also said he was not happy about Nice, “when Sam completely smoked everyone. I think that hurt even more. … I was just not good enough to fight for the win.”

Marquardt likely will be one of the first out of the water. The 26-year-old who is juggling training with medical school led the swim in Nice last year. He also can hold his own on the bike. But his best marathon time during a triathlon is only 2:43, which needs to be better for him to finish at the top in Kona.

Some racers think that Kallin might go for the Kona bike course record, which could lead to some of the pros going a little faster than they like on the bike and take away some energy for the run.

But everyone seemed to agree the race would be fast.

“Everyone is improving a lot,” Iden said. “… It’s not so long ago where 8 hours on the island was something insane. But now, it’s basically a top 10 performance.

“I think there will be some groundbreaking performances this year, although it will depend on conditions, of course.”

Race conditions in Kona can be brutal, with a high of 86 degrees expected on Saturday with a 24% of raindrops. The bike and run often are affected by strong crosswinds.

Iden said this past week the wind was so strong near Hawi, the bike turnaround point, that he was “scared.”

When the athletes were asked how many pros they though would finish under 8 hours this year, Hanson replied: “Fifteen.”

When asked if he was confident about that number, Hanson elaborated that the 15^th finisher gets the last paycheck, “So 15.”

To watch the press conference, click here.

For all you need to know about the race, click here.

Live race day coverage will be broadcast for free across multiple platforms for global viewers including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN and YouTube, as well as Outside TV in the United States and Canada, L’Équipe in France and ZDF in Germany. 

The changes aim to ensure the safety and smooth flow of the event while accommodating local community needs.

Here are the key service modifications and closures.

Hele-On bus route modifications

Expect changes, including canceled stops and altered schedules. All routes will start and end Saturday at a temporary hub at the Kona Courthouse on Kamakaʻeha Avenue. Key adjustments include:

• Route 1: Canceled stops at Loloku Street (Kona Commons) and Kaiwi Street.
• Route 2: Canceled stops westbound to Kona at Kona Village Resort, Four Seasons Resort, Kona airport and Loloku Street (Kona Commons). Eastbound to Hilo, Loloku Street (Kona Commons) stop is also canceled.
• Route 75: Adjusted departure times and canceled stops, including Kona airport and Four Seasons Hualālai.
• Route 80: Multiple route changes, with certain trips canceled. Passengers heading to destinations such as Kona airport or Four Seasons Hualālai should note altered schedules.
• Routes 201, 202, 203 and 204: Changes in hub connections and specific canceled stops.

For the full list of route changes and schedule updates, visit the Hele-On website or call 808-961-8744.

Beach park closures and lifeguard availability

The following county beach park will be closed because of Ironman:

• Kua Bay: As a result, the Hawaiʻi Fire Department will not have lifeguards on duty Saturday at this location.

Other closures, including solid waste facility closures and road closures, also will be in effect.

You can find those closures in Big Island Now’s “2024 Ironman World Championship in Kona: What you need to know” preview for race day.

The county thanks the Big Island community for its patience and support.

“We appreciate the community’s understanding and cooperation during this exciting event,” said the county in a press release announcing the service changes and closures. “The Ironman World Championship brings significant exposure and economic benefits to Hawaiʻi Island, and we aim to ensure minimal disruption while supporting athletes and visitors.”

For additional details or inquiries, contact the relevant departments or agencies.

On Saturday, the 16 triathletes from the Big Island who will be competing in the VinFast Ironman World Championship all have completed personal journeys, including one man who overcame alcoholism and another who survived brain surgery.

“This event means a lot to me considering where I came from,” said 30-year-old Michael Kemp, who became an alcoholic after his father died when he was 17 but has been sober for the past six years.

Kemp became intrigued with Ironman a couple of years ago after meeting an Ironman athlete, noting endurance athletes and sobriety go hand in hand. Last year, he finished the Ironman 70.3 Hawai‘i race, known as Honu, in South Kohala .

He will be among the field of 2,400 competitors from 85 countries competing in the Ironman, as well as being among the 40 athletes who are part of Team Ironman Foundation’s fundraising team that is dedicated to raising funds to support the communities where an Ironman event is occurring.

“I’m not here to take first place. I’m here to show my family I’m a standup citizen in the community,” Kemp said.

This is the first time only men will tackle the grueling course that includes a 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay, 112-mile bike up the Kohala Coast and 26.2-mile run around Kailua-Kona, finishing on Ali‘i Drive at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort.

Kemp, who said Ironman is an opportunity to show himself and his family that he can do something constructive and not destructive, raised $25,000 that will go toward volunteerism grants and keiki of the community.

To qualify for the Ironman World Championships, athletes must finish a qualifying event and be among the fastest. Each event also has a varying number of Kona slots to be awarded.

Kaiden Lieto, 21, and Gary Wong, 49, both of Kona, captured two of those slots.

“Everyone knows that Ironman in Kona is the one,” Wong said. “It’s at the top of everyone’s list.”

So much so that many men who qualified for the 2023 Ironman World Championship deferred their entry until 2024 because last yearʻs men’s event was held in Nice, France, and not in the traditional setting of Kona.

Growing up in Kona, Lieto surfed and watched his dad compete in Ironman. Lieto already has completed quite a few half Ironman events, including Honu and Lavaman.

But his journey to compete in the world championship hasn’t been easy. In January 2023, he was hit by a car while bike training on Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway and suffered a concussion and broken collarbone.

Lieto would go on to finish third in his age group during Honu. At that point, he said he wanted to be a professional triathlete because he “got so hooked.”

A day after the race, Lieto flew to O’ahu for an MRI as a follow-up on the crash injuries that left him struggling with memory loss and post-concussion issues.

Lieto was told he had a venous malformation in his brain. The doctors also told him that he should stop working out because it could result in a brain bleed.

In March, he underwent successful brain surgery. Two weeks later, Lieto found out he got a slot for the Ironman World Championship in Kona.

Lieto’s first full week of training started in late May and he’s rarely missed a day, except for the past seven days, when he’s been suffering from body fatigue, body aches and headaches.

Before the surgery, Lieto said: “I was confident I was going to win my age group. This Saturday is going to be about pushing through and finishing.”

Lieto said he is strongest on the bike and swim but feels like he’s on an even playing field for all the Ironman events. His worry is that his body won’t function the way he wants it to come race day.

“I think my day on Saturday, I’ll finish in 9 hours or 15 hours, depending on how my body is on the day,” he said.

Like Lieto, Big Island athletes are training nearly every day for several hours leading up to Ironman. For the local athletes, they have the advantage of learning the championship course.

“We know every single turn and rolling hill,” said Laurentiu Grigore, 46, of Waikōloa. “We’re probably more adapted to heat and humidity.”

Grigore has lived on the Big Island for 17 years and completed Ironman World Championship races in 2017 and 2022. He has sacrificed lots of sleep during his six months of training, but now has a goal of finishing the triathlon in under 11 hours.

“I love that it’s my home and I get to race in the place I love the most,” Grigore said. “The pressure of the race is amazing. It’s like the Olympics, the triathlon everyone wants to do.”

Wong has been trying to get into the Kona race for three years. He’s been training seven days a week for six months. A week before the race, the 49-year-old recalled hitting a wall while running on his treadmill on his lanai.

After two hours of cycling, and running for 3.74 miles, Wong collapsed from exhaustion.

“I literally broke down,” Wong said. “I was in tears thinking I couldn’t do it.”

But thinking about his family and friends who are supporting him on his Ironman journey, which has included training seven days a week for six months, he pulled himself out of the dark place and finished the run.

Wong has been participating in triathlons for 15 years, training with discipline, consistency and devotion to complete three full Ironman races and 15 half Ironmans.

“I test myself to see how far I can go,” Wong said.

Kemp also has trained every day for months and has practiced on the course. Some days he goes on a long ride and short run and other days he’ll do long swims.

“Every time I do the bike a portion, it’s on the course,” he said. “I’m learning how to battle winds and expect the winds.”

He said he has low expectations for conditions because they are unpredictable and “you need to roll with the punches.”

Lieto said when he’s on the course he feels at home.

He sees the memories he’s made with friends over the years especially while running past Banyan’s, a surf spot on Ali‘i Drive, which is also part of the Ironman run course.

“There’s no better place to grow up,” Lieto said.

According to a list provided by Ironman, the full list of Hawai‘i Island triathletes are: Anthony Kotas, Timothy Connelly, Andrew Loeb, Ron Kalich, Jose Graca, Steffen Brocks,Keish Doi, Kaiden Lieto, Robert Loveridge, Toi Wong, Michael Kemp, Lloyd Gillespie, Ian Hersey, Daniel Hill, Alexander Hsia and Laurentiu Grigore.

Editor’s note: If you know of any other triathlete from the Big Island who is not on this list, please let us know at newseditor@bigislandnow.com.

The shoulders of Kona’s roadways were sporadically crowded with runners and cyclists on Monday afternoon as triathletes from around the world get in some last-minute training and become acclimated to the heat, wind and other conditions for the 2024 VinFast Ironman World Championship.

In the first all-male Ironman race in Kona, about 2,500 athletes will compete in the swim, bike and run competition that covers 140.6 miles on Saturday, starting at the Kailua Pier and ending on Aliʻi Drive.

Before the triathletes arrived, and during the days leading up the race, Ironman organizers have harped to the competitors and their supporters about the Live Aloha initiative to be pono (righteous) and respect the people, places and culture of Hawai‘i Island.

The initiative was started in 2019 under the direction of Diana Bertsch, senior vice president of world championship events for The Ironman Group, after seeing a need for bike course support that included assistance and monitoring bike riding behavior.

Officials have advise triathletes that they shouldn’t cycle prior to the race on the roads south of Kona town, as shown on the maps included and publicly available.

“These roads are narrow and lack a hard shoulder on which cyclists can ride,” officials stated in a press release on Sunday. “The lengthy traffic delays caused by the inability to pass cyclists on these narrow roads also creates inconvenience for the local community, and can become a danger for athletes and drivers.”

For athlete safety and to be consistent with the Live Aloha Initiative and the Pono Pledge (which says an athlete will be righteous on the island), athletes are asked to refrain from cycling on these portions of Highway 190/Palani Road, Highway 180/Old Māmalahoa, Highway 11/ Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway, and Highway 160/ Napo‘opo‘o Road.

A dedicated Kōkua (help) Patrol team will be monitoring certain cycling routes on the Island to ensure all athletes are abiding by the guidelines and being respectful of one another and the community, as well as providing any necessary support for flat tires and other issues.

Riders should obey all traffic signals and laws and know that cycling against the flow of traffic is against the law. This includes training with an athlete who is running.

Runners should train going against the flow of traffic.

For community members, whether cheering from the sidelines or driving through town, be extra vigilant. Watch for cyclists, especially at intersections and crosswalks.

Despite the posted guidelines and map on social media, Rain Serrano, a Kona resident for 43 years, said some training athletes aren’t listening.

On Sunday, Serrano said she was driving on Old Māmalahoa Highway through Hōlualoa, a windy two-lane roadway with no shoulder, where she was forced to follow two cyclists, riding two abreast, for miles.

“It’s so overgrown our infrastructure,” Serrano said.

JD Hsu has lived on the Big Island for five years. As an Olympic distance triathlete, he loves Ironman.

While he’s watched the championship race in the past, Hsu will be on Ali‘i Drive on this race day as the operator of a small business, Superbees, which is just yards from the finish line.

“We have a front-row seat,” Hsu said Monday, where he sells jars of honey and drinks infused the sweet amber substance.

While the commute does seem longer into the heart of town, Hsu said there seemed to be fewer people on the roads and in town this year compared to last year.

When a semi-truck loaded with pasta and other foods arrived at the Courtyard King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort last week, the employees knew that soon to follow would be hoards of hungry triathletes competing in the 2024 VinFast Ironman World Championship.

The longtime host hotel of the iconic sports event is stocked with enough provisions to feed about 7,500 people, with three catered meals that feature plenty of spaghetti and lasagna: the E Komo Mai (welcome) banquet on Thursday, the Banquet of Champions on Sunday and the Volunteer Mahalo Party on Oct. 28.

The hotel has hosted the world championship race since 1984.

The hotel, whose name was due to being near the historic Kamakahonu, home of King Kamehameha the Great, also is in a perfect location for the event. It overlooks the Kailua Pier, where the Ironman begins in the early morning with the swim, and it is steps away from the finish line on Aliʻi Drive. The nearby pier also is where the bikes are set up and both transitions between legs occur.

This week, the hotel will be operating at max capacity, with all 455 rooms sold out.

Ross Wilson, executive director of the Kailua Village Business Improvement District, said the hotel is a hub for all things Ironman: a retail pop-up shop, events, media center, welcome parties and awards banquet.

“It’s in the middle of historic Kailua Village and it’s a great home for Ironman,” Wilson said.

Over the decades, Ironman has been an economic boon to Historic Kailua Village in the usually slow time of October. Retailers, restaurants and other accommodations all benefit.

This will be the first year the Ironman in Kona will host all male athletes. Since it began in 1981 on Oʻahu, men and women had competed together. But that changed last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced the iconic race to be canceled resulting in a backlog of athletes who qualified for the world championship race. The decision to split the men and women was made with the first all-female race in 2023. Now, the men and women alternate championship sites between Kona and Nice, France.

About 2,500 athletes will participate in this year’s Ironman World Championship, which takes the elite and amateur triathletes into the waters of Kailua Bay for the 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 116-mile bike through the Kona landscape and along the Kohala Coast to Hawi and back, finishing with the 26.2-mile run (a marathon).

Christopher Blunt, director of sales and marketing at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort, said he anticipates a combined 8,300 athletes and spectators this year.

During the week of Ironman, the hotel is dedicated to the Ironman operations team, Ironman VIPs and community members that help make this race happen, Blunt said.

Kona businesses and the community have a tradition of contributing to the race with volunteers, he said.

Starting today, Ali‘i Drive from the hotel to Hale Halawai (site of the Ironman Village), will be bustling with people from around the world counting the hours to the start of men’s race, which kicks off Saturday at 6:25 a.m. at Kailua Pier.

“You’re going to hear five to 10 different languages this week,” Wilson said.

During race week, the hotel hires about 100 additional people to help with the catered events.

Alana Yamamoto, sales manager for the hotel, said people can’t wait to apply to work Ironman week.

“I have friends that are taking off from their regular job to come work here because the rewards are great when you work the functions,” Yamamoto said, adding the Ironman team usually gives away swag.

Plus, the hotel pays well.

Yamamoto has been volunteering for the event for 25 years. She said the most exciting thing so far for her this year was coming into work last week and seeing the country flags hanging in the lobby at the hotel.

The 68 flags represent the countries participating in this year’s Ironman.

“…For me, that’s a real sign that it’s (the race) here,” Yamamoto said.

Last week, hotel staff were working on setting up the Ironman merchandise tent and moving tables and chairs for the catered functions.

The hotel and Ali‘i Drive are busy every day this week with shopping, events like the Keiki Dip and Dash, Parade of Nations and Underpants Run. By 4 p.m. Friday, however, Yamamoto said things will start to quiet down.

And most athletes are asleep by 7 p.m., getting much-needed rest before pushing their bodies to the physical limit.

“They’re zoning in,” Yamamoto said of the athletes. “They’ve already eaten their carbs Thursday at the welcome banquet and they’ve turned in their bikes. It’s the calm before the storm.”

This year, 40 hotel staff will volunteer on race day.

Historically, the hotel volunteers help the athletes get ready for the swim, providing water and sunscreen.

With many of the athletes coming to Kona alone, with no family, Yamamoto said the hotel volunteers are their main cheerleaders: “We’re the first ones that they see, wishing them good luck at four o’clock in the morning.”

Are you ready for the VinFast Ironman World Championship on Oct. 26? Here’s everything you need to know about race week and race day.

This year it’s all about the men. Beginning last year, the field has been divided by gender due to the growing number of competitors. Defending Ironman World Champion Sam Laidlow of France leads an elite men’s field of 56 triathletes, including three other winners of the championship. (The women, who competed in the Kona championship last year, were in Nice, France, this year in the alternating course format).

But before race day, there are three community events.

• On Tuesday, it’s the Ironkids Keiki Dip-n-Dash at 4 p.m. at Ka’ahumanu Place. Registration is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the canoe landing at King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort. The Dip-n-Dash is for kids ages 6 to 14 who have a USA Triathlon membership, and the event costs $15. Just the Dash event is for kids ages 2 to 14, with courses of 0.25 miles and 0.9 miles. USAT membership also is required, and the this event also costs $15.

• On Tuesday, it’s also the Parade of Nations, which starts at 5 p.m. The parade runs along Aliʻi Drive between the Kona Beach Resort and Hale Hālāwai.

• On Thursday, the Ironman Foundation hosts the UnderPants Run in the back parking lot of the Kona Beach Resort at 7:30 a.m. It is open to everyone, but registration is required. This event began in 1998 as a protest against wearing Speedos in inappropriate places, like stores and restaurant, but has morphed into a pre-race icebreaker and local fundraiser. Over the years, more than $360,000 has been raised for “community giveback.”

On race day, the triathlon starts at 6:25 a.m. HST, when athletes kick off the grueling 140.6-mile race in the crystal clear waters of Kailua Bay for a 2.4-mile out-and-back swim as the sun rises over Hualālai in the background.

The 112-mile bike course starts at Kailua Pier and takes athletes onto Ka‘ahumanu Highway, facing a challenging evelvation gain — of up to 5,814 feet — and potentially strong crosswinds on their climb to Hawī, but soothed by breathtaking scenes of lava fields and ocean coastlines.

At Hawī, they turn around and head back to Kona.

The triathlon culminates with a 26.2-mile run through Kona, up Palani Road and onto Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway, where competitors will run through HOST Park at the National Energy Laboratory Hawaiʻi Authority, navigating intermittent steep spots before making their triumphant return along the highway.

Athletes will then take their victory lap down Ali‘i Drive to cross the finish line, where they started at Kailua Pier.

The seawall is the perfect spot to watch the triathletes enter the water to start the race in Kailua Bay.

Spectators then often move to line the run and bike courses on Ali‘i Drive, Palani Road and Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway.

If you can’t make it out to watch the race in person, keep up with the athletes live on Ironman’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

To note:

• Ka‘ahumanu Place and Kailua Pier will be closed starting at 6 a.m. midnight Oct. 24 till 3 p.m. Oct. 27.
• Ali‘i Drive from Ka‘ahumanu Place to Likana Lane will be closed starting at midnight Oct. 24 till 3 p.m. Oct. 27.

Find more race day road closures below.

For all VinFast Ironman World Championship information, news and updates, keep your eyes right here on Big Island Now throughout the week and on race day.

You can also visit the official Ironman website for more about this year’s race and other Ironman events.

Race day road closures

• Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway between Palani Road and Kaiminani Drive
  6 a.m. to 1 a.m.: Southbound lanes closed; northbound lanes open
• Makala Boulevard between Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway and Kuakini Highway
  6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Limited lanes open; no access to Kuakini Highway
• Kuakini Highway between Makala Boulevard and Palani Road
  6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Closed
• Palani Road between Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway and Kuakini Highway
  6 a.m. to 1 a.m.: Westbound lane closed
  6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.: Eastbound lane closed
• Palani Road between Kuakini Highway and Aliʻi Drive
  6 a.m. to 1 a.m.: Closed
• Kaʻahumanu Place and Kailua Pier
  Midnight Oct. 24 to 3 p.m. Oct. 27: Closed
• Aliʻi Drive from Kaʻahumanu Place to Likana Lane
  Midnight Oct. 24 to 3 p.m. Oct. 27: Closed
• Aliʻi Drive between Likana Lane and Hualālai Road
  6 a.m. to 1 a.m.: Closed
• Hualālai Road between Aliʻi Drive and Kuakini Highway
  6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.: Closed
• Aliʻi Drive between Hualālai Road and Laʻaloa Avenue
  9 a.m. to 1 a.m.: Hualālai Road to Walua Road closed
  9 a.m. to 9 p.m.: Walua Road to Laʻaloa Avenue closed
• Kuakini Highway between Hualālai Road and Kahakai Estates
  6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Closed, with limited access
• Kuakini Highway between Palani Road and Hualālai Road
  6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.: Southbound lane closed
  6:30 a.m. to noon: Northbound lane closed from Hualālai Road to Henry Street
  No access to Palani Road: All traffic routed up Ololi Road
• Loloku Street between Luhia Street and Kuakini Highway
  6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.: No through access to Kuakini Highway

For more information or questions, call the Road Closure Hotline through Oct. 28 at 808-334-3400.

Race day solid waste facility closures

Hawai‘i County announces the following solid waste facilities and services will be closed Oct. 26 because of the above road closures for the Ironman World Championship:

• Kealakehe Recycling and Transfer Station, Reuse Center and HI-5 Redemption.
• West Hawai‘i Sanitary Landfill (Pu‘uanahulu).

The closure at the Kealakehe Recycling and Transfer Station will affect all services, including residential trash disposal, HI-5 redemption, 2-bin recycling, green waste recycling, the Reuse Center and mulch pick up.

Regular operations and services at the two facilities will resume as follows:

• Kealakehe Recycling and Transfer Station will resume regular daily operations Oct. 27.
• West Hawai‘i Sanitary Landfill will resume its regular schedule and reopen Oct. 28.

All other solid waste facilities will operate on their regular schedules on race day.

Call the Hawai‘i County Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division Office at 808-961-8270 with any questions.

Click here for more information and updates.

Get the Ironman VIP spectator experience

Don’t want to brave the crowds? Want some Ironman swag? Looking for better race day viewing spots? Then why not support your Ironman athlete while Ironman supports you?

Enjoy the convenience, hospitality and dedicated viewing areas throughout race day and experience the action as a VIP during the 2024 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona.

There are several levels of VIP to choose from, with several perks ranging from a commemorative gift bag, VIP seating for the VIP and their athlete at the E Komo Mai Banquet, an invitation to the pro press conference, up to 6 nights at Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, pier access for swim viewing, access to the VIP viewing platform and more.

To become a VIP today or for more information, click here. For questions, email to worldchampionshipvip@ironman.com.

Track Ironman athletes live

So you saw them swim out and watched them bike out of town, but now what? Follow the Ironman triathletes live by downloading the Ironman Tracker mobile app and selecting the 2024 Ironman World Championship event.

Participants, family and friends can all use the Live Results feature to share in the excitement. On race day, spectators can get the status of participants in real time using the Live Tracker and Leaderboard functions.

The app is available at the Apple Store and Google Play. Download it today.

“As a true clash of the titans, we are expecting some unforgettable performances,” race organizers said about the 2024 VinFast Ironman World Championship. “[It] will be fun for all to watch unfold.”

The iconic 140.6-mile swim, bike and run event will bring together the world’s top professional male triathletes to compete for the coveted title, 6,000 points in the inaugural Ironman Pro Series, and a piece of the $375,000 professional prize purse. The winner takes home $125,000.

The World Championship also includes amateur age-group triathletes from around the world, including participants from Hawaiʻi.

This is the first time the field will be only men. Last year, the field in Kona featured only women, with Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain leading the race out of the water and never looking back en route to her first World Championship victory after finishing second four times.

In 2022, with the field of the popular triathlon growing too big for all participants to compete on the same day, including a backlog of qualifiers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ironman organizers added a Thursday race before its traditional Saturday race.

The addition of a race in the middle of the work week irked some downtown business owners who closed due to road closures and the mayhem. Other community members complained they had not been consulted about the format change, saying the small town of Kona with a population of about 23,000 couldn’t can’t support the onslaught of thousands more participants and their supporters.

The 2023 race originally was going to be a two-day event, but public outcry led to Ironman adding a second site for the World Championship in Nice, France. Women and men competitions would alternate between the sites going forward, with Laura Philipp of Germany winning this year’s women’s World Championship in Nice.

Laidlow will wear bib No. 1 for the first time due to winning last year’s World Championship in his home country of France. In 2022, he finished second in Kona, helped by setting the bike course record of 4:04:36.

He was overtaken in the latter stages of the race by Norway’s Gustav Iden, a race rookie who stormed home to his first World Championship by smashing the course record of Jan Frodeno by nearly 11 minutes. Iden finished in 7:40:24.

Iden, who also is a two-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion (2019, 2021), has not raced a full-distance triathlon since his 2022 victory in Kona due to injury. After initially struggling to rediscover the form that saw him claim three world titles in four years, Iden has started to show signs over the past few months of the threat his competitors know he can pose.

Fellow Norwegian and 2021 World Champion, Kristian Blummenfelt, also will return to Kona after finishing third in 2022. Despite dedicating his year to short-course triathlon in a quest for back-to-back Olympic Gold Medals, Blummenfelt had a runaway victory at the Mainova Ironman European Championship Frankfurt triathlon less than two weeks after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Patrick Lange of Germany will be on the hunt for a third Ironman World Championship title. He has finished on the podium four of the six times he has raced triathlon’s pinnacle event. He holds the Ironman World Championship run course record of 2:32:41, which he set in Nice last year on his way to finishing second.

Other contenders for this year’s title include Magnus Ditlev (Denmark), Rudy Von Berg (USA), and Léon Chevalier (France), who all finished in the top five at last year’s World Championship in Nice.

Other threats in the packed field include: Matt Burton (Australia), the 2024 Ironman Asia-Pacific Champion, Rasmus Svenningson (Sweden), the 2024 Ironman African Champion, and Lionel Sanders (Canada) and Trevor Foley (USA), who this year have both won an Ironman race and two Ironman 70.3 events.

Kona’s Ironman race course begins in Kailua Bay with a 2.4-mile swim. Next is a 112-mile bike on the course renowned for its historic long sustained climbs, strong crosswinds, and exposed terrain beauty with lava fields on one side and the ocean coastline on the other.

The final leg of the race is a 26.2-mile run, the length of a marathon, on a route that takes athletes past the spirited crowds on Aliʻi Drive, up Palani Road to the Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway that leads them to the long-awaited HOST Park at the National Energy Laboratory Hawaiʻi Authority.

Athletes end the long race to the roar of thousands of spectators as they cross the historic Aliʻi Drive finish line next to the host Courtyard King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel.

Another layer of excitement is the inaugural Ironman Pro Series. The winner of the Kona event receives 1,000 more points that other full-distance Ironman events. In Kona, eight out of the top 10 professional athletes in the men’s standings will battle for series points and a piece of the end of year bonus prize money.

Matt Hanson (USA) leads the standings due to his fast, consistent racing so far this season. He also will be competing in Kona. But in six World Championships, his beat finish was 13th in 2022.

Live race day coverage will be broadcast for free across multiple platforms for global viewers including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN and YouTube, as well as Outside TV in the United States and Canada, L’Équipe in France and ZDF in Germany. 

The professional men’s field:

While Kailua-Kona’s Brenda Avery was the first to cross the finish line Saturday at the VinFast Ironman World Championship, her overall ranking among Hawai‘i Island’s competitors was third.

Eleven Big Island triathletes were among the 2,039 women who competed in the first all-women’s championship race held in Kona. Starting with the 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay, the athletes battled the heat during the 112-mile bike ride from Kona to Hawī and back only to head out again for the 26.2-mile run.

At the start, the women were divided up into age groups and began the grueling course at different times.

The first Big Island triathlete with the fastest time was Laura Birse, 45, of Hilo. She ranked 50th out of 332 in her age group and 513th overall.

Birse’s finish time was 11 hours, 32 minutes, 26 seconds. She crossed the finish line minutes after Avery.

Birse had a 1:13:11 swim, 5:33:04 bike and 4:36:48 marathon.

Melissa Schad of Papa‘aloa also competed in the race. She was not included in previous local triathlete lists as an oversight. Out of all the Big Island competitors, she had the second-fasted time of 11:52:43, two minutes faster than Avery.

Schad ranked 86th in the 45-49 women’s division and 691 overall. Her swim was 1:09:27, her bike ride was 5:39:53 and her marathon was 4:53:40.

Fifty-eight-year-old Avery ranked 20th out of 223 women in her age group and 707 overall. She completed the race in 11 hours, 54 minutes, 3 seconds. Her swim was 1:00:55, her bike ride was 5:45:08 and her marathon was 4:55:18.

Skye Ombac, 27, of Hilo, crossed the finish line in 12 hours, 23 minutes, 40 seconds. This was her second Ironman Championship and she beat her goal this year to complete the race in under 13 hours.

Ombac ranked 96th out of 123 in her age group and 943 overall. She had a swim of 1:19:17 and bike ride of 6:18:34 and a marathon of 4:32:44.

Lynn Mattix, 42, of Kailua-Kona, finished the race at 12 hours, 53 minutes, 54 seconds. She ranked 216th out of 324 in her age group and 1,171 overall. This was Mattix’s first Ironman Championship and was selected through a lottery system.

Mattix had a 1:26:45 swim, a 6:17:10 bike ride and a 4:59:00 marathon.

Carleigh Rittel, 35, of Kailua-Kona, crossed the finish line in 13 hours, 43 minutes, 58 seconds. She ranked 224th out of 263 in her age group and 1,500 overall.

Rittel had a swim of 1:30:21, a bike ride of 6:37:35 and a marathon of 5:20:30.

Esra Lynch, 55, of Kamuela, ranked 138th out of 223 in her age group. She crossed the finish line at 14 hours, 5 minutes, 53 seconds. She ranked 1,617 overall.

Lynch had a 1:28:14 swim, a 7:32:36 bike ride and a 4:48:11 marathon.

Monica Price, 51, of Kailua-Kona, finished the race at 14 hours, 32 minutes, 24 seconds. She ranked 231st out of 297 in her age group and 1,716 overall.

Price had a 1:20:12 swim, a bike ride of 6:52:08 and a marathon of 6:03:38.

Brenda Bettencourt, 64, of Kailua-Kona, beat her time last year by an hour finishing the triathlon in 15 hours, 22 minutes, 9 seconds. She placed 16th out of 37 for her age group and ranked 1,873 overall.

Bettencourt’s swim was 1:21:10, her bike was 7:13:55 and her marathon time was 6:28:13.

Greta Friesen, 36, of Hōnaunau, finished the race at 16 hours, 44 minutes, 28 seconds, one hour later than last year. A week before the race, Friesen said she was recovering from COVID-19 and considered it a victory if she crossed the finish line.

The 36-year-old ranked 263rd in her age group and 2,021 overall. Her swim was timed at 1:29:21, her bike at 8:19:31 and her marathon at 6:31:15.

Sonja Correa, 44, of Kailua-Kona, didn’t cross the finish line. She completed the swim at 1:50:09 but didn’t make it to the bike and run portion of the race.

Send us photos of your favorite triathlete!

After a long hot day that included a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a marathon run, VinFast Ironman World Championship competitor Carly Maycock was wrapped in a foil blanket, shaking. 

“I’m OK. I’m OK,” she reassured. 

Maycock and other triathlon competitors were seen on the grounds of the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel on Saturday night wearing the foil sheets to keep themselves warm and help battle the post-race chills. Sometimes racers run the risk of hypothermia after their body temperatures drop from the long day. 

Maycock said after crossing the finish line, she immediately went to the pop-up medical tent at the Kailua pier, where she was treated for dehydration. 

Maycock was among the hundreds of female racers seen by a hundred or more volunteer medical staff, from doctors and nurses to medical assistants, both local and from other places such as California. 

Maycock said she’s raced in other competitions, and nothing compares to the treatment she had during Ironman, where she was attached to an IV and weighed before and after the race. Having lost weight after the competition, the medical personnel knew right away that she was in need of care. 

“That’s not typical in other races,” she said. 

Dr. V. Ted Leon is a family physician affiliated with the Queen’s Medical Center on O‘ahu, who under the title of Director of Cardiac Stress Testing has spoken about exercise testing for the heart. He was one of the several volunteer doctors during the event, and said he and other doctors have been involved with the race for a long time, and over the years improved on their strategies to make sure runners are receiving the best care possible. 

And much care was needed.

“We see about one racer a minute during this time,” he said after sunset. 

Prior to the race, Leon said many of the doctors participate in a sports medicine conference at the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa. Titled the Ironman World Championships Medical Symposium, the nonprofit, annual five-day continuing medical education event targets medical professionals interested in sports medicine and treating endurance athletes.

During the conference, attendees receive cutting-edge information in areas of sports medicine, exercise science and common sports-related injury and illness and use what they learn during the Ironman race. 

After Saturday’s race, Leon said they were seeing the typical medicinal cases, such as dehydration and hyponatremia, when the concentration of sodium in the bloodstream is abnormally low, causing weakness and cramping. 

Lexi Hofer, a volunteer who was stationed near the medical tent, said she was in charge of clearing traffic for the racers to be funneled in to be seen by the medical personnel. She said it was a busy night.

“Some racers came in on wheelchairs and others had about two or three walkers to help them,” she said. 

Every racer has to be cleared by medical after finishing and she said she was impressed by the streamline. 

“I think medical did a great job,” she said. 

For more information about Ironman, visit this website.

Brenda Avery of Kona performed like a pro in the water and on the bike en route to one of the top finishers of the 11 Big Island competitors at Saturday’s VinFast Ironman World Championship in her hometown.

The 58-year-old Avery exited Kailua Bay after the 2.4-mile swim in just 1 hour and 55 seconds, 97th overall and second in her age group of 55-59.

She had a strong bike in 5:45:08 on the grueling 112-mile bike course from Kona to Hawi and back. It was only 13 minutes slower than pro triathlete Hilary Hughes.

But then came the marathon.

“I don’t know what it is,” Avery said. “Just mentally I’m not into it, or something.”

As was the case during her first Ironman in Kona last year, she started to suffer around mile two or three with a bloated stomach that stuck with her until well after she crossed the finish line. She felt like she hydrated well enough but the gels she ate were not settling and her stomach felt distended.

Avery was the first to cross the finish line of the Hawai‘i Island competitors. Her run time was 4:55:18.

Avery finished the historic first all-women’s Ironman World Championship at 6:44 p.m. with an unofficial time of 11:54:03. She beat her 2022 time by about an hour.

The time was good for 20th overall in her age group.

Feeling dizzy and draped in a white towel, Avery was escorted by volunteers to an area near the luau grounds at Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, where she picked up a medal and went to a medical tent. They gave her beef broth.

Sitting on a rock wall, Avery reflected on the race saying she was proud of her performance and the fact that she finished under 12 hours.

Hawai‘i’s youngest triathlete in the race, Skye Ombac, 27, of Hilo, finished her second Ironman World Championship in 12:23:40, also beating her 2022 time by an hour. She crossed the finish line with her arms stretched to the sky and a smile on her face. She ranked 96th in her age group.

“I’m tired. My hands are numb and tingly,” Ombac said. “But once you cross the finish line you forget all the pain.”

Ombac said she had the bike ride of her life. With a goal to get through the ride in 6 1/2 hours, she road it 32 minutes faster. She attributes the success of the bike to training in windy and miserable conditions.

On race day, Ombac said the wind was OK until she started headed back onto Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway. Then, she was hit by a headwind.

“I might have over-biked a little,” she said. “My legs were sore for the run, but I kept it together and kept reminding myself why I was out there and what my goal was. The closer I got to the finish line I realized I’m not only going to reach my goal of going sub-13 [hours] but I was going to beat it by quite a bit.”

This Saturday is the first time in the history of the championship race, the women are competing in a different location than the men, who raced last month in Nice, France. Last year, the Ironman held a two-day race event after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the race to be canceled in 2020 and 2021.

Avery didn’t like that the Ironman has split up the men’s and women’s races, however, she conceded the energy at this year’s event was calmer.

“Everyone is nice to each other,” she said. “They cheer each other on. When I’d walk, girls would say: ‘You got this, come on.'”

The other Big Island competitors and their unofficial times are below:

• Laura Birse, 45, Hilo 11:32:26 

• Lynn Mattix, 42, Kailua-Kona, 12:53:54

• Carleigh Rittel 13:43:58

• Esra Lynch, 55, Kamuela, 14:05:53

• Monica Price, 51, Kailua-Kona, 14:32:24

As of press time, Big Island competitors Brenda Bettencourt, 64, of Kailua-Kona, and Greta Friesen, 36, of Hōnaunau, were still on the course. Sonja Correa, 44, of Kailua-Kona, didn’t finish.

Lucy-Charles Barclay of Great Britain wins in a record time of 8 hours, 24 minutes, 31 seconds, beating Germans Anne Haug (second) and Laura Philipp (third). She is finally the Queen of Kona after four runner-up finishes.

2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay

Charles Barclay was first out of the water in a time of 49 minutes and 36 seconds, building a lead of about 90 seconds over a group of six chasers.

112-mile bike to Hawi and back

Charles-Barclay also is the first off the bike, with a 3:47 over second-place Taylor Knibb, who had to serve a one-minute penalty for unintentional littering after her water bottle fell off her bike .

The 26.2-mile run with a finish down Aliʻi Drive

German Anne Haug set a course-record for the marathon in 2:48:23, but she had started the run in 7th place with 12 plus minutes to make up. She fell just over 3 minutes short, for second-place.

The Spectators

Thousands of people from around the world were along the Ironman World Championship route from Kona to Hawi on the Big Island to route on the triathletes.

The mermaid finally is the Queen of Kona — and in record time.

After four runner-up finishes in the past six years, super swimmer Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain held off the fast-charging 2019 winner Anne Haug of Germany on Saturday to win the 2023 VinFast Ironman World Champion.

On the historic first “women’s-only” championship race in Kona, the 30-year-old Charles-Barclay also was the first woman to win the race from “cannon to tape” since 1979. That is when Lyn Lemaire won as the first-ever female Ironman competitor — and only female in that field.

On Saturday, Charles-Barclay crossed the finish line in 8 hours, 24 minutes, 31 seconds, surpassing the record for the grueling 140.6-mile race of 8:26:18 set in 2018 by “Angry Bird,” the five-time champion, Daniela Ryf of Switzerland.

“I am just over the moon,” Charles-Barclay said.

While on the podium, she was doused with beer by Haug and third-place finisher Laura Philipp of Germany.

“There were times today where I thought I had it in the bag; and there were definitely times when I thought it would all unravel and I wouldn’t get the win,” Charles-Barclay said during the post-race press conference. “It took me five tries. … There were many times I thought I was always going to be the bridesmaid in Kona. Yeah. It’s nice to finally be the bride.”

She said she didn’t feel confident she was going to win until the very end.

“It really wasn’t until I was back on Aliʻi Drive,” she said. “I am still looking over my shoulder thinking Anne was going to be right there.”

The 40-year-old Haug started the run in 7th place, 12:14 behind Charles-Barclay. She ran a record 2:48:23 for the marathon, coming up just 3 minutes short. Haugʻs final time of 8:27:33 is the third best of all-time.

“A race for the ages,” said broadcast commentator Mirinda Carfrae, a three-time Ironman World Champion from Australia who had held the run record of 2:50:26 that she set in 2014.

When asked if she was pleased with her finish, Haug said: “Absolutely. I couldn’t do anything better. Lucy was just unbeatable today.”

Philipp, 36, despite a disappointing swim, battled back for third place in 2:55:24. In the final miles of the race, she passed 25-year-old rookie Taylor Knibb of the United States, who was competing in her first Ironman and had never before run more than 18.92 miles. Knibb finished in fourth at 8:35:56 and fell to her knees.

Ryf finished fifth in 8:40:34 and defending champion Chelsea Sodaro was 6th. Sodaro had fallen to 20th during the bike, but ended with a strong run of 2:53:02.

To see a photo gallery of the race from start to finish, click here.

But this day belonged to Charles-Barclay, starting from the first moment she jumped into Kailua Bay to start the 2.4-mile swim at 6:25 a.m. as the sun was rising.

Earlier this week, she said in order to win she likely would need to post a personal-best marathon. And she did, in a time of 2:57:38, more than 4 minutes better than her previous best.

This is despite recovering from a foot fracture she suffered earlier this year and a painful achilles that started at about the 2-mile mark of the run on Saturday.

With about 6 miles to go, and with a comfortable lead, Charles-Barclayʻs husband and fellow pro triathlete, Reece Barclay, said during the broadcast: “Daring to dream, but not just yet, but hopefully soon.”

He added: “My heart sinks. I hope she gets to the finish line. She deserves it.”

The tables were turned from 2019, when Haug won the championship in a time of 8:40:10, 6 1/2 minutes ahead of — you guessed it — second-place Charles-Barclay.

As expected, Charles-Barclay was first out of the water after the 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay. In rough seas, she finished in 49:36 seconds, just a tad slower than her own championship record time of 48:13, set in 2016.

She had built a 1:29 lead over a chase group of six triathletes, including Knibb. The rookie was second after the bike and remained in second until 7.4 miles to go, when she was passed by Haug.

Charles-Barclay also was first off the bike, with a lead of nearly four minutes over second-place Knibb, who had to serve a one-minute penalty for unintentional littering after her water bottle fell off her bike. She also had lost two water bottles off her bike earlier, but the officials did not see it.

For 36-year-old Ryf, it was her last race in Kona. She said she did her best to do well and enjoy it.

“I tried to catch Lucy, but no way today,” she said.

Ryf reflected on what the Big Island has meant to her.

“This island means so much to me, it made my career,” she said. “I will always love this island, and I am 100% sure I will come back to this island to cheer.”

She said she also plans to finally see the Parade of Nations, which she heard was super energetic this year with dancing, an extra positive vibe of an all-female field.

Because of her strict preparation and focus before races, she said: “I never got the chance to be there. I always just had to lie in my bed and wait.”

UPDATE 3: Charles-Barclay leads VinFast Ironman World Championship in Kona at start of marathon

Update 3 at bike finish at 11:50 a.m.: She’s still in first. Great Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay was first out of the water and now the 30-year-old is first off the bike on Saturday morning at the 2023 VinFast Ironman World Championship in Kona.

As the wind picked up, Charles-Barclay completed the bike leg of the triathlon in 4:32:29 for a total of 5:24:33 entering the final leg: the 26.2-mile marathon. She averaged 24.77 mph on the bike.

Charles-Barclay, who is trying to finally win the world title after finishing four times as a runner-up, started the run with a 3:47 lead over second-place Taylor Knibb, 25, of the United States. Knibb had to stop at a tent to serve a one-minute penalty for unintentional littering after her water bottle fell off her bike .

Knibb also has never run a marathon in her life. Her longest previous run was precisely 18.92 miles.

Charles-Barclay is wearing Bib No. 2 for her second-place finish last year. She also was first place after the swim and bike, but winner Chelsea Sodaro of the United States passed her at the eight-mile mark of the run and ended up winning by nearly eight minutes. Charles-Barclay also finished in second place in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

In third place entering the marathon is Jocelyn McCauley, 10:46 behind Charles-Barclay. She is followed by Laura Phillipp (who finished in fourth-place last year despite a 5-minute penalty for drafting) and Lisa Norden, 38 of Sweden.

Rounding out the top 10 entering the marthon: No. 6 Daniela Ryf (five-time Ironman World Champion), No. 7 Anne Haug (last year’s third-place finisher), No. 8 Skye Moench, No. 9 Ruth Astle and No. 10 Sara Svensk.

Sodaro dropped to No. 20 with a bike of 4:50:35, more than 22 minutes behind Barclay-Charles.

UPDATE 2: Great Britain’s Charles-Barclay leads at bike turnaround in Hawi

Update 2: Half-way Bike at 9:55 a.m.: Great Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay took the lead right from the start of the swim on Saturday morning, and was still in first at the halfway mark of the 112-mile bike leg of the 2023 VinFast Ironman World Championship in Kona.

Charles-Barclay reached the turnaround point of the bike course in Hawi at 3:15:07, the 59.5-mile mark of the bike with an average pace is 24.95 mph.

Chasing her is American rookie Taylor Knibb, 2:15 behind. She stopped at the transition to ensure all her bottles are properly secured on her bike.

In third is five-time Ironman World Champion Daniel Ryf, who was 7:49 behind.

Ryf is known for being one of the fastest riders on the second half of the bike.

The rest of the top 10: Lisa Norden, Laura Philipp (who had caught up to the chasing groups after a disappointing swim), Jocelyn McCauley, Els Visser, , Anne Haug, Lotte Wilms and Lauren Brandon.

Defending champion Chelsea Sodaro was 15th at the turnaround, 12:34 behind.

“I have wanted it so bacly since fir.. taken five attmepts and finally get it..I donʻt think sunk in whatf..

“All Iʻve ever wanted was to win this race,”

Haug: “Fantastic day… Make sure you are fully fueld for run and run a really afst marathon.. One silve rna dnbrones..

third fastest time ever..

“We have so many high-class athelesets now, we push each other. You have to go fasater.. Just Tyalor brings whole differnt level to racing.. Really good for the sport.”

UPDATE 1: Great Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay first out of water in first leg of 2023 Ironman World Championship

Update 1: Swim at 7:45 a.m.: As expected, Great Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay was the first out of the water after the 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay, the first leg of today’s all-female VinFast Ironman World Championship.

In rough seas, Charles-Barclay finished in 49 minutes and 36 seconds, slower than the record time of 48:13 she set in 2016.

A chase group of six triathletes, including American rookie Taylor Knibb, were about 1 minute and 29 seconds behind her coming out of the water. The others in this group: Haley Chura, Lauren Brandon, Rebecca Clarke, Lotte Wilms and Rachel Zilinskas.

Knibb won the 2022 Women’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship. She finished 16th in the 202 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Defending Ironman World champion Chelsea Sodaro was 12th out of the water in 54 seconds, 4:23 behind Charles-Barclay. Also in a group with Sodaro was five-time champion Daniela Ryf, 4:35 behind the leader. Last year, Ryf was about 5:30 behind out of the swim.

Next: The 112-mile bike leg.

“The bike course is a beauty and a beast,” said Laura Philipp, who was 26th out of the water at 56:49, during a prerace interview. “If you’re unlucky, there will be headwinds and sidewinds that make you feel like you are not going fast.”

And they’re off! The all-women’s VinFast Ironman World Championship in Kona is underway

Original post at 6:45 a.m.: Downtown Kona was packed with people and filled with excitement early Saturday morning as daylight began to peak over Hualalai. Hawaiian music and Tahitian drums blared over the sound system.

It was about 78 degrees with a slight breeze at 6:25 a.m., when the pro triathletes began the 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay.

They were off for the first all-women’s VinFast Ironman World Championship in Kona.

The best female professional and amateur triathletes in the world are now battling in a bid to be crowned the next champion — or just to finishing the grueling 140.6-mile course.

Live coverage of the race will air on Ironman Live, as well as Live L’Equipe for the French audience, and HR television and Sportschau for the German audience.

After the swim, the athletes run out of the bay and head to their bikes for the grueling 112-mile ride on Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway through lava fields in the heat and with potentially strong crosswinds. The course takes competitors north to Hawī and then back to the Kailua Pier.

The iconic race culminates with a 26.2-mile run — a marathon – which again takes triathletes back to Ka‘ahumanu Highway where they once again battle the Kona heat as they run through Hawaiian Ocean and Technology Park just south of Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. Those who complete the course will be cheered along Aliʻi Drive to cross the finish line where they started, at Kailua Pier.

As competitors make their way through the course, pro triathlete Sarah Crowley of Australia said coming out of the swim and onto the bike will come down to grit and determination.

“Anything can happen in this heat and the conditions of the day,” she said. “I wish everyone the best.”

Pro competitors to watch include reigning Ironman World Champion 34-year-old Chelsea Sodaro of the United States.

The strong pro field is packed with worthy triathletes vying to take the championship from Sodaro. Among them is USA’s Sarah True, this year’s European Ironman Champion.

Also from the United States is 25-year-old Taylor Knibb, who is competing in the Ironman World Championship for the first time. She captured the VinFast Ironman 70.3 World Championship title (half the distance of the Ironman) in Finland this year.

Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf – nicknamed “Angry Bird” due to her steely determined face during races – will attempt to win back her title after failing to defend it in 2022, finishing a disappointing 8th. Ryf has won five Ironman World Championships. She also holds the race’s record for the best female finish, at 8:26:18 in 2018.

Last year’s podium finishers, Great Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay, who often is out of the water first, and Germany’s Anne Haug also may be in contention at the end.

Other pros to watch are Germany’s Laura Philipp, Sweden’s Lisa Norden and Great Britain’s Kat Matthews.

There has been talk about how this year’s field of pro triathletes is the strongest in the history of the championship race. During Thursday’s press conference, the pro-women celebrated the female power on the Kona course and wished their opponents nothing but the best.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t battle it out for the top spot today.

“I think it’s going to be the toughest race we’ve had on the island, obviously the conditions play into it, but definitely the field we have this year is going to be the biggest factor on the day,” Charles-Barclay said Thursday. “Having strong athletes across all the disciplines you’re just going to have to put on the best day that you can across every discipline of the race and just see how you end up at the end.”

Hawai‘i Island is represented on race day with 10 local competitors:

• Brenda Avery, 58, of Kailua-Kona
• Brenda Bettencourt, 64, of Kailua-Kona
• Laura Birse, 45, of Hilo
• Sonja Correa, 44, of Kailua-Kona
• Greta Friesen, 36, of Hōnaunau
• Esra Lynch, 55, of Kamuela
• Lynn Mattix, 42, of Kailua-Kona
• Skye Ombac, 27, of Hilo
• Monica Price, 51, of Kailua-Kona
• Carleigh Rittel, 35, of Kailua-Kona

Editor’s Note: Big Island Now will provide updates and final coverage of the race.

That brings the foundation’s total historical giveback to the community to more than $3 million.

“The Kailua-Kona community is an integral part of the Ironman World Championship race’s history and has created a lasting impact on the organization’s spirit,” said The Ironman Foundation Executive Director Audra Tassone-Indeck. “As we continue to evolve our program, this year hosting the first dedicated Women’s Ironman World Championship weekend, we celebrate the community that continues to make our programming possible.”

This year’s community contributions included a $20,000 grant to Lydia8, a local organization aimed at cultivating artistic and cultural opportunities for Native Hawaiians to mobilize their communities. The group painted a mural on a wall at the corner of Kuakini Highway and Palani Road, which falls along the racecourse.

The mural emphasizes the concept of “Holomua,” meaning moving forward.

The Kona Underpants Run, a one-of-a-kind event, is a staple of race week. More than 1,500 participants of all ages, genders and body types stripped down to their skivvies and took to Ali‘i Drive on Oct. 12 for the run presented by The Ironman Foundation. Participants took an about 2.4 km out-and-back fun run during which spectators and participants alike enjoyed photos, cheer stations and comradery.

The run raised more than $52,000 for nonprofits this year.

Conceived in 1998 by Chris Danahy, Tim Morris and Paul Huddle as a protest against wearing swim briefs in inappropriate places, the event morphed into an Ironman pre-race icebreaker. Through the years, the total raised for charities has now reached more than $350,000.

Funds raised by The Ironman Foundation directly benefit those communities where Ironman events are hosted by providing charitable support to a variety of local nonprofit organizations.

For the first time in the 40-plus year history of the Ironman World Championship, the spotlight is shining exclusively on women triathletes as Kona hosts the first standalone women’s championship triathlon. In total, 19 women are racing with The Ironman Foundation, the largest group of women to race with Team IMF during a single world championship event in the organization’s 20-year history.

Team IMF is a network of triathletes that Race For More and dedicated to leaving a positive legacy in race communities long after race day. Through Team IMF, athletes fundraise to support the foundation’s mission while racing an Ironman event of their choice at no additional cost.

For more information about The Ironman Foundation and its programs, click here.

Motherhood to small children is difficult enough. So during days already filled with changing diapers, reading books and preparing meals, try adding this to the routine: Training for an Ironman World Championship.

This year, two pro triathletes who will take the field Saturday in the first-ever female’s only title race in Kona are advocating for women who want to pursue family and sports simultaneously.

And one of them is the defending champion, 34-year-old Chelsea Sodaro of the United States.

“We have an equity problem in this sport as we know,” said Sodaro, who pulled off an upset last year to become the first mother to win the World Championship since Switzerland’s Natascha Badmann in 1998.

“There are way more men competing than there are women and I don’t think that’s because women don’t want to compete. I think it’s because they don’t have access to all the things they need in order to participate in this beautiful sport. And that’s something we really need to work on.”

Sodaro’s dream includes free child care and lactation stations at triathlons to make this sport more accessible for women.

“I am so inspired, especially by the amateur women who are choosing motherhood and choosing themselves and taking on hardcore careers and carving out a little bit of space and time for themselves,” Sodaro said. “For most of us, our full-time job is performance so what they do is truly, truly remarkable.”

Beyond the extra pressure to defend the title, the 34-year-old Sodaro said she wants to test herself, adding that seeing her 2-1/2-year-old daughter Skye at the finish line will be the ultimate trophy.

Skye was in the arms of Sodaro’s husband when they watched at the finish line as she became the first rookie since 2007 to win the world championship, crossing in 8 hours, 33 minutes and 46 seconds.

Sodaro will be among the favorites this year when the 2023 version of the grueling 140.6-mile race starts on Saturday at 6:25 a.m. HST, at Kailua Bay for the 2.4-mile swim. The race continues with a 112-mile bike and a full marathon of 26.2 miles.

“I knew this race was a big deal but I didn’t realize how many people cared about the title and how it really transcends triathlon,” Sodaro said on Thursday during the Ironman press conference of top contenders.

The second mother in the pro athlete field is USA’s Sarah True, this year’s European Ironman Champion with a time of 8:54:53.

“There are quite a few moms in the field. We’re just two of them,” True said of herself and Sodaro. “As this sport gets more professional, as there are more financial opportunities for athletes, hopefully, we’ll see more women who are able to balance being a professional athlete along with motherhood.”

True and her husband Ben have one son, Haakon, who was born in July 2021. True is also pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology at Antioch University New England. She said she had research paper due on Friday.

“You see far too many women in their peak choose to opt out of a professional sport because they don’t have the support they need to continue,” the 41-year-old said. “I would like to see no woman have to choose between those two things. At this point in 2023, I’d like to believe we can financially support and give resources to women who choose to do it.”

USA’s Taylor Knibb of Colorado will compete in the Kona championship race for the first time on Saturday. Her mom will be racing as well.

At 23 years old, Knibb made U.S. Olympic history when she became the youngest woman ever to qualify for its triathlon team ahead of Tokyo 2020. Now, at age 25, she captured the VinFast Ironman 70.3 World Championship title (half the distance of the Ironman) in Lahti, Finland at 3:53:02.

Also returning to the field this year is Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf, who is nicknamed “Angry Bird” due to her steely determined face during races. The 36-year-old is back to reclaim her title after failing to defend it in 2022, finishing a disappointing 8th. She was in tears after crossing the finish line.

Ryf has won five Ironman World Championships. She also holds the race’s record for the best female finish, at 8:26:18 in 2018.

More importantly than winning the title, said she wants to have a race she can be proud of.

“I hope to be able to go hard,” Ryf said. “Each race is like a picture and I want to create an amazing picture.”

The camaraderie was seen among Ryf and Knibb as the two have raced each other in the past, most recently in Finland.

Ryf told Knibb that the first Kona Ironman is special and to enjoy it.

“She was mentioning she hopes to get a photo with me in the race,” Ryf said of Knibb, adding they’ve raced against each other twice and the young American has beat her twice.

“I’m hoping I can get a picture with her,” Ryf said with a smile.

Last year’s runner-ups, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Germany’s Anne Haug, also will be back in the field on Saturday.

Charles-Barclay, of Great Britain, has finished second in Kona in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. Last year, her time was 8:41:37. The 30-year-old is also the current record holder for the Ironman World Championship swim split in Kailua-Kona.

“It’s a tough race,” she said. “I always have to dig super deep to get that second-place finish.”

Haug took third place last year and was the 2019 Ironman World Champion. During the press conference, the 40-year-old said it would be a dream come true to take the title this year.

Haug is coming to Kona following a first-place finish in the Club La Santa Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote triathlon in March.

The men’s and women’s races were split up after last year’s two-day race event in Kona where pro women compete on Thursday and the pro men race on Saturday.

The main reason was to accommodate the backlog of participants who qualified for the championship and did not have a chance to compete due to the pandemic. So this year’s field is about 5,200, double the average for past races.

Deciding that two race days were ultimately too much for the Kona community, the organization decided to split the men’s and women’s races up. The men raced in Nice, France, in September.

Germany’s Laura Philipp, who suffered a five-minute penalty for apparently drafting, finished fourth last. Sweden’s Lisa Norden, who also was penalized five minutes, was fifth.

During the press conference, Philipp, the 2022 European Ironman Champion, said getting the penalty last year was tough. Going into the race this year she is better prepared.

“My number one goal is not to stop during the bike leg and hopefully I will show the refs that I’m a fair athlete and don’t try to cheat,” the 36-year-old said. “Hopefully, no one will get one as we all want fair racing.”

Another pro to watch in Saturday’s race is Great Britain’s Kat Matthews, runner-up in both the 2021 Ironman World Championship and 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championship races. The 32-year-old comes to Kona after she was forced to withdraw from the competition last year after a serious bike crash that resulted in fractures to her skull, two vertebrae and sternum.

Norden, an Olympic silver medalist in triathlon and four-time Swedish National Time Trial Champion, also will return to Kona after finishing fifth at her debut race last year.

Australia’s Sarah Crowley, 40, will be competing. She finished third during the Kona championship in 2017.

To promote motherhood and sports, Sodaro is partnering with &Mother, an organization dedicated to breaking the barriers that limit a woman’s choice to pursue and thrive in both career and motherhood, to do a special sweepstakes. The winner will get a replica of her Kona race bike, a Canyon Speedmax CFR, which she’s named “Rainbow Explosion.”

Tahitian drums resounding during Tuesday’s Parade of Nations along Aliʻi Drive announced that the iconic VinFast Ironman World Championship had arrived in Kona.

The parade kicked off three days of events as more than 2,000 triathletes from about 70 countries and thousands of spectators gear up for the first women’s-only world championship race. The men’s championship was held last month in Nice, France.

The race takes place on Saturday with a grueling 140.6-mile course of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. They start in Kailua Bay in downtown Kona, race to the top of Hawai‘i Island in Hawī and finish where they started to a cheering crowd.

But first there are the festivities. Despite the heat, hundreds of athletes, visitors and residents roamed the town to take in the Ironman atmosphere. At the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, vendors under pop-up tents sold Ironman merch while loud music blared from speakers playing Disney to Hawaiian songs.

Triathlete Tara Calkins, 45, from Nashville, Tenn., was on Ali‘i Drive with her family to route for her two kids that were ready to participate in the Keiki Dip and Dash. At the sea wall, Calkins said she also was excited that her husband and parents had come to Hawaiʻi to watch her compete in her first Ironman World Championship.

However, her dad will have to watch virtually after breaking his leg on Saturday while body surfing at Magic Sands.

“He’ll be tracking me on the Ironman app,” Calkins said. “I’m sure he’ll go over the race after I’m finished.”

Barbara Tettenborn, 65, of Switzerland, connected with fellow athlete and friend Simone Heber, 35, of Germany, by the King Kamehameha Hotel that serves as the Ironman headquarters. This is Tettenborn’s fourth Ironman in Kona while it is Heber’s first. Heber said her friend inspired her to pursue the Kona championship.

Carol Gallegos, 45, was also waiting for the Dip and Dash to start. Her son and daughter have participated in the race for eight years. Every year, Ironman is an opportunity for Gallegos to connect with athletes from her home country of Chile.

Gallegos has also been a volunteer in the race for 14 years and is always stationed on Palani Road by Kona Coffee and Tea to hand out water, Gatorade and ice to triathletes as they pass her on the course. She will again be stationed there.

During the Parade of Nations, spectator Rebecca Wilson, 29, of New Zealand, couldn’t help but get excited as she bumped her hips back and forth to the beat of the Tahitian drums.

“These women are here being such hard asses,” she said.

Dań Roszkowski, from Cincinnati, Ohio, followed the USA team down Ali‘i Drive during the parade. He is supporting his wife Michelle who will be racing in Kona for the first time.

Roszkowski said his wife has been struggling with her swim training in the rough Kailua Bay.

“She’s been getting sick, but she got earplugs and those seem to be helping,” he said. “The swells are hard to get used to.”

Roszkowski has no doubt Michelle will finish.

“She’s a beast,” he said. “She’ll get through it even if she crawls across the finish line.”

Here’s everything you need to know about race day. Those not watching the race live can keep up with the athletes on Ironman’s YouTube channel as well as Facebook page.

The triathlon starts at 6:25 a.m. HST where athletes will start the grueling 140.6-mile race with the 2.4-mile out-and-back swim in Kailua Bay.

The bike 112-mile bike course starts at Kailua Pier and takes athletes onto Ka‘ahumanu Highway as they ride through lava fields and potentially strong crosswinds as they head to Hawī, where they will turn around and head back to Kona. The course gains elevation of up to 5,814 feet.

The triathlon culminates in a 26.2-mile run through Kona, up Palani Road and onto Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway where they will run through HOST Park at the National Energy Laboratory Hawai`i Authority. Athletes will take a victory lap down Ali‘i Drive where athletes will cross the finish line where they started at Kailua Pier.

Spectators can view the race from the pier where bleachers are set up. Those watching the race often line the streets along the course on Ali‘i Drive, Palani Road and Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway.

Ka‘ahumanu Place and Kailua Pier will be closed starting Thursday at 6 a.m. till Sunday at 3 p.m. Also, Ali‘i Drive from Ka‘ahumanu Place to Likana Lane will be closed starting Thursday at 7 a.m. till Sunday at 3 p.m.

Road closures

• Southbound lanes on Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway between Palani Road and Kaiminani Drive will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday. Northbound lanes will be open.

• Limited lanes will be open on Makala Boulevard between Queen Ka‘ahumanu and Kuakini Highways from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. There will be no access to Kuakini Highway.

• Kuakini Highway between Makala Boulevard and Palani Road will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• Westbound lanes on Palani Road between Queen Ka‘ahumanu and Kuakini Highways will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday. Eastbound lanes will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

• Palani Road between Kuakini Highway and Ali‘i Drive will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

• Ali‘i Drive between Likana Lane and Hualalai Road will be closed 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

• Hualalai Road between Ali‘i Drive and Kuakini Highway will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

• Ali‘i Drive between Hualalai Road and La‘aloa Avenue will be closed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Kuakini Highway between Hualalai Road and Kahakai Estates will be closed with limited access from 6:30 to 11:30 a.m.

• Southbound lanes on Kuakini Highway between Palani and Hualalai Roads will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

• Northbound lanes will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to noon northbound lane closed from Hualalai Road to Henry Street. There will be no access to Palani Road. All traffic will be routed up Ololi Road.

• No through access on Loloku Street between Luhia Street and Kuakini Highway from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Part of the spending in the race’s host community of Kona went to health-conscious restaurants that provide fuel for the competitors to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run a marathon.

Mike Winder, partner and owner/operator of Loko Wraps, said his restaurant is “everything an Ironman is looking for to power up” for the big race on Oct. 14.

“Our crew at the store loves Ironman Week,” he said. “We work all year practicing and perfecting our craft, training for these busy days. In a way, it’s our food industry version of a championship and we’re in it to win it.”

Triathletes must eat the right kinds of foods to fuel their bodies to maximize their results and minimize injuries and Kona offers several healthy food establishments that are helping keep hungry competitors on the right track in their bid to cross the finish line this year.

“There are so many other small places in town such as Loko Wraps and Herbivores that I haven’t been at but have heard they have really good healthy options,” said 58-year-old Brenda Avery of Keauhou, who is competing in Ironman for the second time this year.

In January, Loko Wraps will celebrate 10 years of serving up island-style Mexican food that is fresh, fast and affordable, and made with thoughtful island-inspired ingredients served with aloha and a health-conscious emphasis, Winder said.

The restaurant’s bento boxes and made-from-scratch acai bowls are fuel for the minds and bodies of Ironman competitors. Its fresh blended smoothies as well as its vegan and vegetarian menu options also are racer favorites.

The smoothies can include an array of 12 different healthy boosters added, including spirulina, bee pollen, chia seed, flax seeds, turmeric, whey protein and vegan plant-based protein.

The restaurant, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and located in the Lanihau Center, just a block away from the Ironman finish line, sees an estimated 30% boost in business the week of the world championship triathlon. Last year during Ironman, the store enjoyed its biggest ever sales day.

Herbivores Vegan Cafe, a 100% plant-based vegan cafe located on Hanama Place, uses local and organic ingredients to create healthy and delicious dishes from salads and pure fruit smoothies to “naughty” options such as cheeseburgers, nachos and pizza.

“Healthiest food in Kona town,” boasted owner Antoinette Ortiz. “A variety of high-carb, high-protein and low-fat meals.”

Popular menu items include the Pōhaku Bowl, a black bean and brown rice dish with purple sweet potatoes and the restaurant’s famous cashew queso sauce, and the burger and Ceasar salad made with Kaua’i-grown taro. Herbivores is also known for its jackfruit nachos.

The restaurant, open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., will celebrate 6 years of business in November. Ortiz didn’t provide a number but said the store definitely sees an increase in sales during Ironman Week.

“The atmosphere is really exciting,” she said. “We love meeting people from around the world. We are bilingual (Spanish and English), so it’s fun to connect with visitors who are traveling from abroad.”

Anyone who mentions Big Island Now during Ironman Week at the restaurant will receive 10% off their order.

This will be the first Ironman for Hungry Honu Smoothie Bar & Cafe. The restaurant on Ali‘i Drive has been open a little more than a month and offers a menu that includes 15 real fruit smoothies, melts, sandwiches and wraps, soups, pizza and housemade pickles.

Owner Alicia Dalhouse said the store, open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, is already seeing an uptick in traffic because of Ironman.

“My team is super excited for this upcoming week and race day,” she said.

Melissa Schad of Pāpaʻaloa is competing in her third Ironman World Championship this year. The 47-year-old seeks out high-protein foods, good fats and nature’s carbohydrates when training for the race. That includes eggs, fish, grass-fed beef, organic chicken and turkey, avocados, nuts, olives, sweet potatoes, dates, berries and more.

She prefers to make her own meals before the race so she knows for sure what’s going into them. When she does eat out, Schad looks for high-protein options and lots of greens; no dressings or sauces.

She’s had a good fish dinner at the Fish Hopper and enjoys the stir fry at Foster’s. While Schad has not eaten at Loko Wraps or Herbivores, she’s curious to try.

Other than increasing protein, staying away from sugar as much as possible and upping her caloric intake to compensate for what gets burned during long and intense workouts, Avery’s diet doesn’t change much when she’s training for Ironman.

She’s not a strict or regimented eater and but chooses foods that provide good vitamins and energy for her body and exercise needs.

Avery seeks out good fish dishes when she goes out to eat and has found several at places in downtown Kona, including Island Lava Java, Kona Inn, Foster’s Kitchen, Kona Canoe Club, Humpy’s Big Island Ale House and Quinn’s Almost By The Sea. There’s also a good fish burrito at Los Habaneros in Keauhou. Another favorite is Krua Thai Cuisine; she loves the restaurant’s spring rolls and rice dishes.

Eating after the race, however, can be a different story.

Avery knows a lot of people can just dive into pizza or french fries, but the healthy options work just fine for her. It takes a couple of days for her to be able to stomach any fattier foods, but she eventually adds a few treats back into her diet.

Schad, on the other hand, is one of those who wants something from the cheat list. Her favorite is pizza, saying it absorbs any upset stomach issues and gives her belly a full sensation after a long day of eating very little. She said Kai Eats + Drinks pizza is amazing.

“It’s definitely rewarding, as I feel our society generally rewards themselves daily,” Schad said about that first pizza after the race. “I enjoy practicing delayed gratification.”

Eleven Big Island women will share the world stage with more than 2,000 triathletes as they descend on Kailua-Kona for the VinFast Ironman World Championship this Saturday.

The youngest Hawai‘i athlete is Skye Ombac, 27, of Hilo. This will be her second Ironman triathlon.

Ombac’s first Ironman was last year where she trained and shared the field with friends, including Bree Wee, a retired pro-athlete and former Ironman division winner.

Starting with the 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay, Ombac remembered every time she took a breath she saw a rainbow.

“It was a dream day,” Ombac recalled of last year’s race as she was surrounded by friends and family, on and off the course, cheering her name. “I couldn’t have pictured it any better. I was so happy, I just wanted to live it over and over again.”

This Saturday is the first time in the history of the championship race, the women are competing in a different location than the men, who raced last month in Nice, France. Last year, the Ironman held a two-day race event after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the race to be canceled in 2020 and 2021.

With the primary goal to finish the grueling 140 miles of swimming, biking and running happy, Ombac also wants to push herself, beating last year’s finishing time of 13:47:55.

“Last year the whole day was fun, I kept my heart rate really low,” Ombac said. “I know what I’m capable of and I want to see how fast I can go.”

While Ombac hopes to recreate the happiness she felt in 2022, other women are coming to the starting line with their own ambitions and goals.

Brenda Bettencourt, 64, is tied as one of the oldest Hawai‘i resident athletes competing. She ran her first Ironman in Kona in 2014 and this one will be her fifth.

“For some arbitrary reason, I wanted to do it five times,” she said.

Bettencourt was sick last year on race day, needing 16 hours to finish. She found out later it was COVID-19.

“I need a redemption race,” she said.

Greta Friesen, 36, of Hōnaunau, is getting over COVID-19 just in time to compete in her second consecutive Ironman in Kona. She said she is not back to 100%.

“It’s definitely not the race I was hoping to have,” Friesen said. “If I make it to the finish line it will be a huge victory.”

Friesen finished Ironman last year at 15:28:25. She qualified for Saturday’s race in June at the Ironman 70.3 Honu race in Waikōloa.

“It was pretty dang exciting,” she said.

Brenda Avery, 58, of Kailua-Kona, finished her first Ironman in Kona last year but hadn’t intended to compete again. But like Friesen, she qualified at Honu.

Avery sees Saturday as an opportunity and feels fortunate to participate.

Avery’s goal for this race is to keep moving on the run.

“Last year what got me was dehydration,” she said.

From the get-go she was upset and angry because she wasn’t meeting her goals. She still finished 19th in her age group at 12:17:24.

This year, Avery plans to smile. She also plans for better nutrition and hydration while on the bike so when the run comes she will keep on moving at a good pace.

Lynn Mattix, 42, of Kailua-Kona, was selected from the Ironman lottery to participate in this year’s race. She’s been competing in triathlons and half triathlons for 12 years and this will be her first Ironman Championship in Kona.

“I saw the world championships on TV (11 years ago) and thought it would be the coolest thing ever,” Mattix said.

The 42-year-old does triathlons because of the way it makes her feel: strong, healthy and full of life and energy.

“I feel ready,” Mattix said Friday. “Because the course is hard I think I decided I wasn’t going to have a time goal.”

Mattix hopes she has a strong day and will have the presence of mind to cheer on as many other women as possible in the field.

While the list is subject to change, there are 29 athletes from the state of Hawai‘i competing in this year’s race. The Big Island athletes competing this year are:

• Brenda Avery, 58, of Kailua-Kona
• Brenda Bettencourt, 64, of Kailua-Kona
• Laura Birse, 45, of Hilo
• Sonja Correa, 44, of Kailua-Kona
• Greta Friesen, 36, of Hōnaunau
• Janet Higa-Miller, 64, of Kailua-Kona
• Esra Lynch, 55, of Kamuela
• Lynn Mattix, 42, of Kailua-Kona
• Skye Ombac, 27, of Hilo
• Monica Price, 51, of Kailua-Kona
• Carleigh Rittel, 35, of Kailua-Kona

The other Hawai‘i resident athletes competing this year are:

• Jacqueline, Bethel, 37, Honolulu
• Jennifer Lowe, 56, Honolulu
• Alena Machova, 48, Makawao
• Ashley McKenney, 40, Kihei
• Elisa Mian, 32, Kailua
• Hildegarde Miyashiro, 61, Kapa‘a
• Yuko Nakai, 49, Honolulu
• McKenna Nieves, 39, Ewa Beach
• Mieko Ochsner, 46, Honolulu
• Hannah Richards, 32, Honolulu
• Joy Secritario, 59, Honolulu
• Michele Sorensen, 64, Honolulu
• Lisa Stein, 39, Paia
• Melissa Tallent, 49, Kaneohe