If the Ironman World Championship Doesn’t Happen in Kona, Did It Even Happen?

The highest peak of a triathlete’s career can be found along a stretch of Ali’i Drive in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

It’s a small road, one dotted with local cafes, a smattering of hotels and the Kona Farmers Market.

Since 1981, the town of around 20,000 has played host to the pinnacle of the sport: the Ironman World Championship. Annually, 2,500 athletes qualify to participate in the event, having outraced those in their age groups in a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon.

“Everyone who has heard of triathlon as a sport has heard of Kona,” Todd Wakefield, a world championship qualifier said.

But on Jan. 5, Ironman officially announced that it would be making a long-term change to the annual world championship. The 2023 event will take place across two days in two cities. This year, men will be racing in Nice, France, on Sept. 10, while the women will race in Kona on Oct. 14. The two cities will host until 2026, with men and women switching locations every year.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/04/sports/ironman-world-championship-kona-triathlon.html