Last year we got a message from Ironman about postponing the event on May 14.
I suppose we'll got some news regarding Kona 2021 very soon.

Also I'm 99% sure that they will allow all qualifiers (except maybe Legacy ones) to transfer their entry to 2022 or 2023, because I've recently got a message saying that I can transfer my IM 70.3 WC St George slot to 2022 or 2023 70.3 WC.

I dont think there will be any Australians there.

I wonder how many people they have qualified right now. It doesn't seem like it would be many with most races cancelled. With a bunch of races likely to be cancelled this year too, I can't see how they are going to fill out the field. I know they were planning to use the opportunity to clear out some of the legacy list but they aren't going to add 1000 legacy slots.

I think it's really likely they are going to move the race to the spring again.

Participant list's here - https://www.ironman.com/...hampionship-athletes
1389 for 2021 and 201 people for 2022

I didn’t realize that was available. I had no idea that many were already qualified.

It doesn't seem like it would be many with most races cancelled. With a bunch of races likely to be cancelled this year too, I can't see how they are going to fill out the field.//

I guarantee you if they have the race, they will have a full field there. So many ways to fill it out besides having qualifiers all over the world. Just add a bunch of legacy, knock down the # of races to be in that group. put up a couple hundred slots on eBay instead of the 10 they usually do, go deeper and give more slots to the races actually happening, all kinds of ways. Dont fret for them getting a field, it may not be the top field it usually gets, but whoever goes, their money all spends the same...

Basically this, I forget was it Texas 70.3 a couple weeks ago that was supposed to have 75 spots and ended with 150?

I have no idea but wouldn’t be surprised if Tulsa, Cda and a few other races upped from 40 to 50-75.

Maurice

Yup I can see them throwing away spots in 70.3 races or doubling the number of spots in current qualifying races. It's going to be interesting to see what happens with Ironman Cairns in a few weeks and other qualifying races in Australia. It's going to very difficult to get to Hawaii from Australia, this year and even next year.

I was thinking there were maybe a few hundred qualified. The way the last year has messed with my perspective of time, I wasn't really accounting for the late summer and fall races in 2019 that have now rolled over from 2020 to 2021.

Can't wait. Things are changing very quickly in north America. In 2 months I think we will be seeing the event is a for sure.

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Tulsa already has 75 slots as the NA Championship. I don't think they'll need to go higher unless they expect a lot of foreign no-shows at Kona this year. The field looks pretty full from the link above.

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
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I think you will find Kona doubles as the NA champs this year...

Ha yeah I get that point for sure... still has 75 slots in Tulsa later this month though.

I hope a lot of people can safely get to Kona, but I know it's not realistic for everybody.

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
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in my opinion, the biggest uncertainty for them is who can travel to Kona in October?
at the moment, from Europe, nobody can (unless I am missing some latest updates).

for sure in October the situation will be much better but who and when can we say it?
Also, when do you think they can confirm/cancel the race at most? August? probably still too early to know if traveling will resume 100%

Getting to Kona would only be half of the problem for Aussies. Then there's getting back home again.

Yeah not sure what the situation is, but likely they would not get back in.

I feel confident that Kona will happen on 9 October and there will no doubt be a full field of athletes. What will be different in my opinion is that a much greater percentage of participants will be from the US and the quality of the age group field will not be as high as it would in another year. I say that for several reasons.

First, in Europe where there are many triathletes and a lot of races (in a normal year), there is simply nothing happening at the moment. So, given that there are no races in Europe and travel restrictions make it impossible (or, at a minimum, very difficult) to go elsewhere to race, Europeans simply do not have an opportunity to qualify for Kona.

Second, I don't see travel restrictions being eased in Australia or New Zealand in time for them to make preparations to travel.

IM understands this and that is why, IMO, they are offering more qualifying spots than normal at those races that are happening in the US. As an example, look at the recent 70.3 race in St George. 250 spots were on offer (not including WFT), which in some age groups meant that the after the roll down, the 35th place finisher got a ticket to the 70.3 WC. That's great and I am truly happy for everyone who qualified, but a 35th place age group finisher would not be getting a slot in a normal year.

I love Australians, but only 193 took part in IM Kona in 2019.

That's an impressive number in some way. Still, Ironman can live without the money.

I assume they'll find a way to let the PROs travel to and back from the event. Vaccination, PCR test, quarantine, etc.

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

Aussies historically has always been the second largest contingent at Kona, behind the Americas but like you said 193 is probably less than 10% of the total
Aussie pros can apply for an exemption to travel for races or sports in general so most would show up, given that the IMs held there over the past 12 months and next few have largely been domestic so many would have qualified?

I don't know about the race as every time we have the thread the week of the race we talk about how the people of Kailua Kona hate the race and wish it didn't happen. But I can tell you right now that the virus will not be what stops this race from happening at this point. Hawai'i has had tourism open for several months from the mainland. Negative Test results 72-48 hours before you land, no isolation period. Proof of COVID vaccine, no isolation period. So it will really come down to how much cane is raised by the local community at the city council meetings.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if at least the pro Aussies are working out living arrangements to live in North America for a few months prior to Kona, but you're probably right on the amature side.

tulsa announced that they upped the slots from 40-75 a few months ago.

eta: oops, didn't see this was already touched on.

I don't know about the race as every time we have the thread the week of the race we talk about how the people of Kailua Kona hate the race and wish it didn't happen. But I can tell you right now that the virus will not be what stops this race from happening at this point. Hawai'i has had tourism open for several months from the mainland. Negative Test results 72-48 hours before you land, no isolation period. Proof of COVID vaccine, no isolation period. So it will really come down to how much cane is raised by the local community at the city council meetings.


Agreed that this will be the largest stumbling block for this.

I agree with others that things are trending in the right direction IN THE U.S. right now that it could happen. NOT everywhere else - and that is important to note.

For Canada, as an example, it's VERY unlikely that there will be ANY triathlon races in the country this year (Maybe Sept??). Don't quote me on that - that's just my speculation, but I talk to all the key people, and they have their doubts. Don't trust or believe the schedule that you see with races/events ON the calendar.

As for the local angle in Kona - it will be interesting to see what happens. I'm sure on one hand the town is happy to have the foreign tourists and international tourists that IM brings in and their money, but as you noted, there has been for a while now, an under-current of resentment and dislike of what IM brings to town. Yes - I'm looking at you Age-Group Athlete Stop Sign Runner! :-)

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Getting there I am sure won't be as much of an issue. It's more the fact we have to hotel quarantine two weeks on return and pay for the privilege to do it. The cost and time off work will deter most.