I still remember Paulo S. and Joel F. speaking about Kona a few years back when they were doing their "real coaching" podcast. They were kinda poking fun of the idea that in LC racing your somehow knocked down if you don't win Kona. And with Kona being so climate specific, for your "super bowl" to be raced in essentially the same conditions year after year, if you can't hand the heat....you become sorta "marked" which is a complete joke. From a pure sporting concept that your world championship hasn't moved in ~40 years, it's a bit "unsporting" in regards to sports that have single world championship locations. I can't think of very many sports that don't move their championship around.

But I know I know...this is Kona. And our sport would crumble if we left Kona........

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

This would be like if the PGA moved the Masters from Augusta. To much mistique and history. I would imagine they would take a hug financial hit if they did so.

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Matt

Eric had a better idea in another thread. Change the bike course.

I totally agree from that perspective although from a standpoint of mixing things up race wise it would be way more interesting and open things up for the field. It could even improve interest in the sport.

Once Macca posts his next podcast, all my predictions will become true(ish)! Maybe I should be the next Ms. Cleo?

Not the best analogy. The PGA has a championship (The PGA Championship) that moves every year. The USGA also has a championship that moves every year. The Royal and Ancient also has a championship that moves every year. The Masters does repeat locations every year, but it is the only one of the four golf majors that doesn’t move and isn’t a championship.

Wimbledon would have been a better example or the French open in Tennis. Both of these are played on atypical yet traditional surfaces. Like Kona, they may not be optimum, but we still like them.

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Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour

People attend the Masters (I believe though, PGA does not control the Master tournament) due to the mystic of Augusta, not because of the field. Tickets are impossible to get because of that and also has the highest TV rating each year of the golf Majors

There is a reason why the PGA is moving the Championship from August to May. To try to generate some excitement. Currently, it is the traditionally (minus a few blips here or there) the least watch of the Majors

IMWC is 'on the map" and stays on the map, due to it being in Kona with the history and mystique. Kona draws the excitment, it is what attracts TV, couch potatoes throughout the world to sign-up, etc.

That is an idea that's been around for a few years, Eric did not come up with that. It's also impossible to actually enact. Wait till you come here next year. This town simply cannot handle the race, let alone cutting off 75% of the island's roads.

I always wondered if the town of Kona would just finally kick us out one day......and people wanted 2 full days of Kona IM's eeek.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Exactly there's a certain aura to being in the same,iconic place. Kentucky Derby, Augusta National, Indy 500, Yankee Stadium , Lambeau Field, Kona etc. They can't and shouldn't move. 40 years is still a short time and having a single location where all of the sports legends have raced is a positive thing.

I guess I just don’t like the winner
takes all thing, irrespective of the rest of the athlete’s season and it has to be in Kona, if you want to win. I think the ITU model is fairer and more representative of a true champion, although less climatic since it’s not a one day winner takes all championship.

The points are spread out over multiple venues in multiple locations with varying conditions. It’s a much more representative championship in my opinion, but a less exciting finale obviously.

I think the Kona obsession also drives the North American 140.6 distance obsession, whereas the European model is based on ITU and Olympic distance. Triathlon is more popular in Europe so there is that to consider.

I love Hawaii, but let's face it, the course sucks.

We wouldn't even know who Pete Sampras or Roger Federer is if the 'World Championship of Tennis' was in Roland Garros every year.

It's not the same thing though. No normal sports organisation would hold its world championship in the same place every year. But as we know, IM is a corporation and yes I'd find it hard to imagine it anywhere else.

Why does the swim “suck”? Too warm?

Europe has their own race with a Mystique, it's called Roth. But Roth still isn't Kona.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Why not have the race roam around the globe like the world road racing championships, having venues bid for the race? You could have some really special courses in non-standard Ironman locations.

However, ensure that the race returns to Kona every four years.

Kona could continue but as a general entry race for those 3 intermediary years which would be a sell out but the 4th year would be the homecoming race and super special.

Just a thought...

Maybe we should move the 24 hours of Le Mans to another location, the track is so long for anyone to truly enjoy.

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All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

A corporation has just as much incentive to rotate the WC. The primary reason is that you can draw fees from the host city.

Another reason is that you would be adding another race that to the calendar that is guaranteed to sell out. Keep Kona in it's current slot, make it a lottery of some kind, and charge through the nose to be able to go. Your rotating WC would also be a sell out and could command a large premium.

As a bonus you could keep the human interest stories in Kona, and make the WC a true WC. You could even have 2x NBC broadcasts if you're keen on it (recognizing that WTC pays for it).

To me, it isnt that it's a corporation that's keeping the WC at kona. It's a lack of confidence in our sport. We're fearful of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs of we move it from its roots in the narrowest of senses. Yet if we're to grow the sport, this is exactly what we must do.

Or just train in Houston or Louisiana and get prepped for the humidity in July/ August.

Yes, just like Kona, Le Mans has its mystic, but winning Le Mans doesn’t win you the WEC championship like winning in Kona gets you the IM WC. There’s a reason for that too. Your car has to be fast and reliable on all tracks not just the one.

How many people would actually want to pay $1000 for an Ironman World Championship if it isn't held in Kona? I don't know, I think a huge part of the draw is the history, and if you take that away you probably have a lot fewer people wanting to chase those slots.

Moving the WC out of Kona is like taking the Packers out of Lambeau field. Would completely alter and ruin the vibe of the world championship. As someone who is just a MOP ager with dreams of competing in Kona, all I can do is spectate. In fact, I'm writing this currently in Kona. I want to come back every year to spectate because it's here and because of the history. Move it somewhere else next year and I'm much more inclined to stay home and just watch on TV.

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“The answer is hard work. What are you doing on Christmas Eve? Are you riding your bike? January 1st – are you riding your bike?”- Lance Armstrong

No it doesn't suck. It blows. (Sorry couldn'st resist.)

As for same hot/humid conditions, I'd like to say that folks may say it is so difficult because of those very reasons. But some (like myself) are not heat climate athletes despite decades of attempting to adapt. I tend to do better the colder/crappier the weather (historicaly in my racing that is). Why not hold it in cold weather conditions?

You have two kinds of athletes, those that race well in heat and those that race well in cold. Huge advantage to the hot weather athletes in Kona obviously, but that doesn't mean they are *faster* per se. Put them in a cold Ironman, chances are they won't be in the same position as Kona. I'd like to see Kona WC move somewhere more "moderate" to where both kinds of athletes aren't favored by the conditions to such extremes. Although, Kona is a pretty nice place to visit for a few days.