Maybe time to look for another location. I understand the history and how important and iconic Kona is to Ironman, but as you've pointed out there are many issues with it being held in Kona. Find somewhere more suitable or change the location annually as they do in most other sports.

Any course would have the same draft issues Kona does. It's the fact the field is so even having all qualified that you have so many people coming out the water together. As for having two days of racing it's more the logistics. It's not so bad marshalling and running a 70.3 but an IM goes until midnight. Going to be pretty hard getting volunteers and the like to cover two days back to back. Anyone racing the second day will be hidden from the hot day the day before.

As for the infrastructure I've never had an issue each time I have been there. The issue is getting all the bikes people out on the planes with everyone leaving the day or two after but that gets managed.

Personally I don't see the need to change a thing. The atmosphere in Kona on race week is awesome and I wouldn't want it to change.

Hey, some of us like the Honu race. :-)

Honu doesn't technically close any of the roads it runs on - Ironman does. It does affect traffic going north of the Mauna Lani to a couple of miles from Hawi, but there's a difference between affect and close the road, and even then it does it for a shorter amount of time. Ironman even makes it tricky (not impossible, but tricky) to get to the airport on race day. Honu athletes are almost invisible to most of the island since most stay on the Kohala resorts; the circus part of Ironman is in Kailua town, and I'm guessing residents there don't want that 2x per year. Though I guess we'll get it in 2022 with the two events - at least, I hope we will.

Ian

Wouldn't the atmosphere be the same anywhere given that it's a WC? Shouldn't be that different if it was held in Los Cabos, Boulder, Nice, Lanzarote or any other decent location.

Edit: Imo, the whole Kona "history" thing seems overdone and while Kona is a nice place, there are many other special locations. Besides the swim, the course is super boring, too.

I agree.

I would be disappointed if the WCs were moved but really only because as a first timer, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity at Kona.

Realistically, it is likely the best option, especially if Ironman intends to continue to grow. Heck, keep Kona in the rotation for every 4 years and do a multi race day weekend out of it.

The course is super tough and conquering it is the challenge like no other. It may be considered super boring but the winds, the heat and the course layout make it tougher and mentally challenging like no other. Have you raced it or been there? It's horrible but I want to desperately have a crack again when I'm allowed to travel out of Australia...

Personally I didn't realise there was a problem. Maybe the logistics of running it twice next year and fitting in with the locals. I like that it is neutral territory and everyone has to travel to get there too. The size of the town is perfect and it's hard for me to picture a better venue.

That's just me and how I feel.

Just move it each year and have it in Kona every 5th year and on the other years run a normal Ironman in kona.

And in those 4 years its not in kona, just charge $2000 entry. People will pay it to enter.

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That's exaggerating again, though. Challenging "like no other"?


Yeah I've done it. I can't compare it to races in Australia, but of the dozen+ IMs I've done in Europe, Asia, and North/Central America, Kona wasn't that bad in 2019, my only year there. In the harder 50th percentile, sure, but not hardest quartile. Have you done Lanzarote? I was just about ready to throw my bike off the cliff on the last long climb and it was hotter on the run. Races in Mexico also have Kona heat, wind, and humidity. I thought I would melt on the pavement in Cabos 2017 (and Frankfurt 2019, wow was that hot). Nice has a lot of climbing, too. Vichy 2017 and Boulder 2018 were hot. Kona was my last IM race, so it isn't a perfect comparison since my fitness improved over time, but it was my second fastest IM. maybe unusually easy conditions that year, I don't know.

If toughness is what makes it special, Lanzarote would be the place, though. Or Wales, but that's just not tropical enough. haha

You've taken me out of context I said 'conquering it is the challenge like no other.' So many people haven't and still haven't had the race you would hope for and expect, and working out your best race and preparing for it is the challenge of how to get the best out of yourself. How many meltdowns have we seen there? I have no doubt there are tougher and hotter courses but this one is a good yardstick.


Lanzarote is too hard to get to. From Australia anyways... I've raced in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe so I can't compare to the Americas apart from Kona that I've done four times. I found 2019 wasn't a bad year being overcast on the run but still a long way from any of my best times. The epic headwind that generally is the last 30 miles of the bike and the run along the Queen K with the gradual ups around a slight bend that you can't see where you're going and no crowd makes you look deep within as to why I am putting myself through this again. Well me anyways...

As I say everyone can have their own opinion but I like the size and layout of the town, weather, beautiful beaches, friendliness of the locals, a neutral location everyone has to fly to and how hard the course is being a lottery race morning each year. Also the showdown of the pros on such a legendary tough course. Every pro wants the mantle of winning Kona. Everyone is comparing times each year breeding comparison and conversation.

I vote for leaving it as is...

When I was reading your first post I was thinking I was going to write something about Lanzarote or Wales. Then you beat me to it!

Lanzarote has history, is harder than Kona and has the capacity at that time of year to host the race. The entire island comes out for the race and supports it. Its a major income generator for the Island and would be a great venue instead of Kona. I am sure the island (And Kenneth!) would support it.

For me Kona is still a great place to hold the WC but if its going to be a problem for the next 4 or 5 years due to the pandemic, my vote would be to move it temporarily to somehwere that can host it. Lanza is a perfect candidate.

Wales would be a great choice as well, much harder than Kona - but a different kind of race all together.

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He who understands the WHY, will understand the HOW.

I can't imagine anything tougher than IM Wales.
i did Honu 70.3. very doable despite the heat. bike is easy in my opinion, straight rolling back and forth (with wind, sure)
Lanza, i rode the 180km course, that's tough especially with the wind
but honestly, IM Wales was 12 degrees, very strong wind and rainy. i would call this one "mentally challenging". Then you have an hilly marathon awaiting you...Of course, the bike course is beautiful though but Kona? sorry, 180km rolling straight under the sun with lava field left and right...cant be more boring than that.
When we talk about Kona, lets be honest: it is a myth and overrated.
but sure, i understand who wants to keep it there at all costs, going against all kind of logic.
and for the drafting: bring those people to IM Wales as world championships, lets see how many ride in packs...

Wales is a suffer fest for all the wrong reasons. lol.

Lanza would be a tougher, more interesting version of Kona, but be similar in some ways. I can't imagine IM WC pictures featuring athletes running in rain jackets...

 
Take the qualifying spots off half the USA races and distribute them evenly around the other races to at least make it a real age group "World Championships".....Then start rotating the championship race around the world.
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Or families that will be happy to go to the IM WC as a holiday like the do with Kona...

i agree: lanza can be for some aspects the best Kona replica. also it would resolve any drafting problem

I agree. Raced two times there in 2017 and 2019 and would like to get back there. And not somewhere else.
The drafting problems are a lot less since they abandoned the mass start.

"I think we could all agree"
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I think your initial assumptions are incorrect . . . I don't agree.

The two problems you assert wouldn't be cured elsewhere:
1. The crowding on the bike is the extradentary number of people coming out of the water in a 10 minute period of time. That is because they qualified (most) and are fast! That doesn't change by changing venue.
2. I don't believe any venues have ever hosted two days on Ironman racing, are there? 70.3 is MUCH different logistically than full Ironman and much more imposing on a community . . . Two days of Ironman racing would be a super stress on any community.


The Kona location is iconic. It is part of the history and the lure. Not so sure why there is a need to change. Pretty amazing, really.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

People can go on holidays without an Ironman being involved.

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Yes I know that but not too many families will be happy going on a family holiday to IM Wales as they would Kona if someone in the family qualified for the IM world championships… Sun and beaches or cold and rain 🤷

It won’t happen but I like the OP’s split MPRO/FPRO May/Oct Kona.

Be great to have specific focus and build up to each Pro race; coverage would be better too as all the resources on the day would be directed at following 1 pro race not split between two.

Fits neatly with current IM policy which is seeing a lot of either MPRO or FPRO IM races.

Maybe after we fix Kona we can fix The Masters and The Indy 500. These things are iconic because of their locations.

If you move the WC from Kona then only a handful of people on ST will pay any attention to it.

It was my understanding that Kona 70.3 was used to sort of appease the locals.

I don't know about recently but didn't it used to be a qualifying event for the Kona WC so that locals who had to put up with the October race didn't have to leave Hawaii just to qualify for a race in their backyard?

I think as much as dropping it from the portfolio would be in IMs short term benefit, they realize pissing off the residents by taking away they accessible shot to race the big one would be more detremental long term.


Other than that, I think have 2 off season races as suggested would work, but no idea if the residents of Kona would want to deal with that either.

No matter what if it's going to stay in Hawaii, something that benefits the residents as much as IM needs to be figured out fast.

[/quote][/font]"[/font]I [/font] Not so sure why there is a need to change. [/font][/quote]
I don't think there is a need to change permenantly. I think a temporary change to a location where it can be held for a few years while the island gets over the pandemic is a great idea. Lanza is very much open for business.

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He who understands the WHY, will understand the HOW.