Originally published at: IRONMAN Returns Men’s and Women’s World Championship to Kona - Slowtwitch News
Photo: Donald Miralle for IRONMAN
Starting in 2026 both the men’s and women’s IRONMAN World Championship will be held on the same day in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
“The 2026 event will take place on October 10, 2026 and welcome nearly 3,000 of the most competitive and committed triathletes in the world to compete at the highest level and challenge themselves on the most iconic course in the sport of triathlon,” today’s announcement revealed. “Innovations in the one-day event format will include enhanced and equal broadcast coverage for women and men, new start times that promote fair competition across both races, and other advancements to elevate the race experience for all athletes.”
According to IRONMAN CEO Scott DeRue, there were three principles that were taken into consideration in order to make the decision: taking an “athlete first” perspective so that “everything starts with the athlete,” gathering as much feedback from a variety of sources in order to be as objective as possible, all while both respecting IRONMAN’s rich history and looking to the future.
IRONMAN’s research and polling made it clear that age group and pro athletes alike wanted to race in Kona.
“A significant majority of women and men, across all age groups, want the same two things – to race together, and to race at the beating heart of our sport in Kona, Hawai`i,” DeRue wrote in a letter to the community released earlier today.
In addition to the polling data, IRONMAN found that “the two-day format did not lead to increased participation among women. Splitting the IRONMAN World Championship race across two days has not inspired more women to enter the sport or increase the frequency of racing among women. Unexpectedly, this format actually resulted in more athletes leaving the sport after completing the IRONMAN World Championship – which for many women and men is the pinnacle of their career in the sport of triathlon.”
In an interview with DeRue ahead of the release, he said that the breakdown of male and female athletes would be “mostly proportionate,” taking into consideration the “programmatic initiatives” that IRONMAN has taken on – for example the Legacy and Women For Tri programs. “Operational changes” including start times and wave configurations will allow IRONMAN to “actively manage the density on the bike course,” DeRue continued, and IRONMAN “will do everything we can to protect the integrity of the pro race, especially for the women.”
DeRue also stressed that the event coverage would provide “equal coverage baed on race dynamics,” and that IRONMAN will continue to experiment with different options in its coverage (including split screens, dedicated channels, drone technology, etc.) to allow for more flexibility in order to “provide equal content.”
IRONMAN is determined to ensure the race-day experience will be every bit as fair for the age-group racers.
“We have the utmost respect for our athletes and their dream to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship and race in Kona,” DeRue said. “The Kona mystique is not something you simply read about or see on a course map. You feel the Kona mystique with every stroke, every pedal, every step, and every magical moment in one of the most historic sporting destinations in the world. From swimming in the crystal blue waters, to transitioning on the pier overlooking the open ocean, to cycling through the incredible lava fields, and then running down Ali`i Drive and crossing the most iconic finish in the sport – it’s an experience that few will ever have in their lifetime. We appreciate the impact our decisions have on the lives of our athletes and the communities within which we have the privilege of operating, and because of this, our decisions are made with great care. We may not always get everything right, but we will always be principled in our decisions, learn and be willing to adapt, and always put our athletes first.”
IRONMAN Extends Partnership With Nice
While Nice will no longer be hosting the IRONMAN World Championship after the men compete there in September, today’s announcement includes the news that the city will be hosting the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2026 and 2028, with a “mutual option to host the event in 2030.) Renowned as the “birthplace of long-distance triathlon in Europe” thanks to the famous Nice International Triathlon that started in 1982, Nice has been hosting IRONMAN events for over 20 years, and was a popular choice as a world championship venue.
After hosting the 70.3 worlds in Clearwater, Florida for five years, followed by a three-year stint in Henderson, Nevada, IRONMAN began rotating the host city for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship at the 2014 race, which was held in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. Nice hosted the championship in 2019.