In a Sudden Twist, IRONMAN Announces the Return to Kona

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Good morning everyone,

Will there be any triathlon news days this year bigger than what went down on Wednesday? We doubt it!

If there’s anything we’ve learned writing this newsletter, its that anything involving Kona stops the triathlon world in its tracks. So of course today’s newsletter is all about the big Kona announcement. And if you have thoughts on what this means for you, and the sport, we’d love to hear what you think!

In today’s edition:

• 😲 In a sudden twist, IRONMAN announces the return to Kona

• 🍑 A kicka$$ glute activation.

• 📈 And why tapering is out, and peaking is in!

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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ONE BIG THING

In a Sudden Twist, IRONMAN Announces the Return to Kona

What is it: With an announcement that shocked the triathlon world, IRONMAN has revealed that in 2026 the IRONMAN World Championships will be returning to Kona.

• The World Championships will also be returning to the traditional single day race format which sees women and men competing together.

It was also announced that the 2026 and 2028 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships will be held in Nice, France, with the option available to host again in 2030 should both IRONMAN and Nice agree.

A historic split: After the 2020 and 2021 editions of the IRONMAN World Championships were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, IRONMAN opted for a first-ever two-day World Championship in Kona in 2022.

This format created immense strain on local resources and patience. As a result, IRONMAN made the historic decision to split the World Championships between Kona and Nice.

Feedback frenzy: In the announcement, IRONMAN acknowledged that the decision to return to Kona was born out of extensive athlete monitoring and feedback. The corporation also recently conducted a survey of over 10,000 athletes on the future of the IRONMAN World Championships that helped guide the Kona decision.

• According to the survey results, “a significant majority of women and men…want the same two things. To race together, and to race…in Kona.”

A new Kona: As a part of the return to Kona, IRONMAN will be working on innovating and elevating the athlete experience. These initiatives include:

• Expanding the field to include nearly 3000 athletes.

• An enhanced broadcast featuring new content production technology.

• Innovations on start times and swim waves.

Tempo’s take: Big-picture, the return to Kona is the right decision. As a brand, the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona is unsurpassed in terms of cultural relevance. Countless athletes can trace their triathlon origins back to when they saw a clip of Kona on TV (or on TikTok nowadays?!?).

• We’ve all met people who know pretty much next to nothing about triathlon, except for, “that big race in Hawaii!” 

In an ever-fractured media environment, owning such a strong legacy and brand that most people can positively identify with is priceless. And when IRONMAN saw the underwhelming support for Nice, it was only a matter of time until they found a way to get back to the Big Island.

The research IRONMAN has done is extensive and revealing. And the results provide convenient cover for the corporation to move back to Kona under the guise of transparency and putting the athlete’s needs first.

But of course, this decision doesn’t put all athletes’ needs first.

A Blow to the Pro Women

The professional women, having just enjoyed three uninterrupted World Championship races, will most likely be returning to an era where they will be competing against each other AND frustrating foes - slow male pros, and fast male age groupers.

IRONMAN has suggested they will bring in innovations to start times to help alleviate interruptions to the Women’s professional race. But how long can they really delay before the age groupers need to hit the course?!?

The Lost Women’s Slots

IRONMAN has also acknowledged that the age group World Championship qualifying slots will be retuning to a “proportional representation” system. For example, if 25% of a qualifying race’s competitors are women, than 25% of the available slots will be allocated to women.

• Extrapolated across the entire qualifying period, this means that at the World Championships there will be less women than men on the start line.

This doesn’t seem right. But does it have to be this way?

• In 2022, the last year the men and women competed together in Kona, there were 1,272 finishers in the women’s age group field.

In a podcast interview with ProTriNews, IRONMAN’s CEO Scott Derue said that there could be “anywhere from 2500 to 3000 athletes” racing in Kona. So for arguments sake, lets say that 2800 athletes can compete - meaning gender-equal slots would be 1400 apiece.

If the demand for women’s World Championship places was 1,270+ shortly after a devastating pandemic, than surely the combo of triathlon growth tailwinds plus the excitement of a return to Kona could see at least another ~150 willing competitors!

• Am I crazy? It really doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to have equal slots for men and women in Kona given the demand seems to be there.

Many will argue that demand isn’t the problem, it’s depth. They’ll say it’s not fair that more men are chasing the same amount of World Championship slots as women.

I heard these complaints many times, and admittedly grumbled them myself during my 2020 Olympic qualifying campaign. The short course world also sees a discrepancy in depth between the men and the women. And for every woman chasing an Olympic start, there are probably 3 or 4 more men after the same goal

• But since it’s inception, the Olympic triathlon has always had the same number of slots on the start line for men and women. Having it any other way would feel wrong.

It can be the same for Kona. Equal slots wouldn’t just be a win for women, it would be a win for the sport and a message to the next generation that triathlon is evolving, not just surviving.

• A return to the Big Island reminds us of how far the sport has come, equal slots can show triathlon is ready for the future.

TEMPO TALKS PODCAST

Why Did IRONMAN Really Return to Kona?

And does everyone win returning to the Big Island?

We break it all down in the latest episode of the Tempo Talks Podcast!

Together with The TriDoc, we bring you the biggest stories in Triathlon,

• Training tips to make you faster,

• And breakdowns of the latest in sports science and performance!

Don’t miss a moment; listen to Tempo Talks on Apple, Spotify, and more!  

FAVORITES

🍑 Activate your glutes: Are you getting the most out of your glutes? If they’re not firing well try this excellent glute activation exercise before your next bike or run workout! [Prehab]

🧃 How to hydrate better: When the temperature rises you need to respond accordingly to train and race your best. One of the best (and easiest) ways to help you nail a hard workout or race in the heat? Hydration preloading! This article shows you the benefits, and how to preload effectively. [Precision Fuel and Hydration]

🤑 Triathlon on a budget: Triathlon isn’t known for being the most budget-friendly sport. But, with a little creativity, it turns out you can make it pretty cheap! These guys got all the gear and a race entry for only £200 ($250). [GTN]

📈 Not tapering, peaking! Could the secret to your next best race be in the magic of peaking? We’ve all heard of tapering for a race, but could switching it up for peaking be what helps you get the most on race day. This article explains the principles on how to peak well so you can race well! [McMillan Running]

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REEL TIME

Shoutout to subscriber Serena for sending this one through! We love when readers send us feedback AND hilarious reels! 😂

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QUICK NEWS

Yes, chef: Triathlon’s most famous chef, Gordon Ramsey, is back in the saddle and training hard 10 months after a brutal cycling accident. [People]

T100 Australia: 2026 will also see the debut of a new T100 Triathlon World Tour event on the Gold Coast! [Endurance Sportswire]

Heart attack comeback: A year after suffering a heart attack during an Olympic qualifying race, this German triathlete is making a return to competition! [Yahoo Sports]

Cherry Blossom tri: The popular Kelowna Cherry Blossom triathlon will be held this upcoming weekend. Athletes will swim in the H2O Fitness center before heading out for the bike and run. [Kelowna Now]

Challenge accepted: A German triathlete is aiming to complete 31 half-distance triathlons in 31 days! [NOE]

RACE WEEKEND

IRONMAN 70.3 Venice-Jesolo

The first European stop in the IRONMAN Pro Series features incredibly competitive fields of long course stars and short course converts.

• Current women’s IRONMAN Pro Series leader Anne Rieschman (GER) headlines the women’s field, while former 70.3 World Champion Rico Bogen (GER) leads the men.

Full start lists

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