After months – if not years – of speculation it has been announced that both the men’s and women’s IRONMAN World Championships will return to Kona, Hawai’i from 2026 onwards – and on the same day again.
The spiritual home of the sport had hosted its most historic and iconic event on the same day in Hawai’i up to and including 2019.
The global COVID pandemic meant there was no event in 2020 and a rescheduled 2021 one was held in St George, Utah. When it returned to Kona in 2022 the men’s and women’s races took place on different days, with the stated aim of giving the women on the Thursday the same stage and coverage as the men on the Saturday.
However it proved unsustainable for the island and a decision was made to split the venues between Kona and Nice for the next four years, starting with the women in Kona in 2023 and the men in Nice – and alternating after that.
But that experiment will stop a year early following today’s news, with IRONMAN saying athlete feedback was crucial – especially from age-groupers who race their own World Championships at the same time as the professionals.
A “re-imagined” event
The challenges of having everything on the same day include keeping all the various races – both age-group and pro – fair and distinct from each other as well as having enough time for thousands of age-groupers to race their own Championship events.
But IRONMAN say the new one-day World Championship event has been “re-imagined to promote exciting and fair competition, equal and innovative coverage of men’s and women’s races, and the growth of triathlon globally.”
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 – professional and amateur – to compete on the most iconic course in the sport.
A press release from IRONMAN promises: “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.
“Extensive research and community feedback across all groups of athletes showed a resounding shared sentiment – the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon in Kona, Hawai’i holds a special place in the hearts of IRONMAN athletes, and is the definitive location for both female and male athletes to come together with their family, friends, partners, coaches, fans, and global community as one `Ohana.”
Feedback was crucial
The switch to a split World Championship came under the 12-year tenure of Andrew Messick as CEO of the IRONMAN Group.
He stepped down in July 2023 and was succeeded by Scott DeRue who took over in January 2024 and a burning question ever since then has been whether the IRONMAN World Championship would return to its original format.
And after that outcome was confirmed, DeRue explained: “We understand the importance of the IRONMAN World Championship, both its history and legacy in the sport of triathlon as well as what it means for the future of our sport and to our community. Over the past year, we have listened to our community, engaged thousands of athletes from around the world, and learned a great deal about what our athletes aspire to, what they need and want, and ultimately how we can evolve the IRONMAN World Championship to best serve our athletes and the future growth of the sport.
“When it comes to the most important race on the triathlon calendar, we owe it to our community to listen to their feedback, to have the courage to try new things, and to make principled decisions that serve the long-term interests of the sport. While there is no shortage of ideas when it comes to the future of the IRONMAN World Championship, one thing is clear: a significant majority of women and men want the same two things – to race together, and do that at the beating heart of our sport in Kona, Hawai`i.”
All change in Hawai’i too
As well as change at the top of the IRONMAN organisation, Kimo Alameda has replaced Mitch Roth as the County of Hawaiʻi Mayor.
And the new Mayor said of today’s news: “Kona has always been the heart and soul of the IRONMAN World Championship, and we are excited to see this iconic event return to its roots in 2026.
“We want to thank IRONMAN for the diligence that went into making this decision, which honours the wishes of the Kona community and athletes. This championship is more than just a race; it’s a celebration of athletic excellence and unity, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen the bond between Hawaiʻi Island and the global IRONMAN ʻohana.”
What we know so far about 2026 event
IRONMAN say that from 2026 onwards, even though the races are on the same day, new media platforms will enable increased coverage of the event, including equal broadcast coverage for both professional men and women athletes.
And they promise: “Innovations in start times, swim waves, and competition rules will support competitive integrity and fairness among athletes.
“Altogether, innovations throughout the race experience will make for an even more competitive and aspirational IRONMAN World Championship that will be viewed by more than 140 million people in over 160 countries, support the future growth of triathlon, and create more than $100 million dollars of economic impact for Hawai`i.”
And DeRue underlined that IRONMAN will continue to take on board feedback and learnings – and adapt when necessary.
He explained: “We have the utmost respect for our athletes and their dream to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship and race in Kona. 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.
“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.”
And while Nice may have lost out on being the venue for the women’s IRONMAN World Championship again in 2026, the French city does have the consolation of hosting the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in both 2026 and 2028 – and possibly beyond. More on that here.
IRONMAN have now released some of the headline figures from their survey around the Kona / Nice split and you can check those out here. And one conclusion they drew from those was that not having all the IMWC races at Kona in recent years has unintentionally shrunk the global triathlon community.
