All eyes on Kona: Ironman stops rotating World Championship venues and dates

When Ironman decided in 2023 to rotate its World Championship over two venues and two dates – the men’s and women’s have been rotating between Kona and Nice since then – it was breaking news. Just as big news today is that the organizer has decided to bring the World Championship back to just Kona and also one date starting next year, 2026.

Men and women will again race on one day – all on Kona – and that will happen in 2026 on Oct. 10. However, Ironman will make adjustments to ensure better broadcasting of both men’s and women’s races, for example. This includes different start times than we were used to until 2023.

Ironman CEO Scott DeRue already hinted several times in favor of bringing back to one location for the Ironman World Championships, obviously with a strong preference for Kona. “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 IM 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, Hawaii.”