2024 Ironman World Championship in Kona

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2024 Ironman World Championship 

The 2024 Ironman World Championship Men’s Race was held in Kailua Kona, Hawaii on Saturday, October 26th, 2024.

This event had the professional men racing in Kailua Kona while the professional women’s race was held in Nice, France. The women raced on Sunday, September 22nd, 2024. The Kona venue swaps annually between hosting the men’s and women’s events.

Patrick Lange 2018

The Ironman World Championship has been held primarily in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii since 1981. This incredible race is considered the ultimate physical, mental, and emotional test of strength, resilience, and endurance in the world. Athletes from around the world will compete in the next Kona event and Big Island Guide will be there!

Sam Laidlow in Kailua-Kona Hawaii, 2022

The world’s best triathletes gather in Kona Hawaii each year to compete in this challenging and strenuous athletic competition. Qualification for the Ironman World Championship requires placement in other Ironman competitions or Ironman 70.3 races, of which there are around 50 such events worldwide.

Past Record Setting Performances

This year’s athletes had to work very hard to compete with recent, record breaking performances. The pro competitors always show up in Kona with ambitious goals and this year was no different. In 2018 competitors claimed 5 new course records, then proceeded to break most of those over the next five years. Patrick Lange took the overall course record in 2018, with a time of 7:52:39, marking the first sub-8-hour finish in Kailua-Kona. Daniela Ryf set a new women’s course record of 8:26:16 and a new record for the women’s bike portion of the 2018 race. In 2018 Lucy Charles claimed the women’s course record for the swim and Cameron Wurf set a new men’s course bike record. In 2019 Jan Frodeno broke the overall course record with a 7:51:13 finish. 

Jan Frodeno – 2019

In 2022 more Kona records were claimed, as Sam Laidlow beat the bike course record by more than four minutes with a split of 4:04:36 and Iden beat the run course record by more than three minutes with a split of 2:36:15. Gustav Iden of Norway set the new overall course record with a lightning fast 7:40:24 time. Then in 2023, Lucy Charles-Barclay claimed the women’s course record with a time of 8:24:31, lowering the mark by almost two minutes from Daniela Ryf’s 2018 record. The women’s run course record is now held by Anne Haug who ran an incredible 2:48:23 split in 2023. If you missed the 2023 Ironman World Championship women’s race in Kona, read our recap here.

2024 proved to be a very fast day for many athletes. Menno Koolhaas finished the swim first with a 00:47:02 time and 22 other athletes shadowing him closely out of the water over 26 seconds. The bike course was extraordinarily fast, with Sam Laidlow getting out ahead and setting a new bike course record at 3:57:22, while seven others also sped past his previous bike benchmark. Patrick Lange ran a picture perfect marathon and pulled out ahead around the 11 mile mark, posting his third Kona win and setting a new course record, with more than seven minutes before the second place finisher, Magnus Ditlev. Incredibly, 16 athletes finished with a sub 8 hour time, a feat Patrick was able to pull off for the first time just seven years ago.

Gustav Iden 2022

The Athletes

The athlete lineup for the Kona Ironman is always impressive and full of strong contenders. Several familiar faces posted strong performances to earn spots on the podium this year.

Men’s 2024 Top 3 (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Course)

1. Patrick Lange swim 00:47:09 bike 04:06:22 run 02:37:34 finish 07:35:53
2. Magnus Ditlev swim 00:48:18 bike 04:02:52 run 02:46:10 finish 07:43:39
3. Rudy Von Berg swim 00:47:18 bike 04:05:49 run 02:48:11 finish 07:46:00

Men’s 2023 Top 3 (Nice, France Course)

1. Sam Laidlow (France) – 8:06:22
2. Patrick Lange (Germany) – 8:10:17
3. Magnus Ditlev (Denmark) – 8:11:43

Men’s 2022 Top 3 (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Course)

1. Gustav Iden (Norway) – 7:40:24
2. Sam Laidlow (France) – 7:42:24
3. Kristian Blummenfelt (Norway) – 7:43:23

Kristian Blummenfelt 2022

Get more information on Ironman’s Website.

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