Ironman World Championship

The Ironman World Championship is a triathlon held annually in Hawaii, United States since 1978, with an additional race in 1982. It is owned and organized by the World Triathlon Corporation. It is the annual culmination of a series of Ironman triathlon qualification races held throughout the world. As of 2023, Ironman World Championships split between Kona and France, with the men's and women's races rotating years.[1]

Swimmers at the start of the 2005 race
Swim start, 15 October 2005

History edit

From 1978 through 1980 the race was held on the island of Oahu, the course combining that of three events already held there: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 mi./3.86 km), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 mi./185.07 km, originally a two-day event), and the Honolulu Marathon. The bike stage was reduced by 3 miles to link it to the start of the marathon course. In 1981 the race was moved to the less urbanized Big Island, keeping the distances the same: a 2.4 miles (3.86 km) open water swim in Kailua-Kona Bay, a 112 miles (180.25 km) bike ride across the Hawaiian lava desert to Hāwī and back, and a marathon (26 miles 385 yards, 42.195 km) run along the coast of the Big Island from Keauhou to Keahole Point and back to Kailua-Kona, finishing on Aliʻi Drive.

Since 1982, the race has been held in the fall each year, before which it was held in the spring, giving two races in 1982. The most recent Ironman World Championship took place on 8 October 2022, following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualifying for the World Championship is achieved through placement in one of the other Ironman races or some Ironman 70.3 races. Because of COVID-19, the 2020 race was initially postponed to February 2021. However, the race was ultimately canceled with that year's qualifiers able to defer to race in 2021 or 2022.[2]

The current Ironman Hawaii course record was set in 2022 by Gustav Iden (Norway), whose winning time was 7 hrs 40 min 24 sec.[3] The women's course record is 8 hrs 24 mins 31 sec, set in 2023 by Lucy Charles-Barclay (UK).[4]

Athletes with disabilities compete in the event in the physically challenged category, which was instituted in 1997, and are required to meet the same cutoff times as able bodied competitors.[5] Australian John Maclean was the first physically challenged athlete to complete the event under the cut-off time.[6][7]

Since 2022, Vietnam's automobile maker VinFast was the first ever naming rights partner for 2022 Ironman World Championship and 2023 Ironman 70.3 World Championship.[8]

Course records edit

Men edit

Event Record Speed Athlete Nationality Edition Ref
Full Course 7:40:24
(48:23 - 2:21 - 4:11:06 - 2:22 - 2:36:15)
Gustav Iden   Norway 2022 [3]
Swim (3.862 km) 46:29 1:12 min/100 m Jan Sibbersen   Germany 2018 [9]
Bike (180.246 km) 4:04:36 44.21 km/h Sam Laidlow   France 2022 [3]
Run (42.195 km) 2:36:15 16.2 km/h / 3:42 min/km Gustav Iden   Norway 2022 [3]

Women edit

Event Record Speed Athlete Nationality Edition Ref
Full Course 8:24:31
(49:36 - 2:29 - 4:32:28 - 2:20 - 2:57:38)
26.91 km/h Lucy Charles-Barclay   United Kingdom 2023 [4]
Swim (3.862 km) 48:14 1:14 min/100 m Lucy Charles-Barclay   United Kingdom 2018 [10]
Bike (180.246 km) 4:26:07 40.64 km/h Daniela Ryf   Switzerland 2018 [11]
Run (42.195 km) 2:48:23 3:57 min/km Anne Haug   Germany 2023 [12]

Medalists edit

Men edit

Year Gold Time Silver Time Bronze Time
1978   Gordon Haller (USA) 11:46:58   John Dunbar (USA) 12:20:27   Dave Orlowski (USA) 13:59:13
1979   Tom Warren (USA) 11:15:56   John Dunbar (USA) 12:03:56   Ian Emberson (USA) 12:23:30
1980   Dave Scott (USA) 9:24:33   Chuck Neumann (USA) 10:24:41   John Howard (USA) 10:32:36
1981   John Howard (USA) 9:38:29   Tom Warren (USA) 10:04:38   Scott Tinley (USA) 10:12:47
1982 (Feb)   Scott Tinley (USA) 9:19:41   Dave Scott (USA) 9:36:57   Jeff Tinley (USA) 9:53:16
1982 (Oct)   Dave Scott (USA) 9:08:23   Scott Tinley (USA) 9:28:28   Jeff Tinley (USA) 9:36:53
1983   Dave Scott (USA) 9:05:57   Scott Tinley (USA) 9:06:30   Mark Allen (USA) 9:21:06
1984   Dave Scott (USA) 8:54:20   Scott Tinley (USA) 9:18:45   Grant Boswell (USA) 9:23:55
1985   Scott Tinley (USA) 8:50:54   Chris Hinshaw (USA) 9:16:40   Carl Kupferschmid (SUI) 9:26:32
1986   Dave Scott (USA) 8:28:37   Mark Allen (USA) 8:36:04   Scott Tinley (USA) 9:00:37
1987   Dave Scott (USA) 8:34:13   Mark Allen (USA) 8:45:19   Greg Stewart (AUS) 8:58:53
1988   Scott Molina (USA) 8:31:00   Mike Pigg (USA) 8:33:11   Ken Glah (USA) 8:38:37
1989   Mark Allen (USA) 8:09:14   Dave Scott (USA) 8:10:13   Greg Welch (AUS) 8:32:16
1990   Mark Allen (USA) 8:28:17   Scott Tinley (USA) 8:37:40   Pauli Kiuru (FIN) 8:39:24
1991   Mark Allen (USA) 8:18:32   Greg Welch (AUS) 8:24:34   Jeff Devlin (USA) 8:27:55
1992   Mark Allen (USA) 8:09:08   Cristián Bustos (CHI) 8:16:29   Pauli Kiuru (FIN) 8:17:29
1993   Mark Allen (USA) 8:07:45   Pauli Kiuru (FIN) 8:14:27   Wolfgang Dittrich (GER) 8:20:13
1994   Greg Welch (AUS) 8:20:27   Dave Scott (USA) 8:24:32   Jeff Devlin (USA) 8:31:56
1995   Mark Allen (USA) 8:20:34   Thomas Hellriegel (GER) 8:22:59   Rainer Müller-Hörner (GER) 8:25:23
1996   Luc Van Lierde (BEL) 8:04:08   Thomas Hellriegel (GER) 8:06:07   Greg Welch (AUS) 8:18:57
1997   Thomas Hellriegel (GER) 8:33:01   Jürgen Zäck (GER) 8:39:18   Lothar Leder (GER) 8:40:30
1998   Peter Reid (CAN) 8:24:20   Luc Van Lierde (BEL) 8:31:57   Lothar Leder (GER) 8:32:57
1999   Luc Van Lierde (BEL) 8:17:17   Peter Reid (CAN) 8:22:54   Tim DeBoom (USA) 8:25:42
2000   Peter Reid (CAN) 8:21:01   Tim DeBoom (USA) 8:23:10   Normann Stadler (GER) 8:26:45
2001   Tim DeBoom (USA) 8:31:18   Cameron Brown (NZL) 8:46:10   Thomas Hellriegel (GER) 8:47:40
2002   Tim DeBoom (USA) 8:29:56   Peter Reid (CAN) 8:33:06   Cameron Brown (NZL) 8:35:34
2003   Peter Reid (CAN) 8:22:35   Rutger Beke (BEL) 8:28:27   Cameron Brown (NZL) 8:30:08
2004   Normann Stadler (GER) 8:33:29   Peter Reid (CAN) 8:43:40   Faris Al-Sultan (GER) 8:45:14
2005   Faris Al-Sultan (GER) 8:14:17   Cameron Brown (NZL) 8:19:36   Peter Reid (CAN) 8:20:04
2006   Normann Stadler (GER) 8:11:58   Chris McCormack (AUS) 8:13:10   Faris Al-Sultan (GER) 8:19:05
2007   Chris McCormack (AUS) 8:15:34   Craig Alexander (AUS) 8:19:04   Torbjørn Sindballe (DEN) 8:21:30
2008   Craig Alexander (AUS) 8:17:45   Eneko Llanos (ESP) 8:20:50   Rutger Beke (BEL) 8:21:23
2009   Craig Alexander (AUS) 8:20:21   Chris Lieto (USA) 8:22:56   Andreas Raelert (GER) 8:24:32
2010   Chris McCormack (AUS) 8:10:37   Andreas Raelert (GER) 8:12:17   Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 8:13:14
2011   Craig Alexander (AUS) 8:03:56   Pete Jacobs (AUS) 8:09:11   Andreas Raelert (GER) 8:11:07
2012   Pete Jacobs (AUS) 8:18:37   Andreas Raelert (GER) 8:23:40   Frederik Van Lierde (BEL) 8:24:09
2013   Frederik Van Lierde (BEL) 8:12:29   Luke McKenzie (AUS) 8:15:19   Sebastian Kienle (GER) 8:19:24
2014   Sebastian Kienle (GER) 8:14:18   Ben Hoffman (USA) 8:19:23   Jan Frodeno (GER) 8:20:32
2015   Jan Frodeno (GER) 8:14:40   Andreas Raelert (GER) 8:17:43   Timothy O'Donnell (USA) 8:18:50
2016   Jan Frodeno (GER) 8:06:30   Sebastian Kienle (GER) 8:10:02   Patrick Lange (GER) 8:11:14
2017   Patrick Lange (GER) 8:01:40   Lionel Sanders (CAN) 8:04:07   David McNamee (GBR) 8:07:11
2018   Patrick Lange (GER) 7:52:39   Bart Aernouts (BEL) 7:56:41   David McNamee (GBR) 8:01:09
2019   Jan Frodeno (GER) 7:51:13   Tim O'Donnell (USA) 7:59:40   Sebastian Kienle (GER) 8:02:04
2021   Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) 7:49:16   Lionel Sanders (CAN) 7:54:03   Braden Currie (NZL) 7:54:19
2022   Gustav Iden (NOR) 7:40:24 CR   Sam Laidlow (FRA) 7:42:24   Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) 7:43:23
2023   Sam Laidlow (FRA) 8:06:22   Patrick Lange (GER) 8:10:17   Magnus Ditlev (DEN) 8:11:43

The 2021 World Championship was held in St. George, Utah on May 7, 2022. The delay and change from the original Kona, Hawaii venue were due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Women edit

Year Gold Time Silver Time Bronze Time
1979   Lyn Lemaire (USA) 12:55:38
1980   Robin Beck (USA) 11:21:24   Eve Anderson (USA) 15:40:59
1981   Linda Sweeney (USA) 12:02:32   Sally Edwards (USA) 12:37:25   Lyn Brooks (USA) 12:42:15
1982 (Feb)   Kathleen McCartney (USA) 11:09:40   Julie Moss (USA) 11:10:09   Lyn Brooks (USA)
  Sally Edwards (USA)
11:51:00
1982 (Oct)   Julie Leach (USA) 10:54:08   Jo Ann Dahlkoetter (USA) 10:58:21   Sally Edwards (USA) 11:03:00
1983   Sylviane Puntous (CAN) 10:43:36   Patricia Puntous (CAN) 10:49:17   Eva Ueltzen (USA) 11:01:49
1984   Sylviane Puntous (CAN) 10:25:13   Patricia Puntous (CAN) 10:27:28   Julie Olson (USA) 10:38:10
1985   Joanne Ernst (USA) 10:25:22   Elizabeth Bulman (USA) 10:26:55   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 10:31:04
1986   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 9:49:14   Sylviane Puntous (CAN) 9:53:13   Joanne Ernst (USA) 10:00:07
1987   Erin Baker (NZL) 9:35:25   Sylviane Puntous (CAN) 9:36:57   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 9:40:37
1988   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 9:01:01   Erin Baker (NZL) 9:12:14   Kirsten Hanssen (USA) 9:37:25
1989   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 9:00:56   Sylviane Puntous (CAN) 9:21:55   Kirsten Hanssen (USA) 9:24:31
1990   Erin Baker (NZL) 9:13:42   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 9:20:01   Terri Schneider (USA) 10:00:34
1991   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 9:07:52   Erin Baker (NZL) 9:23:37   Sarah Coope (GBR) 9:33:20
1992   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 8:55:28   Julie Anne White (CAN) 9:21:40   Thea Sybesma (NED) 9:26:57
1993   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 8:58:23   Erin Baker (NZL) 9:08:04   Susan Latshaw (USA) 9:20:40
1994   Paula Newby-Fraser (ZIM) 9:20:14   Karen Smyers (USA) 9:28:08   Fernanda Keller (BRA) 9:43:30
1995   Karen Smyers (USA) 9:16:46   Isabelle Mouthon (FRA) 9:25:13   Fernanda Keller (BRA) 9:37:48
1996   Paula Newby-Fraser (USA) 9:06:49   Natascha Badmann (SUI) 9:11:19   Karen Smyers (USA) 9:19:13
1997   Heather Fuhr (CAN) 9:31:43   Lori Bowden (CAN) 9:41:42   Fernanda Keller (BRA) 9:50:02
1998   Natascha Badmann (SUI) 9:24:16   Lori Bowden (CAN) 9:27:19   Fernanda Keller (BRA) 9:28:29
1999   Lori Bowden (CAN) 9:13:02   Karen Smyers (USA) 9:20:40   Fernanda Keller (BRA) 9:24:30
2000   Natascha Badmann (SUI) 9:26:17   Lori Bowden (CAN) 9:29:05   Fernanda Keller (BRA) 9:31:29
2001   Natascha Badmann (SUI) 9:28:37   Lori Bowden (CAN) 9:32:59   Nina Kraft (GER) 9:41:01
2002   Natascha Badmann (SUI) 9:07:54   Nina Kraft (GER) 9:14:24   Lori Bowden (CAN) 9:22:27
2003   Lori Bowden (CAN) 9:11:55   Natascha Badmann (SUI) 9:17:08   Nina Kraft (GER) 9:17:16
2004   Natascha Badmann (SUI) 9:50:04   Heather Fuhr (CAN) 9:56:19   Kate Major (AUS) 10:01:56
2005   Natascha Badmann (SUI) 9:09:30   Michellie Jones (AUS) 9:11:51   Kate Major (AUS) 9:12:39
2006   Michellie Jones (AUS) 9:18:31   Desiree Ficker (USA) 9:24:02   Lisa Bentley (CAN) 9:25:18
2007   Chrissie Wellington (GBR) 9:08:45   Samantha McGlone (CAN) 9:14:04   Kate Major (AUS) 9:19:13
2008   Chrissie Wellington (GBR) 9:06:23   Yvonne van Vlerken (NED) 9:21:20   Sandra Wallenhorst (GER) 9:22:52
2009   Chrissie Wellington (GBR) 8:54:02   Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 9:13:59   Virginia Berasategui (ESP) 9:15:28
2010   Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 8:58:36   Caroline Steffen (SUI) 9:06:00   Julie Dibens (GBR) 9:10:04
2011   Chrissie Wellington (GBR) 8:55:08   Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 8:57:57   Leanda Cave (GBR) 9:03:29
2012   Leanda Cave (GBR) 9:15:54   Caroline Steffen (SUI) 9:16:58   Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 9:21:41
2013   Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 8:52:14   Rachel Joyce (GBR) 8:57:28   Liz Blatchford (GBR) 9:03:35
2014   Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 9:00:55   Daniela Ryf (SUI) 9:02:57   Rachel Joyce (GBR) 9:04:23
2015   Daniela Ryf (SUI) 8:57:57   Rachel Joyce (GBR) 9:10:59   Liz Blatchford (GBR) 9:14:52
2016   Daniela Ryf (SUI) 8:46:46   Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 9:10:30   Heather Jackson (USA) 9:11:32
2017   Daniela Ryf (SUI) 8:50:47   Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) 8:59:38   Sarah Crowley (AUS) 9:01:38
2018   Daniela Ryf (SUI) 8:26:18   Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) 8:36:32   Anne Haug (GER) 8:41:57
2019   Anne Haug (GER) 8:40:10   Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) 8:46:44   Sarah Crowley (AUS) 8:48:13
2021   Daniela Ryf (SUI) 8:34:59   Kat Matthews (GBR) 8:43:49   Anne Haug (GER) 8:47:03
2022   Chelsea Sodaro (USA) 8:33:46   Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) 8:41:37   Anne Haug (GER) 8:42:22
2023   Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) 8:24:31 CR   Anne Haug (GER) 8:27:33   Laura Philipp (GER) 8:32:55

Paula Newby Fraser was a citizen and represented the United States for the 1996 race

The 2021 World Championship was held in St. George, Utah on May 7, 2022. The delay and change from the original Kona, Hawaii venue were due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of 2023 the Men's Championship alternates with the Women's Championship at Kona, Hawaii and Nice, France.

Ironman lottery edit

Until 2015, individuals could enter a lottery for the chance to participate in the Ironman World Championship. The lottery entry fee was $50 and afforded the chance to win one of 100 berths in the championship race. If selected the winners then had to pay the normal entry fee.[13]

However, according to a sworn complaint filed with the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, Ironman illegally charged athletes for a chance to win the opportunity to compete in the Ironman World Championship.[14][15] According to Florida law, the state where the World Triathlon Corporation resides, it is illegal to set up and charge for a lottery.[16] Because WTC charged a $50 fee to enter the lottery, instead of giving away the opportunity to win a slot at the championships, they were in violation of this law.[17] Following the complaint WTC cooperated with the United States Attorneys office and the FBI's investigation of the matter and agreed to forfeit $2,761,910, the amount collected from the lottery since October 24, 2012.[14][18] The attorney representing the United States in the matter was 8-time Ironman finisher James A. Muench.[19]

Winners of the 2015 lottery were notified on March 17, 2015, prior to the announcement of the complaint.[15] WTC stated that these winners would be unaffected by this decision and that their slots for the upcoming championship race would be honored.[20]

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ "Ironman World Championships split between Kona and France". 5 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Ironman Kona canceled for first time". NBC Sports. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Snider-McGrath, Ben (8 October 2022). "Gustav Iden wins Ironman World Championship with massive course record". Triathlon Magazine Canada. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b Sport, BBC (17 October 2023). "Lucy Charles-Barclay on winning Ironman World Championship in Kona". BBC. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Athletes with disabilities competing at the IRONMAN: successes, failures, inclusion and accessibility". Ability Magazine. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  6. ^ Lulham, Amanda (11 April 2016). "Ironman John Maclean awarded Hall of Fame status for heroics in wheelchair and on his own two feet". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  7. ^ "1997 Race Results" (PDF). Ironman.com. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  8. ^ VINFAST AND IRONMAN ANNOUNCE A GROUNDBREAKING AND COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP PR Newswire 22 Jul, 2022
  9. ^ Foster, Chris (4 September 2019). "Jan Sibbersen: Meet the Kona Swim Course Record Holder". Triathlete. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Britain's Lucy Charles breaks course swimming record before winning silver at Ironman World Championship". The telegraph. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  11. ^ James, Sutherland (31 December 2019). "Performances of the decade: Daniela Ryf smashes Kona course record by 20 minutes". Triathlon Magazine Canada. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  12. ^ "IRONMAN Kona records: Detailing the best ever World Championship times on the Big Island". 15 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Lottery and Legacy". World Triathlon Corporation. 1 September 2013. Archived from the original on 17 February 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  14. ^ a b "World Triathlon Corporation (Ironman) Forfeits More Than $2.7 Million in Lottery Proceeds". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  15. ^ a b "U.S. District Court Complaint". scribd.com. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  16. ^ "849.09 Lottery prohibited; exceptions". gambling-law-us.com. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  17. ^ .Stein, Letitia (13 May 2015). "Ironman triathlon ran illegal lottery for athletes: U.S. prosecutors". Reuters. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  18. ^ Moskovitz, Diana (19 May 2015). "Feds: Ironman Ran An Illegal Lottery And Made Millions". deadspin.com. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  19. ^ Cornwall, Warren (18 May 2015). "The Ironman Lottery Is Dead. Up Next: Your Local Race?". Outside Online. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  20. ^ "Statement from IRONMAN in response to recent DOJ decision". Ironman.com. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

Sources edit

External links edit