IRONMAN quietly launched the qualification cycle for the 2024 IRONMAN World Championships, once again scheduled for two separate days and venues. The 2024 women's World Championship will be contested in September in Nice, France, whereas the men will compete in Kona in late October.

Per IRONMAN's own FAQs on the 2024 World Championship site, there are significant differences in slot allocations for the two races. This is because, "at the time that the dual World Championship locations was announced for 2023 and beyond, some male athletes had already qualified for Kona, 2023. Several of those athletes chose to defer their entry to the next men’s race in Kona, to be held in 2024. As a result, respecting the one-day capacity limit in Kona, the remaining available men’s Kona slots have been distributed among qualifying events for 2024."

On average, there are 50% fewer slots on offer for men in the 2024 qualification cycle, at least through races taking place before December 31, 2023. Races taking place in 2024 are yet to announce how many slots will be available for them. The largest differences in slots between genders occurs at Wisconsin and Arizona, where there will be 60 qualifying slots available for women and only 20 available for men.

The full list of 2024 qualification slots can be found here. The site also notes that "all slot allocations are subject to change."

Photo Credit: Aaron Palaian