The Numbers That Convinced IRONMAN to Return to Kona

Today’s announcement that the IRONMAN World Championship would return to a one-day event in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii is the result of extensive research and surveys. You can check out the infographic IRONMAN provided with that information below. Here are some of the main takeaways:

Athletes Wanted to Race in Kona

Age-groupers and pros alike said they would prefer to race on the Big Island. “The two most popular options were a two-day race in Kona and a one-day race in Kona.”

When it came to taking qualifying slots, the demand for Kona was “two times greater than Nice, evidenced by athletes accepting qualifying slots.” Anyone who was at an IRONMAN roll down over the last few years can attest to that.

… And Are More Likely to Leave the Sport After Making a World Championship

“With take rates for qualifying slots to Nice being lower than Kona, more athletes are qualifying for and racing the IRONMAN World Championship after their first ever IRONMAN. Inadvertently, this has fuelled an expedited departure from long-distance triathlon, as athletes who reach the pinnacle of the sport – and fulfill their ambition of racing the IRONMAN World Championship – are 40% more likely to ‘retire’ from long-distance racing than other triathletes.”

IRONMAN also found that with the split locations of Kona and Nice, “there is a 30% increase in the likelihood an athlete qualifies for the world championship after their first-ever IRONMAN. World Championship athletes are 1.4x more likely to “retire” from the sport after reaching the pinnacle of IRONMAN, which was amplified among women in split-race format.”

IRONMAN’s research found that “with more new athletes getting to the world championship faster, we are unintentionally shrinking the global triathlon community.”

More People Pay Attention to Kona

In 2023, when the men raced in Nice and the women were in Kona, the women’s race on the Big Island garnered 15% more media exposure (event coverage and social reach) than the men’s race in Nice. Last year when the men were in Kona and the women were in Nice, Kona’s coverage was 265% greater than the race in Nice.

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