Kona: Ironman World Championship women’s course preview

The Ironman World Championship returns to Hawaii on 14 October with a strong field of pro women set to fight it out for the world title.

The event comes a month after Sam Laidlow took the men’s title in Nice, France, after Ironman took the decision to hold the men’s and women’s events in different locations on different dates.

So what will be lying in wait for those battling for the crown in Kona? Let’s preview the full 2023 Ironman World Championship women’s course.

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Of all the competition each athlete will face at October’s women’s Ironman World Championships, none will be so utterly indefatigable as the island itself.

There’s a reason the World Championship remains so connected to the shores where Ironman moved to in 1981 [the first three events took place in Oahu, Hawaii].

With its brutal heat, pummelling winds and gruelling hills, Kona is a place where anything can happen – and usually does.

From Julie Moss to Paula Newby-Fraser and Normann Stadler, many an athlete has been forced into a crawl or a DNF on the course, giving rise to unexpected shake-ups in the top ranks.

There’s still no distinct landmark that ‘tells the tale’ better than the finish line itself. But there are key landmarks you can look at for progress along the way…

The swim and T1

There may be more riding on the one-lap 3.8km swim than ever before.

After Normann Stadler won with a crushing cycling performance in 2004, the prevailing strategy was to establish a lead in the lava fields and then ‘hold on’ through the marathon.

But the trend in recent years has shown the über-bikers having to overcome gaps incurred on the swim before creating their lead for the run.

And the amount of time taken in transition could make a crucial difference in the early positions on the bike.

Bike course

Most people look at the elevation profile of the out-and-back course (totalling 1,772m elevation gain) and think that the 19km climb up to the turnaround point is the make-or-break point.

But looks are deceiving, and the actual determinant is an invisible enemy.

By the time the competitors are well on their way to T2, they’ll be pedalling against those pesky headwinds.

Out on the highway, with the sun nearing its peak and not a drop of shade to be found, disaster lurks behind every lava rock. From flat tyres to dehydration and digestive issues, this is where it all goes wrong for even the most prepared athlete.

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Transition 2

Again, with the difference measured in minutes, seconds will count getting off the bike and onto the pavement. We’ll know a lot by the time the athletes exit this point and begin the run.

Run course

The run course is made up of a 42.2km out-and-back route with 307m elevation gain.

From 22-30km on the run is where we’ll probably start getting our clearest indications of the finish.

Six-times Ironman world champ Mark Allen said: “Pre-race tactics are very hard to maintain in Hawaii.

“In 1995, I came out of the bike over 13mins down on Thomas Hellriegel. It was very hard to stick to my plan on the bike, but I’d set an upper limit of how fast I was going to go and if people pulled away, I had to let them go.

“My run was much faster than Hellriegel’s but it was hard, very hard. Most people would rather not take that risk and not rely on the run, as opposed to going their own pace on the bike in the hope that they have a great marathon.”

Chrissie Wellington said: “If you need to adopt a run-walk strategy, that might be a faster way to the finish.

“In 2012 Pete Jacobs stopped and stretched. Anticipate the demons that might hit you in Hawaii. The run is rolling so be prepared for it. There are some steep parts and it could actually be faster to walk up them.

“If you start getting nervous, maybe have some strategies that will calm you down. Just chill out. It’s not a holiday, but don’t let the size of the event get to you. Above all, enjoy it!”

Top image credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Ironman