2023 Women's Ironman World Championship Kona preview: Full schedule and how to watch live action from Hawaii
For the first time in history, a standalone women's world championships is being held in Kona, Hawaii. Discover more about this year's edition of the iconic long-distance triathlon.
Triathlon
The most iconic setting in the sport of triathlon will host the 2023 women's Ironman World Championships (IMWC) this weekend.
More than 2000 triathletes from 73 countries are set to compete in the dedicated women's event in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.
In 2023 the Ironman worlds are taking place - for the first time in its history - in two separate locations on different days. The men's race was on 10th September in Nice, France, and won by French athlete Sam Laidlow, and now it's time for the women to swim, run, and ride for their crown on Sunday 14 October, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, the spiritual home of the Ironman World Championships since 1981.
Nice and Kona co-host the event until at least 2026, with men and women switching locations each year.
Read below to find out more about this year’s historic edition.
Stars to watch at 2023 Women's Ironman World Championship Kona
The 2023 World Championships sees one of the strongest women's fields ever assembled for an women's Ironman race.
The reigning champion, Chelsea Sodaro, returns to defend her crown. The American 34-year-old told Olympics.com ahead of the race how she balanced training and becoming a mother in the build-up to the 2022 edition, and how she got help for anxiety disorder since her World Championship title win last year.
Sodaro will wear bib number 1 and is expected to battle for the title once again. Anne Haug of Germany is another favourite, having finished on the podium in all of her four previous Kona IMWC appearances. Five-time champion Daniela Ryf will be back for more, expect a strong British challenge including four-time runner-up Lucy Charles-Barclay, while the 70.3 World Champion Taylor Knibb makes her first Kona full distance start.
2023 Women’s Ironman World Championship: Hawaii Course
The race on 14 October will start with a 3.86km (2.4mile) sea swim in the warm waters of Kailua Bay. The cycle ride section of the triathlon is a 180.2km (112 mile) course from Kailua-Kona towards Hawi including several challenging climbs with a total elevation gain of 1772m (5814ft), before the run leg of the full 42.2km (26.2 mile) marathon distance around Kona.
The total distance covered will be 226.2 km (140.6 miles).
2023 Women’s Ironman World Championship: Full schedule
Times are local to Kona, Hawaii (HAST), which is 10 hours behind UCT/GMT
Sunday 14 October 2023
- 6:25am – Race start - Professional athletes
- 3:00pm - Estimated finish time for winner.
How to watch the 2023 Women's Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, live
The race will be streamed for free on the Ironman.com website, the IronmanNow Facebook page, and on the event’s YouTube channel.