Ironman World Championship 2022: Preview, schedule, and how to watch the long-course triathlon stars in action
Norwegian Olympic gold medallist Kristian Blummenfelt and Swiss superstar Daniela Ryf are out to conquer Kona for a slice of triathlon history on the Big Island. Find out everything you need to know about the who, what and when of the Hawaiian October showpiece below.
Triathlon
The 2022 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, will crown a historic season for long-course triathlon’s showpiece event when it returns to the Big Island for the first time in three years from 6 to 8 October.
The world’s top long-distance triathletes will have another bite at winning Ironman Triathlon’s ultimate prize, with the world championship making its second appearance in 2022.
This is only the second time in the event’s history that two world championships at the 140.6 distance will be held in the same year, due to disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Can Norwegian Olympic gold medallist Kristian Blummenfelt claim an unprecedented second Ironman world title in the same year? Will Swiss superstar Daniela Ryf further cement her legacy with a sixth world title in Hawaii?
We look at what is at stake in Kona and the protagonists vying for the ultimate prize in Ironman Triathlon.
When and where will the 2022 Ironman World Championship take place?
The 2022 Ironman World Championship will return to its spiritual home in Kona, Hawaii for the first time since 2019.
Ironman Triathlon’s showpiece has been held in Kona every year since 1982 before the pandemic enforced a change. The delayed 2021 world championships were held in St George, Utah earlier this year, with the 2022 event destined for a return to Hawaii.
The 2022 Ironman World Championship will, for the first time, be staged over two days with the elite women’s race taking place on Thursday and the elite men’s event happening on Saturday. There are also age-group triathletes taking part in the 226km (140.6 mile) contest.
The full Ironman 140.6 course sees athletes swim 3.86km (2.4 miles) in the sea of Kailua Bay, ride 180.2km (112 miles) on a bike route cycling along the coast from Kailua-Kona to Hawi which includes 1772m (5814 ft) of elevation, and run the full marathon distance of 42.2km (26.2 miles) past Honokohau Harbor. The 2022 race course details are here.
Stars to watch at the Ironman World Championship 2022 in Kona - men's elite race
Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt has been riding quite the wave over the last two years, winning some of the most coveted prizes in international triathlon.
He first clinched the gold medal at Tokyo 2020 in 2021 over an Olympic distance of 1.5km swim, 40km cycle, and 10km run, before he shifted his focus to the full-distance Ironman.
The transition has been nothing short of spectacular, with Blummenfelt setting records and winning titles. Just 10 months after his Olympic triumph, Blummenfelt added another feather to his cap when he struck gold at the 2021 Ironman World Championship in St George, Utah.
Blummenfelt’s running abilities remain a valuable arrow in his quiver. He ran an impressive 2:38:01 time over the marathon en-route to his victory at the world championships.
The 28-year-old will line up against another quality men's field in Kona, including compatriot and reigning world 70.3 champion Gustav Iden.
The Norwegian duo will both be making their first appearances in Kona and will face seasoned campaigner Patrick Lange of Germany. Lange is no stranger to the podium, winning world titles in 2017 and 2018. Fellow German Sebastien Kienle, the winner in 2014, is the only other former men's champion that will be in action in Kona.
Daniela Ryf chasing sixth world title - women's elite preview
Swiss superstar Daniela Ryf is considered the finest female triathlete of her era, winning four Ironman World Championship titles on the trot between 2015 and 2018. The 35-year-old added a fifth full Ironman title at the 2021 edition after Germany’s Anne Haug brought her winning streak to an end at Kona 2019. Highlighting her dominance over the middle-distance and distance Ironman events, Ryf is also a five-time 70.3 world champion.
The two-time Olympian is only the third woman behind Zimbabwean legend Paula Newby-Fraser and compatriot Natascha Badmann to win five Ironman World Championship titles. The defending champion will be looking to further etch her name into the history books in Kona, chasing after a sixth Ironman world title.
Haug, the only other former Kona champion in the 2022 field, stands squarely in Ryf’s way and will fancy her chances of clinching a second world title after winning on the Big Island in 2019.
Fellow German Laura Philipp has also emerged as a contender after posting fast times over the last two years, including setting an Ironman world best of 8:18 in Hamburg 2022. Philipp finished fourth on her Kona debut in 2019 and will be looking to make it onto the podium.
Perennial runner-up Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain should again challenge for the title after winning three consecutive silver medals in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Ironman 2022 World Championship - Schedule of elite race and age-group wave start times
All times are in local time in Hawaii (UTC-10)
Thursday, 6 October 2022
06:25 – Elite Women start
06:27 – PC/HC Athletes
06:30 – Women 30-34
06:35 – Women 35-39
06:40 – Women 40-44
06:45 – Women 18-29
06:50 – Women 45-49
06:55 – Women 50-54
07:00 – Women 55+
07:25 – Men 65+
07:30 – Men 60-64
07:35 – Men 50-54
07:40 – Men 25-29
Saturday, 8 October 2022
06:25 – Elite Men start
06:40 – Men 35-39
06:50 – Men 30-34
07:05 – Men 40-44
07:20 – Men 45-49
07:35 – Men 55-59
07:40 – Men 18-24
Competitors are expected to take between 10 and 17 hours to complete the full Ironman triathlon course.
How to watch Ironman 2022 World Championship
The races will be available to viewers via the Ironman digital livestreaming and TV broadcast partners, with the IRONMANnow channel providing live access on YouTube.