Race Report: Kona Ironman World Championship

Author: Parkerman

Two years and two days since I underwent surgery to have my prostate removed due to cancer, I stepped into the Pacific Ocean at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, to compete in the 2024 Triathlon Ironman World Championships. 

For those unfamiliar with Kona, it is the home of Ironman and regarded by triathletes as the Holy Grail. There are three main ways to get a slot at Kona. 
1. You can win your age group at one of the many Ironman races around the world during the year. 
2. Make a large donation to the Ironman Foundation. 
3. Become a legacy athlete. This involves completing twelve full distance Ironman races, then you can put your name forward and wait for it to be called. In the meantime you have to complete a full Ironman race every year to keep your application valid. 

As I am not fast enough to win my age group or wealthy enough to donate to the foundation, so option three became my route to compete at Kona. 

My wife Louise, who is my long time support crew, and Jake, our 15 year old son set off, from Newcastle two weeks before the event, with luggage and bike in it’s well travelled bike box. If you’re flying with a bike, most airlines are very helpful, but let them know in advance what you’re bringing! 
We flew via Heathrow to Los Angeles for a stop over with family, then onto Honolulu. We stayed there for a few days to acclimatise and get over jet lag, as Hawaii is eleven hours behind UK time. This also meant Jake could surf on Wiki beach and I could swim and run in the heat.

On the Tuesday before the Saturday of the race, we took the short flight to The Big Island and arrived at our hotel in Kona, and immediately became engulfed in Ironman fever. Imagine Tour de France meets London Marathon in a small town on a largely uninhabited Island, with a bit of American razzmatazz thrown in. 

After putting my bike together and getting the gears fixed by the on site Shimano mechanics, it was out onto the course for a familiarisation ride. The first thing that hits you is the heat, humidity and wind, followed by how similar everything looks and feels like Lanzarote. 
Back at our hotel, race week was now in overdrive with the who’s who of the triathlon world around every corner. 

Morning training swim on the course is from 7am. With dolphins, turtles and a coffee boat for company on the course, even Jake joined me for a coffee in the Pacific Ocean. Another tradition is the Ironman pants run, for the Ironman Foundation charity. This is a one mile fun run through the streets of Kona at 7:30am (to avoid the heat) dressed only in your underpants a couple of days before the main event. Louise and Jake joining me in this tradition. Louise later saying it was the best fun run she had ever done. 
The final pre-race event is a splash and dash for kids of various ages. Medals and t-shirts are awarded to children taking part. 

On Thursday afternoon, we attended a legacy get together, a good event which included a few words from the bosses of Ironman and several past male and female winners. 
Friday saw the arrival of the rest of my family and friends, and a chance to catch up on non-triathlon stuff. 

Saturday morning eventually arrived and I very nervously joined my start wave, 60 to 64 age group, after handing in my two food bags. We were led into the water nine minutes before our 6:50am start time, to be greeted by stinging jellyfish. We had been warned at the race briefing of their presence, and that vinegar would be available after the swim to ease the pain. 

The 2.4 mile (3.8km) non-wetsuit swim in warm water is basically straight out and back across the bay, rounding a couple of boats at halfway. Although swimming is my weakest discipline, this went really well, apart from the strong current rounding the boats at the far end of the course. I exited up the steps in just under 90 minutes, with only three jellyfish stings my arm, calf and nose. I was later told that two sharks had been spotted on the course, but the arrival of the dolphins had chased them away. I can’t confirm this though. 

Once into transition T1. I was handed my cycling bag by one of the hundreds of volunteers, all of whom were so helpful and encouraging. Sprayed with vinegar and having had sun cream applied, I exited the changing tent and collected my bike. 

The bike leg of 112 mile (180km) consisted of three main parts:
Part 1 is an out and back to the south of Kona. By now the streets are full of family and supporters of the 2800 competitors. 
The second part is to the north of Kona on the Queen K highway. This, by contrast, was very quiet and almost lonely in places. There were feed stations about every 15 miles, manned by more very enthusiastic volunteers who kept us well hydrated with water, energy drink, coke, gels and so on. 
The third section was a six mile climb up to the turn at Hawi, which was brutal. The head/cross wind by now had picked up, along with the heat and humidity, which all added to the fun. At the turn around point, about 60 miles, I was handed back my first food bag containing my pre-packed goodies. There was then a very fast decent back onto The Queen K highway, followed by what I can only describe as a 40 mile slog, into a headwind, back to Kona. 

During the bike section of an Ironman, you are not allowed to draft (slipstream) from a fellow competitor. There are race referees on motorcycles that patrol the bike course checking for violations. One competitor was caught drafting behind me and was penalised with a stop of five minutes in the penalty tent. I didn’t even know he was there till I saw the referee waving the blue card at him. 

Once in Kona, the streets were packed with even more cheering supporters who lifted my spirits. After just over 6 hours, I entered into transition and, replacing my bike in the same spot I collected it from, I was handed my run bag from the (still very enthusiastic) volunteers, a quick change of footwear and running cap. I exited T2 to start the 26.2 mile (42.1 km) marathon run. I say run, but I knew I would be walking some of it have having struggled with bad calf muscles and have not been able to do many long runs this year. Like the bike course, it started with an out and back to the south of Kona then up onto the Queen K Highway and north towards the airport and down into an area called the Energy Lab, another well known spot on the run course. This was just over halfway and, after receiving my 2nd food bag and seeing the sunset, I rejoined the Queen K highway back towards Kona. 

Feed stations were every mile and now had chicken soup as well as the very familiar drinks. These feed stations were still incredibly well manned with volunteers and were the only light on a now very dark and wet evening, although the rain didn’t lower the temperature or humidity. 

Just over five hours later, it was back into Kona where I passed runners heading out at the start of their marathon run. I ran onto Ali’i Drive, which was now well illuminated by giant spotlights, through the crowds and my cheering family, to cross the finish line to hear those famous words. 

“You are an Ironman”

I met Louise, who had volunteered and was working in the finish area. We then met up with the rest of the family and celebrated long into the night. Well not that long; I think I was asleep before midnight. 

My finish time was 13 hours and 33 seconds. It wasn’t my fastest or slowest Ironman, but it was never about time. Kona was my last full Ironman. It was about completing a dream of forty years. 

Job done.