For the first time since 2019, the men and women race Kona on the same day. Two world championships on one course, with the defending men’s champion already out and four former women’s champions on the start line. Here’s the short version, plus a pick’em at the bottom.

Pro men: 6:20 AM HST · 12:20 PM ET · 9:20 AM PT · 16:20 UTC Pro women: 6:30 AM HST · 12:30 PM ET · 9:30 AM PT · 16:30 UTC

With two races on course, the broadcast might miss a lot.

The Course

  • 3.8 km swim in Kailua Bay

swim

  • 180 km bike out the Queen K to the turnaround in Hawi and back

bike

  • 42.2 km run along Ali’i Drive and out through the Energy Lab.

run

Heat and trade winds usually decide it more than the climbing does.

Storylines

  • Defending champ out. Casper Stornes (NOR) crashed on a training ride on the island. He broke his collarbone and fractured vertebrae.
  • New draft rule. The no-draft zone goes from 12 m to 20 m. That should break up the big men’s packs on the Queen K and leave more riders alone between groups.
  • Women’s redemption race. Last year Lucy Charles-Barclay and Taylor Knibb both led and both DNF’d. Knibb collapsed about 2.5 km from the finish. Solveig Løvseth won from almost 6 minutes back at T2, 35 seconds ahead of Kat Matthews.
  • Lange’s last Kona. Three-time champ Patrick Lange plans to retire at Roth next summer. He wasn’t a favorite in 2024 either, and he won.
  • Bikers vs. runners. In both races the main question is the same: can the strong cyclists (Laidlow, Charles-Barclay, Knibb) build enough of a lead before the fast runners start closing?

Contenders

Women

  • Solveig Løvseth (NOR): defending champ. Won Hamburg and Texas this year.
  • Kat Matthews (GBR): holds the Kona run record (2:47:23). Finished 35 seconds short last year.
  • Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR): 2023 champ. First out of the water in all six of her Kona starts.
  • Taylor Knibb (USA): won 70.3 Worlds in Nice by 4+ minutes. Unfinished business from last year.
  • Laura Philipp (GER): 2024 champ. Outran Løvseth by 7 minutes in Hamburg.
  • Dark horse: Paula Findlay (CAN): a Kona rookie.

Men

  • Sam Laidlow (FRA): unbeaten in four races this year, including a full-distance world best at Roth. Wants a big lead off the bike.
  • Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR): won 70.3 Oceanside and Ironman Texas. Probably the best runner among the favorites.
  • Marten Van Riel (BEL): won Lake Placid in course-record time and ran 2:32 in Texas.
  • Gustav Iden (NOR): 2022 champ. Holds the Kona run record (2:36:14).
  • Magnus Ditlev (DEN): the biggest bike in the field. Lost the first half of 2026 to shingles.
  • Patrick Lange (GER): three-time champ in his last Kona. Can he limit his losses on the bike?

Race Points of Interest

  • Hawi turnaround (~mile 60 of the bike): the first head-on look at the gaps.
  • The Energy Lab (~mile 16–20 of the run): hot, empty, and where races usually turn.
  • Mark and Dave Hill: the last rise before town. Whoever leads over it has usually won.

Pick’em

Participate in the preview by upvoting one name per race in the comments below! Please don’t downvote other people’s picks. Got a dark horse? Reply to the “Other” comment. If you want to go further, reply with your full podium.

My picks: Lucy Charles-Barclay and Sam Laidlow. Lucy skipped the 70.3 world champs in Nice to focus specifically on Kona, and has managed to stay healthy this year. Sam has had a great season, and I think he has what it takes to continue.

I’ll tally the community’s picks in the results thread after the race.

Analysis primarily drawn from Thorsten Radde’s spectator guides on Triathlete (men · women). They’re worth reading if you want the full breakdown.