Ironman officials offered the following advice to West Hawaii residents ahead of the first-ever two-day running of the world championship triathlon: plan ahead and be prepared for delays, particularly on race days.
The prestigious race returns to Kailua-Kona with over 5,000 athletes set to compete on Thursday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 8, following a multi-year hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials first announced the two-day format in February, and have been spreading the word heavily via community meetings and other means of outreach since August.
On Tuesday, Ironman World Championship Race Director Diana Bertsch appeared before the Committee Public Safety and Mass Transit to provide an update to county council members and the public at the West Hawaii Civic Center.
The presentation was requested by North Kona Councilman Holeka Inaba to provide the public with additional information with the first running of the event since October 2019.
“I wanted the community to have the opportunity and just, you know more, exposure for what impacts would be felt by the community this year, especially there being two race days — Thursday and Saturday,” said Inaba.
The first Ironman was held in Waikiki as a way to challenge athletes who had seen success at endurance swim, running and biathlon events. John Collins, a Naval officer, and his wife, Judy, combined the three toughest endurance races in Hawaii — the 2.4-mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the 112-mile Around-Oahu Bike Race and the 26.2-mile Honolulu Marathon — into one event.
In February 1978, 15 people came to Waikiki to take on the challenge with 12 completing the race. In 1981, Ironman moved from Oahu to Kona where traffic hazards were lower and the island’s barren lava fields presented more of a challenge to athletes with winds gusting up to 60 mph in areas and temperatures averaging in the high 80s and low 90s.
The event quickly grew from 15 people in the first race in 1978 to 1,381 participants in 1987 and over 2,500 prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced organizers to postpone the event in 2020 and again in 2021. In May, the 2021 Ironman World Championship in Utah shortly after officials announced the return of Ironman to Kona in 2022.
According to the Bertsch, an economic impact study conducted by Ironman in 2019 found the race contributed $72 million to the local economy, up from $25 million in 2006.
“Over the years, Kona has become Ironman and Ironman Kona,” said Bertsch. “We’ve had the opportunity to crown legends. We’ve taught, we’ve listened, we’ve learned, and we’ve created experience. This community has fulfilled dreams for athletes that come from all over the world to Kona with a dream to cross the finish line. But I think the thing that resonates most with what the Ironman World Championship and Kona have become in the state of Hawaii is it’s the aloha spirit that has been shared here for so many years. That is a part of why Ironman is so special.
“There’s Ironman events all over the globe. There’s nothing like the Ironman that we host here on the island of Hawaii,” she continued.
This year, over 5,000 triathletes who’d qualified since 2020 but were waiting for the big event will ascend upon Kona with families in tow to take part in the grueling 140.6-mile feat. The theme of the 2022 Ironman World Championship is “ku‘ike,” which translates to “know by sight: to understand or know in advance.”
Athletes are already starting to arrive on the island, with numbers expected to increase by the day until Oct. 6 when the professional women, physically challenged, all age group women and men’s age groups 25-29, 50-54 and 60-plus will race. Saturday’s race will feature professional men and age group men that didn’t race on Oct. 6.
Though the actual race won’t take place until Thursday, the Ironman schedule officially kicks off Sept. 28 when an Ironman information booth will be set up at the pier to provide information and answer questions from athletes and the community.
The first public event will come Oct. 1 with the Kona Town Fun Run beginning at 6:30 a.m. at Hale Halawai on Alii Drive, followed by the Hoala Training Swim and Ironkids Keiki Dip-n-Dash both on Oct. 2. Oct. 3 will be the start of athlete registration as well as the return of the Parade of Nations at 3 p.m. from King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel to Hale Halawai.
Oct. 3 also marks the start of road closures for the event with traffic access to Kaahumanu Place and Kailua Pier restricted. That closure expands at 7 a.m. Oct. 4 to include both directions of travel on Alii Drive between Kaahumanu Place and Likana Lane and will remain in effect through 3 p.m. Oct. 9.
On Oct. 4 and 5 will feature race briefings as well as bike, helmet and gear check-in for those racing on Oct. 6.
Following the first day of racing, the event will essentially reset on Friday with bike, helmet and gear check-in for athletes competing on Oct. 8.
On race days, additional road closures will be in effect at various times from Kahakai Estates in North Kona to Hawi in North Kohala as athletes make their way through the course. Detours will be in place, some of which could be lengthy.
“All traffic will be allowed access as safety permits. We won’t deny anyone access to get to their job or to get to the airport,” Bertsch said. “There will be detours and I think the biggest thing is to plan and prepare — it’s not going to be your typical day to the airport … During the time of the event, as visitors pick up, just plan that it’s going to take longer to get to your destination.”
Road closure maps and more information can be found online at ironman.com/kona-community.
The course this year is for the most part “the same as it’s been for the past 40” years, according to Bertsch. Following the 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay, athletes will get on their bikes for 112 miles to Hawi and back to Kailua Pier where they will switch out for the final 26.2-mile run to the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority and back to the finish line near the intersection of Alii Drive, Palani Road and Kaahumanu Place.
“The significant changes this year that we have made are the northbound lanes on Queen Kaahumanu (Highway), from Palani (Road) to Kaiminani (Road) will be open so there will be no road closures on those northbound lanes making it easier for people to get to the airport as they need,” said Bertsch. “So, the athletes will be pushed into the southbound lanes in that area.”
Bertsch also promoted Ironman’s “Live Aloha” initiative during Tuesday’s meeting. The initiative follows that state’s and county’s destination management plans and has three pillars: Community notification and inclusion, mindful visitation and investment in the community, such as through the Kahiau Together program Ironman organized to feed the community during the pandemic.
In regard to community notification, Bertsch said Ironman has been working hard to get the word out to the community about the two-day race format via a new website, advertising, community meetings and visits to businesses.
“We know that a lot of people come and it’s not the most convenient time to navigate through Kona and the best thing that we can all do is plan,” she said.
Ironman is also working to ensure participants are mindful of their actions while on island through an education program that includes tours, encouraging athletes to take the “Pono Pledge,” and even switching out sunscreens in favor of mineral-based products.
“We knew we needed to do something to show this is our home and we do care,” she said. “This is my home. I’ve been here as well as everybody on my team for for many years and we’re very very blessed to call Hawaii home.”
In response to a question posed by South Kona Councilwoman Maile David about athletes training on narrow, mauka roads where there are “no bike leans, no sidewalks and hardly any shoulders,” Bertsch said organizers are working to educate participants. However, with the exception of Makako Bay Drive at NELHA, there are no restrictions.
Ironman does have a program called “Kokua Patrol” that’ll be monitoring and interacting with participants on the roads ahead of the race days.
“We do work to educate our athletes and again and this year with our mindful visitation, those are some of the points that we’re really trying to drive home,” she Bertsch said. “And it’s not just going south, it’s being mindful on the highway as well as when they are riding or running on Alii Drive.”
Volunteers are still needed for the two-day race. Details, as well as a form to sign up can be found online at ironman.com/kona-community.
“We welcome any and all volunteers,” Bertsch said.
Ironman has already announced it will hold the race over two days in October 2023. The race format for 2024 and beyond has yet to be determined.