On October 10, 2026, the triathlon world will once again turn its attention to Kailua-Kona. The IRONMAN World Championship returns to Hawaii – and in 2026, the men’s and women’s races will once again take place on the same day on the Big Island.
Kona is one of those races where triathlon history keeps being written. Heat, wind, salt water, lava fields and a world-class field make the World Championship special every single year.
For sailfish, Kona means even more than that. Our own story is closely connected to this race.
When is the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona?
The World Championship takes place on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
The classic long-distance format remains unchanged:
- 3.8 km swim
- 180 km bike
- 42.2 km run
The race starts in the Pacific Ocean off Kailua-Kona. From there, the bike course leads through the open lava fields of the Big Island before the marathon finishes on the legendary Ali’i Drive.
sailfish and Kona – a special connection
For us, Kona is not just another race we report on once a year.
sailfish founder Jan Sibbersen raced in Hawaii several times himself. In 2018, he returned to Kona at the age of 43 – twelve years after ending his professional career and with one very clear goal.
He wanted to break the swim record.
With a time of 46:29, he did exactly that. Jan broke the previous record, which had stood for 23 years, and wrote his own piece of Kona history.
That race also featured the first sailfish Rebel Swimskin. This is where the story of a product that is still closely connected to Kona began.
Today, the Rebel Pro 4 is the fourth generation of our top swimskin. Built for non-wetsuit races and for those moments when every second in the water matters.
From Jan Sibbersen to Patrick Lange and Sam Laidlow
The connection between sailfish and Kona continued from there.
In 2017 and 2018, Patrick Lange won the IRONMAN World Championship. In 2018, he became the first athlete to break the eight-hour barrier in Kona – and at the same time the first IRONMAN World Champion racing in sailfish.
Today, a new generation represents sailfish at the highest level.
With Sam Laidlow, one of our athletes will once again be part of the professional field in Kona in 2026. The Frenchman became IRONMAN World Champion in 2023 and set a new long-distance benchmark of 7:21:04 at Challenge Roth in 2026.
For us, that creates a connection across generations: from Jan and his swim record to Patrick Lange and now Sam.
Who is racing at the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship?
From a sporting perspective, Kona 2026 promises a lot.
The men’s field includes several former world champions. Among them are Casper Stornes, Gustav Iden, Kristian Blummenfelt, Sam Laidlow and Patrick Lange. The currently published professional start list includes 56 men.
The women’s field is also packed with world-class athletes. Laura Philipp, Lucy Charles-Barclay, Chelsea Sodaro, Katrina Matthews and Taylor Knibb are among the names on the published start list.
But in Kona, the start list only tells part of the story. The conditions in Hawaii can change the race at any point.
Why is Kona so special?
Kona is unpredictable.
The Pacific can be rough during the swim. Wind can play a major role on the bike. On the run, heat and humidity add another challenge.
That is why simply being fast is not enough. You need to pace the race well, deal with the conditions and stay calm when things get hard.
That is one of the reasons Kona has held such a special place in triathlon for decades.
Where can you watch Kona 2026 live?
The IRONMAN World Championship will once again be broadcast internationally in 2026. Final start times and broadcast platforms can still change before race week, so it is worth checking the official IRONMAN channels shortly before the start.
For fans in Europe, the time difference makes the race especially interesting. The early-morning start in Hawaii falls into the evening in Central Europe, with much of the race continuing into the night.
We will update this section before race day with the final start times and livestream information.
Kona 2026 from a sailfish perspective
Of course, we will be watching Sam especially closely in 2026.
But Kona means more to us than one individual result.
This is where Jan Sibbersen set his swim record. This is where Patrick Lange won world titles. This is where the story of the Rebel began. And this is where the next generation races today.
That connection is what makes Kona special for us every year.
On October 10, it all starts again.
One long day. An incredibly strong field. And a course that has shown many times before that nothing in Kona can be taken for granted.
Enjoy your swim.
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