Ironman CEO Andrew Messick is categorical: “The race course has to be safe for everybody, not just people who are young and strong.” Ironman has its critics on many issues, but Messick knows this stance cannot easily be challenged. Whether it’s rough seas, blue-green algae, cold water, hot weather, flooding, landslides, bush fires or sharks, you name it, we’ve had it in triathlon in the past few years.  Advertisement Nobody wants to see a sporting event end in tragedy, but neither do triathletes want to spend hundreds of pounds on a race and have part or all of it cancelled, as has been happening with increasing frequency. It can’t all…

With the UK being 11 hours ahead of Hawaii, it’s difficult for British tri fans to know what happens when at this year’s Ironman World Championship tomorrow. No worries – we’ve got you covered! Advertisement Start timings for the pro and age-group waves are below, and if you are in the USA you can watch all the action on  NBC Sports platform, and and on ironman.com and globally via IRONMAN NOW on www.facebookwatch.com/IRONMANnow. You can also follow us on Twitter @220Triathlon from 5pm UK time for lots of insight and debate on what’s happening. You can also follow all the British athletes on Twitter via the hashtag #GBKona. Saturday 12 October 2019 –…

Wanda, who own Ironman, have rejected the PTO’s (Professional Triathlon Organisation) offer to purchase Ironman and its assets. In a letter to PTO the CEO of WTC, Andrew Messick, said “I have discussed your letter with my Board. While we appreciate your interest, we are not prepared to engage in a discussion around a sale at this point.” Advertisement On 20 September the PTO sent a letter to Wanda proposing “to enter into discussions for the acquisition by the PTO of all of the assets of the Wanda Sports Group Company Limited (‘WSG’) related to its worldwide triathlon and mass participation business (the ‘WTC Triathlon-MP Business’)”. The PTO responded to this statement with a letter to…

It’s 30 years since 220 Triathlon first hit the shelves and almost three decades since we witnessed the greatest Ironman race in history. The Iron War of 1989 has gone down in endurance sport folklore as an iconic tussle between two triathlon icons on triathlon’s iconic stage. Iconic? You betcha. Author Matt Fitzgerald’s even devoted an eponymously-titled book to it, and we named it the greatest Ironman world champ moment ever  Five famous Kona rivalries and clashes Advertisement    It also witnessed the changing of the guard at the Ironman World Championship. American Dave Scott, the six-time champion and resilient to the last, against his immeasurably talented yet seemingly flawed compatriot…

It feels like a recurring theme, but once again this year’s men’s field in the Ironman World Championship is arguably the strongest ever assembled. Despite the change in the qualification system for Kona the big name contenders are all present for what promises to be another fascinating eight-hour war of attrition. Advertisement Germany’s Patrick Lange is looking for a third successive title. Jan Frodeno – the 2015 and 2016 winner who missed last year’s race through injury – returns undefeated since Hawaii 2017. Their compatriot, the 2014 champion Sebastian Kienle looks back to his best, and the popular 2017 runner-up, Canadian Lionel Sanders, is also in the mix after clinching a late…

There’s a sense of deja vu about the women’s Ironman World Championship this year, with a red-hot favourite, a rising adversary and an improving supporting cast trying to figure out a way to upset the odds. If it’s the same script as 2018, it’s clear it’s going to take more than a jellyfish sting to stop the all-conquering Daniela Ryf taking centre stage as she looks for a fifth straight Kona title. Advertisement Behind her, Lucy Charles-Barclay, second twice in the past two years, leads the quest to try, but it’s not just a two-woman race. The likes of three-time champion Mirinda Carfrae, German duo Anne Haug and Laura Philipp,…

Kona: The Course Of all the competition each athlete will face at October’s Ironman World Championships, none will be so utterly indefatigable as the island itself. There’s a reason the World Championship remains on the shores where Ironman moved to in 1981 [the first three events took place in Oahu, Hawaii]. Advertisement With its brutal heat, pummelling winds and gruelling hills, Kona is a place where anything can happen – and usually does. From Julie Moss to Paula Newby-Fraser and Normann Stadler, many an athlete has been forced into a crawl or a DNF on the course, giving rise to unexpected shake-ups in the top ranks. There’s still no distinct…

When Javier Gomez made the previous most-anticipated Ironman World Championships debut in 2018, he finished 11th. When Alistair Brownlee shows up this year, despite insisting it’s a learning experience and despite the aptness of Shakespeare’s wisdom for Hawaii – “caution is better than rash bravery” – there’s a sense it’ll be success or bust. It’s the way Brownlee has raced throughout his career. He doesn’t really do 11th. And it’s why so many are excited to see what he’ll achieve come Saturday 12 October in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Advertisement Kona 2019: Who will win the men’s race at this year’s Ironman World Championships? Click Here: liverpool mens jersey 2019 Ironman World…

Alistair Brownlee racing his debut full Ironman and debut Kona is the talk of the Big Island. Just what is he capable of in the heat, humidity and headwinds of Hawaii? Advertisement Ali Brownlee’s Kona kit     Click Here: liverpool mens jersey From London 2012 to Rio 2016 and those two ITU World Tri Series titles, he’s stepped up to the plate throughout his career, and we can expect more fireworks when the Brit faces Frodeno and co. on Saturday at 5:30pm UK time. Here he opens up on his current fitness, his Iron prep and plans for the 2019 Ironman World Championships.  ALI BROWNLEE ON… THE LURE OF…

Still only 34, Will Clarke has been a stalwart on the elite triathlon scene since 2002, where he made his debut as an elite junior racer. The road to Kona 2019 has witnessed Clarke collect an U23 ITU world title in 2006, the Olympic Games in Beijing, and failure to make the 2012 team four years later as the Brownlees captivated a nation in Hyde Park (a selection process Clarke described as being “like hell.”). Advertisement The BMC-Vitfit Pro Tri Team athlete’s move to long-course racing has brought about further highs (he has three sub-8hr Ironman finishes to his name) and lows (he’s struggled in his two previous attempts in…