KAILUA-KONA — Once again, race week has arrived in Kona.

KAILUA-KONA — Once again, race week has arrived in Kona.

This Saturday, more than 2,500 triathletes — including more than 100 professionals — will brave the Gold Coast’s turquoise waters, rolling hills, endless black lava fields and stunning mountain scenery in the 2026 Ironman World Championship.

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Racers will begin the 140.6-mile journey with a 2.4-mile swim through Kailua Bay, swimming out and back as the warm morning sun rises over Hualalai. Once out of the water, triathletes will swiftly transition to the 112-mile bike ride that spans to Hawi and back — the longest leg of the race. Along the way, riders will encounter rolling hills, strong winds and intense sun as they make their way up the iconic Kohala Coast.

The race concludes with a challenging HOKA run course, which spans 26.2 miles through seaside Ali‘i Drive, up Palani Road to Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway and out toward the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA). The course then returns through downtown Kona, where thousands of fans eagerly await the finishers.

Raceday will feature both men and women racing together for the first time since 2019. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Ironman adopted a two-day format in Kona, but organizers found the strategy unsustainable for West Hawaii — ultimately deciding to split the men and women championships in Kona and Nice, France, alternating each year.

According to Ironman’s website, the decision followed several years of athlete feedback, data collection and analysis, including a lack of significant growth in women’s participation and a strong preference among athletes to race in Kona rather than Europe.

“Putting the needs and preferences of our athletes first – and thinking about the long-term growth of triathlon – we are excited to announce that, beginning in 2026, the Ironman World Championship will return to its roots of Hawaii, with Kona hosting a reimagined single day of racing, bringing women and men together,” Scott Derue, Chief Executive Officer of the Ironman Group, wrote.

Spectators are invited to watch in the downtown Kona area. Visit ironman.com/races/im-world-championship-kona/supporters for additional details.

There are also plenty of pre-and-post-race events happening around Kona throughout the week, including the Keiki Dip-n-Dash, Parade of Nations and the Underpants Run. For more information, visit Ironman’s website.

Waste
facility closures

The Kealakehe Recycling and Transfer Station and West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill will be closed Saturday due to the race. Regular operations will resume at 6 a.m. Sunday at the Kealakehe Recycling and Transfer Station, while the West Hawai‘i Sanitary Landfill will reopen at 7 a.m. Monday.

Call the Hawaii County Department of Environmental Management Solid Waste Division 961-8270 for additional information.

Raceday road closures from Kona to Hawi

• Akoni Pule Hwy (Route 270) between Kawaihae Rd. / Queen Ka‘ahumanu Hwy. (Route 19) junction to Hawi Town 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. — road closed. Alternate route to Hawi: Kohala Mountain Rd. (Hwy. 250) from Waimea to Hawi

• Queen Ka‘ahumanu Hwy. (Route 19) between Queen Ka‘ahumanu Hwy. / Kawaihae Rd. junction and Kaiminani Intersection 7 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; road closed (northbound lanes open progressively as safety permits). Alternate route for traffic between the hotels, the airport, and Kona: via Waikoloa Rd., Mamalahoa Hwy. 190, Kaiminani Dr. (Palisades) and the Ane Keohokalole Hwy. (race traffic permitting)

• Queen Ka‘ahumanu Hwy. (Route 19) between Kaiminani Intersection and Palani Rd. 6 a.m. – 1 a.m. — northbound lanes open; southbound lanes closed. Alternate route for traffic between Palani Rd. and Hina Lani St.; Ane Keohokalole Hwy.

Kailua-Kona area

• Queen Ka‘ahumanu Hwy. between Palani Rd. and Kaiminani Dr. 6 a.m. – 1 a.m.; southbound lanes closed; northbound lanes open

• Makala Blvd. between Queen Ka‘ahumanu Hwy. and Kuakini Hwy. 6:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. — limited lanes open; no access to Kuakini Hwy.

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• Kuakini Hwy. between Makala Blvd. and Palani Rd. 6:30 a.m. – 6:30 pm: closed

• Palani Rd. between Queen Ka‘ahumanu Hwy. and Kuakini Hwy. 6 a.m. — 1 a.m.; westbound lane closed 6:30 a.m. – 1 a.m.; eastbound lane closed

• Palani Rd. between Kuakini Hwy. and Ali‘i Dr. 3:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. — closed

• Ka‘ahumanu Pl. and Kailua Pier 12 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 – 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12: closed

• Ali‘i Dr. from Ka‘ahumanu Pl. to Likana Ln. Thursday, Oct. 9 at 12 a.m. – Sunday, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. — closed

• Ali‘i Dr. between Likana Ln. and Hualalai Rd. 3:30 a.m. Saturday – 1:30 a.m. Sunday — closed

• Hualalai Rd. between Ali‘i Dr. and Kuakini Hwy. 6:30 am – 1 a.m. — closed

• Ali‘i Dr. between Hualalai Rd. and La‘aloa Ave. 9 a.m. – 1 a.m. — Hualalai Rd. to Walua Rd. closed 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Walua Rd. to La‘aloa Ave. — closed

• Kuakini Hwy. between Hualalai Rd. and Kahakai Estates 6:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. — closed with limited access

• Kuakini Hwy. between Palani Rd. and Hualalai Rd. 3:30 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. — southbound lane closed 6:30 a.m. – noon; northbound lane closed from Hualalai Rd. to Henry St.; no access to Palani Rd.; all traffic routed up Olo‘i Rd.

• Loloku St. between Luhia St. and Kuakini Hwy. 6:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. — no through access to Kuakini Hwy.

Road Closure Hotline: 808-334-3400 (Oct. 1 – Oct. 13)

Weekend
schedule

Saturday

• 4:30 a.m.–6:15 a.m., Personal needs drop/transition opens, KBR parking lot

• 5:30 a.m.–12:45 a.m., Ironman Information Center/lost and found/‘Ohana, KBR Conference Room 6

• 5:30 a.m.–7 a.m., Accreditation office, KBR Conference Room 5

• 5:30 a.m.–1:30 a.m., Media center, KBR paddlers

• 6:20 a.m. Race start – Professional Men, Kailua Pier

• 6:30 a.m. Race start – Professional Women, Kailua Pier

• 6:38 a.m. Race start – age group, Kailua Pier

• 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Official Ironman Store – Store 2, in front of KBR

• 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Official Ironman Store – Main Store, KBR parking lot

• 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Friends and Family Reunion Zone, KBR parking lot

• 7 p.m.–1 a.m., Bike and Gear Pick-Up, Kailua Pier

• 11:45 p.m., Hawaii Aloha (Aunty Mele’s Hour), finish line

Sunday

• 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Official Ironman Store – Main Store, KBR Parking Lot

• 9 a.m.–noon, Media Center, KBR paddlers

• 9 a.m.–2 p.m., Ironman Information Center/lost and found/‘Ohana, KBR Conference Room 6

• 5 p.m.–5:40 p.m., Experience Oman Ironman Pro Series Podium presentation, KBR Lu‘au Grounds

• 5 p.m. 2026 Experience Oman Ironman Pro Series, KBR Lu‘au Grounds

• 6 p.m. Banquet of Champions, KBR parking lot

Monday

• 9 a.m.–2 p.m., Ironman Information Center/lost and found/‘Ohana, KBR Conference Room 6

• 5 p.m., Volunteer Mahalo Party, KBR parking lot

• 5 p.m.–5:30 p.m., Meet Miles at Official Ironman Store – Store 2, in front of KBR

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