Kona

The ultimate resource for all things Kona: interviews with the biggest stars, inspiring stories, exclusive gear previews, the hottest pro bikes, and the latest news. Be there, here.

Latest Stories

News

“There’s a Couple of Us, and the Rest Is Just Men.”

All-gender changing tents, washing-machine swim waves, “Tour de France” draft packs, but also smooth swim experiences and (sometimes) balanced coverage — the women’s experience at the 2026 Ironman World Championship was a mixed bag.

Jordan BlancoOctober 14, 20263

News

Solveig Løvseth Shares How She Kept Going After Calamitous Kona Collapse

Solveig Løvseth was less than five minutes away from defending her Ironman World Championship title when disaster struck. She spoke with us minutes after finishing the race in a remarkably good mood.

Travis Mundell, Abby LeveneOctober 14, 20263

News

The Mechanics Who Work in Kona on the Week of the Ironman World Championship Have Seen Some Things

Tragic packing failures, fundamental misunderstandings about how gears work, abandoned carbon bling, and crying. Yes, crying. These are the things that Kona-based professional bike mechanics see on race week of the Ironman World Championship.

Sara StoverOctober 14, 20262

News

"I Did My Best Ironman I’ve Ever Done.” Sam Long Reflects on 6th-Place Kona Finish

Sam Long shared what it was like sharing the Kona experience with his family and how his sixth-place finish was his best Ironman yet.

Travis Mundell, Abby LeveneOctober 14, 20261

News

Laura Philipp Talks About Her "Full Set" of Medals and Second-Place Finish in Kona

Thanks to the large Kailua Bay swell Germany's Laura Philipp exited the water far behind the leaders, but she overcame the gap by riding solo and focusing on herself.

Travis Mundell, Abby LeveneOctober 14, 20261

Bike

After Two Decades of Counting Bikes at the Ironman World Championship, I’ve Noticed a Few Things

There’s more than meets the eye when looking at a decade’s worth of Kona bike count data. As an industry insider, here’s what I’ve witnessed since I first began in 2006.

T.J. TollaksonOctober 13, 20262

Gear

Want the Gear of the Pros? We Found the Pro-Tested Kona Gear You Can Get Your Hands On

We tracked down the latest and greatest Kona-tested gear worn by the pros for you to add to your own gear closet.

Bethany MavisOctober 13, 20263

People

Mission Accomplished: Astronaut Luca Parmitano Earns Kona Finish Line

NASA’s Artemis III pilot overcame imposter syndrome to reach his goal at the 2026 Ironman World Championship.

Brian MetzlerOctober 13, 20262

News

Kona 2026 DNF Files: How 22 Top Pros Were Pushed Over the Edge

What happened to Magnus Ditlev, Lucy Charles-Barclay, Sam Laidlow and Patrick Lange in Kona this year? We tracked down what happened to the 22 pros who did not finish the 2026 Ironman World Championship.

Travis MundellOctober 13, 20265

Run

We Analyze the Fastest Shoes at the 2026 Ironman World Championship

The On Cloudboom Strike 2 dominated, with the Hoka Rocket X3 proving especially popular among the top 10 women and Asics making a strong showing with the men.

Jonathan Beverly, Abby LeveneOctober 13, 20262

Bike

What the Pros Rode: Kona 2026 Bike Tech Breakdown with TJ Tollakson

We take a look at the bikes ridden by the 10 fastest cyclists in both the men's and women's pro races at the 2026 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

T.J. TollaksonOctober 12, 20263

Events

Your Ultimate Guide to the 2026 Ironman World Championship in Kona

As men and women reunite on the Big Island for a single-day showdown on October 10, dive into race news, expert data analysis, and exclusive contender profiles.

Susan LackeOctober 6, 2026

News

Kona Destroys You Like No Other Ironman. We’ve Got the Receipts to Prove It.

From muscle micro-tears and brain fog to gut distress, science explains why racing - or even watching - the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii leaves you utterly steamrolled for days.

Matt FitzgeraldOctober 11, 20261

News

"I Thought I Would Finish the Race Walking." How Julie Derron Fought Her Way Onto the Podium in Kona

Julie Derron overcame a 3-minute bike penalty and an early blow up on the run to finish third in her Ironman World Championship Debut.

Abby LeveneOctober 11, 2026

News

Imogen Simmonds on Fifth Place at Kona 2026: "It's Been So Worth It"

Imogen Simmonds had a steady day on her way to placing fifth overall at the 2026 Ironman World Championship. Here's what she had to say about her race in Kona, which she said was "so beyond my expectationS."

Susan Lacke, Abby LeveneOctober 11, 2026

News

How Matthew Marquardt Bounced Back From a Penalty to Take Third at the 2026 Ironman World Championship

Despite serving a 2-minute penalty, Matthew Marquardt had the second-fastest bike split (just 5 seconds behind Gregory Barnaby) and ran a consistent marathon to take third place.

Travis Mundell, Abby LeveneOctober 11, 2026

News

Kristian Blummenfelt Wishes He’d Focused More On Liquid Than Carbs in Kona

Kristian Blummenfelt finished eighth at the 2026 Ironman World Championship despite spending much of the race in podium contention. He shares what happened halfway through the run.

Travis Mundell, Abby LeveneOctober 11, 20261

News

"Brutal, Absolutely Brutal." Gustav Iden Walks Us Through His Runner-Up 2026 Ironman World Championship

After serving a 3-minute penalty on the bike, Gustav Iden overcame a nearly 9-minute deficit at the start of the run to take second place behind Vincent Luis.

Abby LeveneOctober 11, 2026

News

"It Was 100% Worth It. But I Won't Do It Again." Vincent Luis Tells Us How He Won Kona

The Frenchman went to some dark places in training to win the 2026 Ironman World Championship in his debut—and final race.

Abby LeveneOctober 11, 2026

News

Taylor Knibb Answers Her Own Most Burning Questions After Winning the Ironman World Championship

We caught up with the delightfully quick-witted Taylor Knibb after she finished what she started last year.

Abby LeveneOctober 11, 2026

Kona

Latest Stories

“There’s a Couple of Us, and the Rest Is Just Men.”

Solveig Løvseth Shares How She Kept Going After Calamitous Kona Collapse

The Mechanics Who Work in Kona on the Week of the Ironman World Championship Have Seen Some Things

"I Did My Best Ironman I’ve Ever Done.” Sam Long Reflects on 6th-Place Kona Finish

Laura Philipp Talks About Her "Full Set" of Medals and Second-Place Finish in Kona

After Two Decades of Counting Bikes at the Ironman World Championship, I’ve Noticed a Few Things

Want the Gear of the Pros? We Found the Pro-Tested Kona Gear You Can Get Your Hands On

Mission Accomplished: Astronaut Luca Parmitano Earns Kona Finish Line

Kona 2026 DNF Files: How 22 Top Pros Were Pushed Over the Edge

We Analyze the Fastest Shoes at the 2026 Ironman World Championship

What the Pros Rode: Kona 2026 Bike Tech Breakdown with TJ Tollakson

Your Ultimate Guide to the 2026 Ironman World Championship in Kona

Kona Destroys You Like No Other Ironman. We’ve Got the Receipts to Prove It.

"I Thought I Would Finish the Race Walking." How Julie Derron Fought Her Way Onto the Podium in Kona

Imogen Simmonds on Fifth Place at Kona 2026: "It's Been So Worth It"

How Matthew Marquardt Bounced Back From a Penalty to Take Third at the 2026 Ironman World Championship

Kristian Blummenfelt Wishes He’d Focused More On Liquid Than Carbs in Kona

"Brutal, Absolutely Brutal." Gustav Iden Walks Us Through His Runner-Up 2026 Ironman World Championship

"It Was 100% Worth It. But I Won't Do It Again." Vincent Luis Tells Us How He Won Kona

Taylor Knibb Answers Her Own Most Burning Questions After Winning the Ironman World Championship

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