Kona 2027: Qualifying and Slot Schedule

IRONMAN has already published 34 qualifying events for the 2027 Kona World Championship, with races running from August 2026 to September 2027. Lanzarote and Vitoria-Gasteiz are among the Spanish events in 2027, although their number of slots has not yet been confirmed.

The calendar already allows for planning a good part of the season for those aiming to secure a place for the 2027 IRONMAN World Championship , which will be held in Kona.

The list includes races in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. Some races have already determined the number of available slots, while for many of the 2027 events, the allocation is still pending.

Qualifying trials for Kona 2027

Last updated: October 12, 2026. These are the races currently listed on the qualifying schedule. When IRONMAN has not yet released the number of slots for a race, it is listed as “To Be Confirmed.”

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Lanzarote and Vitoria-Gasteiz on the Kona 2027 calendar

For Spanish triathletes, three events appear on the initial qualifying calendar. The IRONMAN Calella-Barcelona , ​​scheduled for October 4, 2026, with 55 slots initially announced , was canceled due to severe weather . The race was not held, and therefore there was no qualifying or allocation of slots based on performance. Official confirmation regarding the allocation of these slots is still pending.

In 2027, IRONMAN Lanzarote , on May 15 , and IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz , on July 11 , will be added.

Both races are among the qualifiers for Kona 2027, although IRONMAN has not yet released a list of slots that would allow the number of slots for each race to be determined in this table.

How are the Kona 2027 entry slots allocated?

The classification system combines automatic age group placements with so-called Performance Pools.

The winner of each male and female age group initially receives an automatic entry. If they decline it, it passes to the runner-up, and then to the third-place finisher. If none of the three claim it, that entry is added to the Performance Pool of the same gender.

The remaining slots for each race are distributed between a male and a female Performance Pool. The size of each depends on the representation of eligible men and women who started the race.

IRONMAN already modified this system during the previous cycle after detecting imbalances in the distribution. At TN, we explain why the ranking system changed and how it affected the Performance Pools.

The Kona Standard orders the Performance Pool

Triathletes who enter the Performance Pool are compared using the Kona Standard , an age grading system that adjusts times according to age group.

IRONMAN builds this benchmark based on the performance of the fastest 20% in each age group across a five-year World Championship window. The goal is to be able to compare results of athletes of different ages within each Performance Pool.

At TN we have a complete explanation of the Kona Standard and the classification system.

There is no fixed time that guarantees a place

With this system, there is no specific mark that mathematically guarantees qualification for Kona 2027.

The same person can get a place in one race and not in another. It depends on the level of the participants, the age-adjusted performance, the number of available slots, and any withdrawals that occur during the allocation process.

The rolldown remains essential

Being in a potentially qualifying position does not guarantee a place if the athlete does not participate in the allocation process.

To accept a slot, you must attend the rolldown ceremony of the event, present the required documentation and formalize your registration for the World Championship there.

IRONMAN may continue to add races or update the number of slots for races already included. The official Kona 2027 qualification page is the definitive source for checking any changes.

Triathlon News will update this table when new events are published or when pending slots are confirmed.

This content has been created with the support of AI tools and reviewed by the Triathlon News editorial team.