The 2025 IRONMAN Kona World Championship routes
Next October 11’s most emblematic landmarks, the World championship HOMBRE DE HIERRO will return to its roots in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, with the best triathletes on the planet ready to take on triathlon's most iconic and brutal stage.
After the men's event held a month ago in Nice - where Casper Stornes was proclaimed champion—, it is now the women's turn, who will seek to write their name in history on a course that has forged legends and defeated champions.
An island that does not forgive
Few sporting events are as marked by their surroundings as the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. The scorching heat, crosswinds, and volcanic landscape of the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway turn the race into a battle both physically and mentally.
Since the mythical feat of Julie Moss crawling to the finish line in 1982, to the victories of Paula Newby-Fraser o Chrissie Wellington, Kona has been synonymous with overcoming and suffering.
The 2025 layout maintains the classic format: 3,8 km of swimming, 180 km of cycling y 42,2 km of foot race, a route that has barely changed since 1981.
Swimming: the first sieve
The exit, from the bay of Kailua, will be a single 3,8-km loop in open Pacific waters. Without a wetsuit and with variable waves, this segment will make the first difference.
In recent years, swimmers such as Lucy Charles-Barclay They have turned this part into their territory: the British hold the Kona swimming record (48:14, 2018)Starting from the front can be decisive, as the favorites who lose time here will have to take risks on the bike to catch up.
Transition timing will also be key, as a few seconds can place an athlete in the right group or leave her isolated for the rest of the day.
Cycling: The Winds of Hawaii
The 180 km on the Queen K They take the triathletes from Kailua-Kona to the return point in How, with a cumulative difference in level of 1.772 meters.
Although the main climb is long and steady, the real enemy is invisible: the wind.
Sideways gusts and heat—often above 35°C—make the final stretch toward T2 a real ordeal.
The champions who have dominated this segment, such as Daniela RyfThey know this well. Her bike record in Kona (4:26:07, 2018) remains a benchmark. Any attempt to break the race usually comes at this point, but over-ambition can be costly in the marathon.
Foot race: where everything is decided
The final marathon takes place between the streets of Kona and the lonely highway of Energy Lab, a stretch where the silence, heat and humidity wear down more than the asphalt itself.
With a slope of 307 metersThe first half is usually faster, but between kilometers 22 and 30 the fate of the title contenders is decided.
The women's marathon record in Kona remains in the hands of Mirinda Carfrae, with 2:50:26 (2014), an example of how demanding this terrain is, even for the best runners in the world.
A journey that separates legends from mortals
Over more than four decades, Kona has seen historic triumphs and also memorable collapses. Paula Newby-Fraser a Anne Haug, Chrissie Wellington a Lucy Charles-Barclay, they all agree on one idea: Kona is never given away, it is conquered.
This 2025, with Charles-Barclay, Haug, Ryf y Chelsea Sodaro Among the favorites, history is ready to write another chapter. And like every October, it will be the volcano, the wind, and the sun that will decide who can be called the IRONMAN World Champion.
