I think a holiday, with maybe the biggest climb in the world would be a great challenge; the ascent of Mauna Kea on a bike from sea-level.
There was an article in Cyclist on it; the only copy I kept iirc!
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I think they’re still allocated per race and presumably at the event. So they can sell more tat 
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Tenner says they change the KQ process back inside 3 years.
They scrapped the Pro points system; although it took longer than that iirc?
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Sorry, yes, I think re-reading again it is that, I took it that it was comparing roll downs between different events - which wouldn’t make sense for ironman as it would make the less interesting events even less interesting as you could still qualify by drafting your way to a fast overall time at a big event.
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Yeah, I thought the same initially.
The swim assisted courses will probably get even more popular!
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and if you did the ascent from the seabed you will have scaled the highest mountain in the world - taller than Everest
" Mauna Kea is often cited as the tallest mountain on Earth when measured from its base on the ocean floor to its summit. While its peak is 13,796 feet (4,205 meters) above sea level, it extends another 19,700 feet (6,000 meters) below the surface, making its total height approximately 33,500 feet (10,210 meters). This is significantly taller than Mount Everest, which is 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level."
ETA: and good luck trying it… 
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Thanks for letting us know @guerremdq 
that actually looks like a really helpful calculator.
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The Kona mystery had always been a tough nut. July heat clung to the London fog like secrets on a witness. I lit a metaphorical cigarette—it’s what gumshoes do when the trail goes cold—and cracked open the new Ironman file, dated June 20th, 2025.
Ironman HQ had rewritten the rulebook. No longer could a guy just muscle past the pack and call it destiny. Now? You needed grit, speed, and a little thing called the Kona Standard.
Case File: The Qualification Game
Automatic In
Every age-group race gave one man the golden ticket: first place. Simple, clean. Like an alibi that checks out. If he turns it down, the race director chases the next best finishers. But if all three say no? That slot hits the streets—cold, open to contenders through the Performance Pool.
The Pool Hustle
This new system—like a backroom deal—didn’t care who you beat, just how fast you bled to the finish. They take your time, plug it into a secret formula called the Kona Standard. It’s age-adjusted, see? So a 43-year-old’s 8:50 might whisper sweet nothings into the system’s ear and become 8:33. Slick.
Then they rank the ghosts. The fastest phantoms of all age groups line up for the remaining slots. Not just winners—hungry runners who raced against time itself.
Time Ticker
If you want in on the 2026 Kona gig, you’d better race smart starting August 16–17, 2025. That’s when the new order kicks in. No more luck, no more legacy—just speed and shadows.
So if you’re gunning for Kona, you’d better lace up and chase the numbers. Because now, the island answers only to math… and men who outrun their age.
I’ve got simulated qualifying times too, if you need help cracking your case. Just say the word.
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What was your chat-gpt (or similar) prompt to get that?!
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….The secrets of prompt engineering 
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Ran/hiked from the visitor centre at 9,000 feet to the summit at 13,800 feet with the lad
Amazing landscape - really hard at the altitude having spent all holiday at sea level
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Ha, nicked off slowtwitch 
(hence tyres being incorrect!)
So I need to let the air out of everybody’s tires in transition, not just those in my AG?
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The exact question that immediately ran through my head! 
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This was good to see last night. The new Ironman CEO in Roth with Felix and the team. Just hopefully mutual recognition that they both want triathlon to be successful.
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"General Registration for the 2025 IRONMAN Leeds is sold out. You can still secure a place for 2025 with IRONMAN Experiences powered by NIRVANA, but entries are limited. "
Errr… No thanks!
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Same here if it was a binary choice, but like to think I could make time for both
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Bit clearer on how the rolldowns work after seeing some examples. For Swansea yesterday (& Lux), on the app soon after the race they published the top 250 competitors for each sex as it was 30/30 M/F for Nice 2026.
But, the list included A\G winners, so for example the first 6 places all won their age group and would automatically have been offered the place. You then get the rest, I’m not sure there’s much point going much past 50 TBH and can’t really see it ever rolling to 250! And in theory you could win your A\G with a much lower percentage if you are the only M70 for example and come home with a minute to spare.
I can’t remember if it was Swansea or Lux but M55 faired really well as it must have had a good field at the pointy end with 4 or 5 of them well inside the top 30 so I’d guess they’d all get offered a slot.
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