Emailer from IM CEO Scott Derue:
Dear Triathlon `Ohana,
I want to first thank you for an incredibly special first year as CEO for The IRONMAN Group. I am privileged to have met many of you around the world and learn why IRONMAN is so special to you. As I look back on all my experiences from the last year and look forward to the future, it is abundantly clear to me that the answer to ‘What makes IRONMAN so special’ is unequivocally, you, our community.
There is simply no other group of athletes who are as committed and passionate, and I am truly honored to share your IRONMAN journey with you.
Nowhere is your passion more evident than when discussing the pinnacle of our sport, the IRONMAN World Championship. Over the past year, the question I have been asked the most has been about the future of the IRONMAN World Championship. My response to those questions and commitment to you have always been the same – we will listen to and do what is in the best interests of our athletes.
A Look Back, As We Look Forward
For the first time in its history, the IRONMAN World Championship moved to split locations in 2023 for two reasons. Significant numbers of deferrals from cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic required two days of racing, and a 2-day, single-location format was tried in 2022 and found to be unsustainable for the local community in Kona, Hawai`i. With a deep commitment to and care for the Kona community, combined with the rich triathlon history and iconic sporting legacy of Nice, France, the decision was made to hold the men and women’s races in different locations.
In addition, aligned with IRONMAN’s goal of growing the sport of triathlon, it was expected that split locations for men and women’s racing would lead to greater exposure for all and more women participating in the sport of triathlon.
Since first announcing that format change, we have been meticulous in monitoring and reviewing athlete behavior, collecting feedback, and conducting extensive research. We’ve spent time speaking to athletes, to local communities, to TriClubs, and to partners. We have studied qualifying slots and how athletes chose to take those qualifying slots. We have collected feedback across a range of surveys and focus groups, including post-event surveys and most recently a survey dedicated to the future of the IRONMAN World Championship with responses from over 10,000 members of our community. Our desire was to leave no stone left unturned in trying to understand the needs, wants, and aspirations of our community. We know how important the IRONMAN World Championship is to you and to the sport of triathlon, and though there is no single direction or decision that will make everyone happy, we have tried to be transparent and principled at every step of our process so that everyone understands we are putting – and will always put – our athletes first.
A United `Ohana - Kona is the Beating Heart of IRONMAN
Based on all the feedback and data we have collected, two things are clear:
First, a significant majority of women and men, across all age groups, want the same two things – to race together, and to race at the beating heart of our sport in Kona, Hawai`i.
When asked to rank potential World Championship formats, scenarios that did not include Kona polled lowest, including a “globally rotating two-day event.” Importantly, this was true regardless of age or gender, or when considering a single or two-day format for locations other than Kona.
Second, the two-day format did not lead to increased participation among women like we had originally hoped when we split the races; splitting the IRONMAN World Championship race into two days did not inspire more women to enter the sport of triathlon and did not increase the frequency of racing among women. In fact, the split-format unexpectedly resulted in more women leaving the sport after completing the IRONMAN World Championship – which for many women and men is the pinnacle of their career in the sport of triathlon. Over the past few years, we have learned a great deal about where in the athlete journey we need to focus and how we need to evolve our race experiences to grow women’s participation in triathlon, and our commitment to this goal remains steadfast and unwavering.
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 Hawai’i, with Kona hosting a reimagined single day of racing, bringing women and men together for the IRONMAN World Championship.
A New Era Begins
As we look to the future of the IRONMAN World Championship, we are committed to innovation and elevating the athlete experience. For example, while staying true to the spirit of the IRONMAN World Championship as a celebration of the most competitive and committed athletes in the world, we are now able to expand the number of athletes racing to nearly 3,000, a measured increase compared to prior single-day editions of the event. New content production technology will enable increased coverage of the race, including equal broadcast coverage for both professional men and women athletes as they showcase their talents and inspire future generations. Innovations in start times and swim waves will support competitive integrity and fairness among athletes. Altogether, innovations throughout the race experience will make for an even more competitive and aspirational IRONMAN World Championship that will be viewed by more than 140 million people in over 160 countries – all with the goal of growing the sport of triathlon and inspiring more people to pursue their own IRONMAN dream.
In conjunction with this news, we are also happy to share that the City of Nice, France, which has proven itself as one of the most iconic host destinations in our sport, will cement its world championship status by hosting the 2026 and 2028 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship events after it completes hosting the 2025 Men’s IRONMAN World Championship. The partnership extension includes a mutual option between Nice and IRONMAN for Nice to also host the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2030.
We appreciate that IRONMAN is not simply a race. It is your dream; it is an aspiration that inspires you to live life to the fullest; it is part of who you are; and it is your community. We also understand the importance of the IRONMAN World Championship, both its history and legacy in the sport of triathlon as well as what it means for the future of our sport and to our community. We also know that, while many people will be excited about this change, there will be some who are disappointed. We understand and respect the diversity of opinions, and we hope everyone can see the care and athlete-first approach we have taken in arriving at this decision. At every step of this decision, we have endeavored to listen, learn, and be true to the feedback of our community. When it comes to the most important race on the triathlon calendar, we owe it to you – our community – to be willing to try new things, and if necessary, make changes.
We want to acknowledge and thank our incredible host communities of Nice, France and Kona, Hawai`i. We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing partnership and continued contributions to triathlon.
Thank you for being part of this extraordinary community, and for continuing to trust and believe in us.
Yours in triathlon,
