Billy Monger Awarded Guinness World Record Icon Status Following Historical Feat at The 2024 IRONMAN World Championship Triathlon

March 18, 2025

- - Billy Monger has been presented with a Guinness World Records title for the fastest time to complete the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon (male) (LA1, LA2). - A documentary ‘Billy Monger: The Race is on for Comic Relief’ featuring his journey will air in the UK on BBC One and iPlayer on Wednesday 19 March at 9pm

LONDON, UK / TAMPA, Fla., USA (March 18, 2025) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – It has been announced today that sports star and broadcaster, Billy Monger will receive the official Guinness World Records title (GWR) for completing the IRONMAN^® World Championship triathlon in Kaulia-Kona, Hawai`i in 14:23:56, the fastest time for a double leg amputee (male) (LA1, LA2), beating the previous record by 02:03:03.

GWR has also confirmed that they will be awarding Billy ICON status along with his Guinness World Records title. Guinness World Records ICONS are record holders who are at the peak of their talents, have transcended their field and truly embody the spirit of GWR. Previous ICONS include Polar explorer Preet Chandi, global superstar Taylor Swift, and the tallest and shortest women in the world Rumeysa Gelgi and Jyoti Amge.

Billy was presented with the award live on BBC Breakfast this morning by Guinness World Records Adjudicator, Will Munford who said “I am delighted to present Billy with his two certificates, we are awarding him ICON status in recognition of Billy’s skill, steely resolve, and adaptability, both in the driver’s seat and racing under his own power, which has seen him not only achieve record success and raise huge sums for charity, but also demonstrate that disability can be the start of a new chapter.”

The announcement comes ahead of an hour-long documentary special, Billy Monger: The Race is on for Comic Relief, which will air for UK viewers on BBC One and iPlayer tomorrow, taking viewers behind the scenes as Billy prepares to race alongside the world’s top triathletes and follow him as he successfully achieves a new Guinness World Records title, all while raising life-changing funds for Comic Relief, a major UK charity.

Billy Monger said: “The IRONMAN world record attempt was by far my hardest challenge yet and the 12 months of training that preceded it, were incredibly gruelling at times. To break the record title and be recognised as a Guinness World Records ICON makes it totally worth it – it’s an honour. I really believe in the importance of setting challenges for yourself in life and I encourage everyone to set themselves a goal, however big or small, and to take on a world record challenge. You won’t regret it!”

Only two other double leg amputees have successfully completed the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. In 2007, Scott Rigsby was the first double amputee bi-lateral below the knee amputee to complete the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon, finishing in an incredible time of 16:42:46. In 2019, Roderick Sewell took on the challenge as the first bi-lateral above knee amputee to finish the IRONMAN World Championship on prosthetic legs, finishing in a time of 16:26:59.

In 2017, just before his 18th birthday, Billy suffered life-changing injuries in a near-fatal race crash that led to the amputation of his legs. Driven by sheer determination and the unwavering support of loved ones, Billy was back behind the wheel within a year and has been unstoppable since in his pursuit of pushing boundaries in the world of sport. Since then, Billy has raised £3million for Comic Relief when he walked, cycled, and kayaked across England in four days. In 2024 Billy set his sights on conquering the pinnacle race of the global triathlon calendar, the IRONMAN World Championship. He set out with the aim to race faster than the previous record for a double amputee on prosthetic legs by completing the event in under 16:26:59 and to raise money for Comic Relief. The money raised by Billy will be going towards helping vital Comic Relief funded projects and provide practical support to those facing their own tough challenges in the UK and across the world. From giving children and young people the best start in life, to providing a safe place when someone needs it most, to helping families meet their basic needs.

To prepare, Billy completed 12 months of intensive training, which has seen him learn how to swim in open water, clamp into magnetic bike pedals to enable independent cycling, and adjust to new running blades to see him through longer distances than he’d ever run before. Every step of the journey has involved huge support including adjustments by prosthetists, ongoing guidance from nutrition experts, fine-tuning from discipline-specific coaches, and of course, the ever-present critical support of his family.

As part of Billy’s training programme, he took part in two IRONMAN^® 70.3^® triathlons – IRONMAN 70.3 Weymouth, which is based on the south Jurassic Coast of England. The course has a sea swim start, a rolling bike course through the Dorset countryside, and a flat and fast run and bike course, making it the perfect race for first timers. Billy completed this race in 6 hours and 41 minutes.

Additionally, Billy raced at IRONMAN 70.3 Westfriesland in Netherlands to further build on his training pre–IRONMAN World Championship. This region in the Netherlands has a marvellous landscape, dotted with windmills and historic villages, the course has character and is great for all levels of athletes. Billy raced a fast time, clocking in at 6 hours and 26 minutes.

For more information on the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlon Series, visit www.ironman.com. For more information on the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon, visit: www.ironman.com/im-world-championship.

To request a viewing link of Billy Monger: The Race is on for Comic Relief, please e-mail: presss@ironman.com

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About the IRONMAN World Championship

Since its inception in 1978 on the Island of O`ahu, the IRONMAN World Championship<sup>®</sup> triathlon has etched its name in history through stellar performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories. In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikīkī to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Island of Hawai`i. The most iconic one-day sporting event in the world is the culmination of 40 global IRONMAN events with over 94,000 athletes around the world striving for one of the coveted qualifying slots. The 2021 edition of the event took place in St. George, Utah in May 2022, becoming the first location to host the event outside of Hawai`i since its origins in 1978. After a two-year hiatus from Hawai`i due to COVID, the race returned to Kailua-Kona in 2022 and for the first time took place as a two-day event. The 2023 and 2024 IRONMAN World Championship race continued with the two-day format but with two different host locations and dates (Nice, France in September and Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i in October), with male and female athletes rotating locations. The cumulative event hosts over 4,000 athletes embarking on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN World Champion. The 2025 IRONMAN World Championship will see the women racing in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i and the men racing in Nice, France. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra-Trail™ by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world, providing participants the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Red Nose Day

Red Nose Day is back on Friday 21 March 2025.
From hip shakers, cake bakers and joke makers to Red Nose wearers, t-shirt buyers and sofa-sitting givers, it’s that time of year to come together to support people in the UK and across the world who are facing the toughest times of their lives. This Red Nose Day, there’s lots to be excited about as we begin to celebrate Comic Relief hitting the big 4-0 in 2025. With your help over the past 40 years, we’ve raised over £1.6 billion, supported over 100 million people, and had a great time doing it. So, this March, let’s all go big to help put food on plates, roofs over heads, keep little ones safe, and support families affected by conflict. Because when we all do a little something funny for money, giving gets bigger and bigger. There are lots of ways to take part in Red Nose Day. Visit www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday or follow @comicrelief on social media to find out more. Red Nose Day is an initiative of Comic Relief.

About Comic Relief 

Comic Relief is a UK charity that uses the power of entertainment and popular culture to work towards a vision of a just world free from poverty. We raise money to support organisations that are closest to the communities who can make change happen. We support work that will tackle the impact of poverty, injustice, conflict, and climate change in the UK and around the world.
Since launching in 1985, we have raised over £1.6 billion thanks to the huge generosity and kindness of the public and our partners. For more information on our work, visit www.comicrelief.com or follow @comicrelief on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for the latest content and news. Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity in England & Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730).

About Billy Monger

Few people embody triumph over adversity as much as Billy Monger.
A promising young racing driver, Billy Monger was critically injured in a high speed collision while racing in Formula 4 which left him with both legs amputated. Despite the severity of the injuries, Billy Whizz, as he is nicknamed, refused to give up on his racing career, lobbying motorsport’s governing body to allow both disabled and non-disabled drivers to race along- side each other.
On his return to racing he went on to score podiums in British F3 and win the famous Pau Grand Prix in European F3 and is currently still setting his sights on achieving his dream of racing in Formula 1. Billy’s incredible return to motorsport after his tragic accident that left him with both legs amputated was a huge moment across the world of sport. But his dedication, irrepressible self-belief and determination, in the face of unimaginable adversity, to get back behind the wheel of a racing car has shown him to be an inspiration to all athletes, disabled and non-disabled alike.
He won the BBC Sports Personality Helen Rollason Award and had a BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary made about his incredible return to racing. In 2021 he completed a challenge for Comic Relief raising over £3million for charity. He is currently a presenter and pundit for Channel 4’s coverage of the Formula One and Paralympics and Formula E on TNT.

About Guinness World Records

What’s the fastest game bird in Europe? This was the question that inspired the founding of Guinness World Records back in 1955. Starting with a single book published from a room above a gym, GWR has grown to become a global multi-media brand, with offices in London, New York, Miami, Beijing, Tokyo and Dubai. Today, we deliver world-class content, not just through Books, but via TV shows, Social Media and Live Events. Our in-house consultancy works closely with brands and businesses around the world to harness the power of record-breaking and deliver award-winning campaigns and business solutions. Our ultimate purpose is to inspire people – individuals, families, schools, groups, companies, communities and even entire countries – to read about, watch, listen to and participate in record-breaking. To join this record-breaking community – and find out the answer to that original question – visit guinnessworldrecords.com.