Top Professional Triathletes from Around the World Make Highly Anticipated Return to Kailua-Kona, Hawai`I For The 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship

September 27, 2022

Top professional women to battle for VinFast IRONMAN World Championship title on Thursday and top professional men to compete for triathlon’s top prize on Saturday

KAILUA-KONA, Hawai`i / TAMPA, Fla. (September 27, 2022) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Triathlon’s top professional athletes will return to Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i for the first time in three years for the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN^® World Championship triathlon. The most iconic endurance event in the world will bring together nearly 100 of the world’s top professional triathletes who will battle for a piece of the $750,000 USD total professional prize purse and the title of IRONMAN World Champion.

For the first time in the event’s 40-plus year history, the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship race will take place as a two-day event on Thursday, Oct. 6 & Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, with the women’s professional field racing on Thursday and the men’s professional field squaring off on Saturday, allowing for full focus and coverage on each race and its competitors, as well as the Island of Hawai`i, like never before.

“The level of anticipation and excitement around the long-awaited return to Kona perfectly matches the level of prestige of the professional field of athletes we will see compete for title of 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Champion,” said Andrew Messick, President & Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “With two days of racing, we will have an opportunity to witness these incredible athletes like never before in what is sure to be a historic pair of race days.”

Along with the professional field, over 5,000 age group athletes are registered to make the highly anticipated return to the Island of Hawai`i to take on the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit. The IRONMAN `Ohana will unite in Kailua-Kona to Kū Like (stand together) at the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship event in support of the world’s elite triathletes embarking on the journey of a lifetime, while they Live Aloha, acting mindfully and with respect of the lands, people, and culture that make the event possible.

Professional Women’s Field*

In the women’s professional field, all eyes will be on the 2021 IRONMAN World Champion Daniela Ryf (CHE), whose name is etched into IRONMAN World Championship history among the few to reach the feat of five-time IRONMAN World Champion. The 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship will also serve as an opportunity for Ryf to further insulate her record of most IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3^® World Championship titles for any professional triathlete. The 2019 IRONMAN World Champion, Anne Haug (DEU) will return to the IRONMAN World Championship stage looking to defend her title as the most recent IRONMAN World Champion crowned on the iconic Kona^® course. Making her return to racing, Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), who earned her first World Championship title at the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission in St. George, Utah, will be one to watch as she returns to the IRONMAN stage following a pause in racing due to injury. Sarah Crowley (AUS) takes to the IRONMAN World Championship start line coming off her win at the 2022 National Storage IRONMAN Australia race and a third-place podium finish at the 2019 IRONMAN World Championship. Having a momentous year, Sarah True (USA) heads to Kona with the recent accolades of winner of both the 2022 ViewSPORT IRONMAN Lake Placid North American TriClub Championship triathlon and 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 Eagleman triathlon. Other names to watch include Skye Moench (USA), who took fourth place at 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission and Ruth Astle (GBR), who followed close behind, nabbing fifth in her first World Championship performance.

Below is the pro women’s start list for the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship event:

*Professional fields subject to change

Professional Men’s Field*

Kona will welcome back an extremely competitive men’s field with a deep roster of veterans making their way to the start line alongside rising triathlon talent. Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), winner of the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission race, will be looking to defend his title while fellow Norwegian Gustav Iden (NOR) seeks to add the title of IRONMAN World Champion to his accolades, which already includes title of IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion after claiming victory at the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission. Lionel Sanders (CAN) will seek out his return to the IRONMAN World Championship podium while a number of exciting first timers in Kona including Colin Chartier (USA), Leon Chevalier (FRA), and Rudy Von Berg (USA) will be making their debut to the start line. A pair of veteran Americans will be pushing for the podium with Ben Hoffman (USA) enjoying a first-place finish at the 2022 Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas and Tim O’Donnell (USA), who finished second at the 2019 IRONMAN World Championship, making a strong comeback after experiencing a heart attack in 2021. Eyes will certainly be on 2014 IRONMAN World Champion Sebastian Kienle (DEU) as the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship will serve as the final World Championship race in his storied career. While Patrick Lange (DEU) looks to reclaim his World Champion title, he will face other competitive contenders such as Joe Skipper (GBR), Braden Currie (NZL), and Cameron Wurf (AUS) in what is sure to be a thrilling men’s race.

Below is the pro men’s start list for the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN^® World Championship event:

*Professional fields subject to change

For a behind the scenes view of what it takes to have a chance at world-title glory, tune into ‘A Fighting Chance’, the IRONMAN series providing an inside look to the inner, everyday lives of elite triathletes for a real, unfiltered look at the athlete journey leading up to race day live coverage. In the women’s professional field, this year’s coverage will focus on Daniela Ryf, Lucy Charles-Barclay, Heather Jackson, Skye Moench, and Anne Haug. In the men’s professional field, A Fighting Chance will follow Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden, Lionel Sanders, Tim O’Donnell, Braden Currie, Sebastian Kienle, Patrick Lange, Collin Chartier, and Cameron Wurf. A Fighting Chance, which airs on the @ironmantri social channels, will drop a new episode every day during race week, giving audiences a glimpse of what it takes to prepare for race day, as well as the staging behind such an iconic event.

While the number of athletes racing in IRONMAN events each year has increased considerably over the last 20 years, the number of athletes able to qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship has remained relatively flat. With the two-day format, top age-groupers deserving a chance to compete on the world’s stage will now have additional opportunities to qualify. Even with increased slots, however, it is expected that less than 6% of yearly IRONMAN participants around the world will ultimately make it to the IRONMAN World Championship. As one of the most sought-after experiences in all of mass participation sport, those who have made it to the IRONMAN World Championship continue to be among the world’s elite, equating to approximately 0.00006% of the world’s population.

Tune into live race-day coverage of the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon globally via IRONMAN Now™ available on Facebook Watch, YouTube and Twitch, as well as on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock.

For more information about the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship event, please visit https://www.ironman.com/im-world-championship-2022. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@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 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 where it continues to take place to this day. The race now sees over 2,500 athletes embark 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 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 returns to Kona and takes place for the first time as a two-day event in October for the 2022 edition of the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship. The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship will see the event continue with the two-day format but with a dedicated race day for women and dedicated race day for men. 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, the IRONMAN^® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events including Haute Route^®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. 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. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, 1010data and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.