Tune In For 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship Documentary Special Airing On Outside Watch, Dec. 30 At 9 A.M. EST

December 21, 2023

TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 21, 2023) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The IRONMAN documentary special highlighting the historic 2023 VinFast IRONMAN^® World Championship triathlons will premiere on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 9 a.m. EST on Outside Watch for free. The annual IRONMAN World Championship special will chronicle triathlon’s pinnacle event, which for the first time in the iconic event’s 45-year history, was hosted in two separate locations when the men raced in Nice, France on Sept. 10 and the women raced in Kona, Hawai`i on Oct. 14.

Thousands of athletes from around the world crossed their finish lines in Nice and Kona, ushering in a new era of the IRONMAN World Championship. The 90-minute documentary special, which delves into the vibrant history and evolution of this iconic endurance event, will continue to showcase the profiles of amazing athletes that have made this annual documentary such a traditionally inspirational watch for triathletes and sports fans around the world. Following the premiere on Outside, the documentary special will be made available on IRONMAN’s YouTube channel beginning Saturday, January 6.

Since its inception in 1978, the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon has demonstrated not only the unrivaled physical ability and enduring drive of the top endurance athletes in the world, but also some of the most inspirational and impactful stories of perseverance and resilience from the age-group athletes and everyday individuals who compete alongside them.

Below is a look at the feature stories for the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship documentary special:

• Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) chases a title that has long eluded her following four previous second-place finishes at Triathlon’s pinnacle event
• Sam Laidlow (FRA) looks to improve on his runner-up performance in the 2022 edition to become the youngest winner of the IRONMAN World Championship in the event’s 40+ year history while also giving France its first world title
• Els Visser (NLD), who survived a shipwreck and went on to become a professional triathlete and two-time IRONMAN champion, looks to stamp her name at the first-ever women’s-only IRONMAN World Championship
• Cam Wurf (AUS), a seasoned professional who balances a multisport calendar split between IRONMAN racing and professional cycling with Team INEOS Grenadiers, sets ambitious goals in an effort to earn his first IRONMAN World Championship title in Nice, France
• Nadine Hunt (AUS) looks to become the first Indigenous Australian woman to compete at and finish the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawai`i
• After traveling the world, working his way through the kitchens of Gordon Ramsay and Daniel Boulud for a decade before winning the first season of “Top Chef Canada,” Dale Mackey (CAN) looks to finish the prestigious IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France
• Cyril Del Pistoia (FRA) was diagnosed with a severe case of acute leukemia in 2012 and was given a very low chance of survival. Cyril traveled to his birthplace of Nice, France in September to take on the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon to prove that Anything is Possible
• Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Sara Whittingham (USA) who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 47, races to raise awareness and inspire others battling the disease and to show what is possible for people with Parkinson’s with a commitment to consistent exercise

The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship documentary was captured utilizing 12 handheld cameras and two underwater cameras. Providing the aerial coverage were five drones, and two helicopters. All of the 20+ cameras captured the magic of the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon to provide viewers with a front row seat to triathlon’s pinnacle event. The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship Documentary was filmed and produced by The IRONMAN Group Productions team.

Since the first IRONMAN World Championship documentary special in 1991, the show has earned 54 Sports Emmy nominations and 16 Sports Emmy Award wins.

Athletes seeking their path to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship can visit www.ironman.com/races.

For more information about the IRONMAN World Championship, please visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media may contact press@ironman.com.

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About the IRONMAN World Championship Documentary Special

Content for the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon has come a long way since its humble beginnings. IRONMAN went from receiving a portion of the coverage on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports,” directly to center stage when IRONMAN took control of the broadcast in 1991 and made it a stand-alone program. With this change, IRONMAN controlled content and production, and distribution rights with IRONMAN taking an active role in the show’s production and development. An inspirational and motivating content fixture since 1991, the IRONMAN World Championship documentary special has garnered 54 Emmy Award nominations and earned 16 Emmys along with many other accolades. For nearly three decades, the drama of the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon has captured the attention of millions around the world providing viewers an all-access experience from water, land, and air, showcasing the 140.6-mile challenge that is the pinnacle of the sport and now takes place annually in both Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i and Nice, France. Its compelling stories of ordinary people accomplishing the extraordinary combined with the sports elite making history have moved and inspired viewers of all ages throughout the years.

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 VinFast 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), to allow for a dedicated world championship race for women and dedicated world championship race for men. The cumulative event hosted 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. In 2024, the women will rotate to Nice, France while the men return to Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i for their respective world championship host locations. 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^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, 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™ by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, 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, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. 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, 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.