What’s a good finish time for IRONMAN World Championship Kona? Age group times and elite records – Triathlon News

IRONMAN Kona is a race where triathlon dreams are realised and shattered in equal measure. A bucket list World Championship event for elites and age-groupers alike, everyone wants to have their very best performance on the Big Island of Hawaii.

But with the world’s best triathletes, and relentlessly tough volcanic conditions, to contend with, securing that personal best finish time isn’t going to come easy.

Maybe you’re a competitive age-grouper wondering what finish time you need to target to have a chance of coming home from the Big Island with a podium finish to your name.

Or maybe you’ve just qualified for Kona and you’re wondering how your current PR might stack up against a world championship-level field.

Either way, we have you covered as we take a look at the average, good and age-group winning finish times in Kona.

What are the elite IRONMAN World Championship record times?

Before we dive into the age-group stats, let’s take a look at how the PROs have performed in Kona – and how those most recent record-breaking performances compare to the times the PROs were setting 10 years ago.

PRO women’s IRONMAN Kona course record

The current professional women’s Kona course record is held by Lucy Charles-Barclay. She set the lightning-fast time when she became world champion in 2023. In true LCB style, she rocketed away from the rest of the field during the swim and held that lead all the way to the finish line.

Completing the race in a new record time of 8hrs 24 minutes and 31 seconds, Lucy shattered the previous record held by Daniela Ryf – 8:26:16 in 2018.

LCB’s Kona record breaking splits

2.4 mile Swim: 49:36 (1:18 per 100m)
112 mile Bike:  4:32:29 (24.6mph)
26.2 mile Run: 2:57:38 (6:47 per mile, 4:12 per km)

PRO men’s IRONMAN Kona course record

We’re now just days away from the 2024 edition of the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. The new split World Championship format introduced by IRONMAN in 2023 means that Saturday October 26 will be the first time the elite men have raced on the Big Island since 2022.

It was at that 2022 race where triathlon legend Jan Frodeno’s 2019 course record (7:51:13) was destroyed by Gustav Iden. The Norwegian superstar stormed through the field, beating the likes of Sam Laidlow and countryman Kristian Blummenfelt to win the race in a new record time of 7hrs 40 minutes and 24 seconds.

2023 proved a tricky year for Iden both on the race course and off it. But 2024 has seen him start to return to form, and he heads to Kona this year as one to watch – will he reclaim his crown, and set a new record in the process?

Gustav Iden’s Kona course record splits

2.4 mile Swim: 48:23 (1:16 per 100m)
112 mile Bike: 4:11:06 (26.7mph)
26.2 mile Run: 2:36:15 (5:58 per mile, 3:42 per km)

How much faster are the PROs racing Kona compared to several years ago?

Go back to 2014 and none of the top 10 men went under 8hrs in Kona – Sebastian Kienle’s winning time was 8hrs 14 minutes. Compare that to the most recent men’s race in Kona (2022) and all of the top 10 finished in under 8hrs. In fact, Kienle’s 2014 winning time would have placed him 22^nd in 2022 – though thankfully he was able to find some extra speed and actually claim 6^th with a 7:55:40.

And just like sub-8 has become the requirement for a top 10 in the men’s field, there’s a similar story for the PRO women. In 2014, none of the women finished under 9hrs – though race winner Mirinda Carfrae came close with a 9:00:55. Take a look at the 2023 results for the PRO women in Kona, and 16 (!) women went under 9hrs. Rinny’s 2014 time would have put her in 17^th place.

We’ve seen a marked advancement in how fast the PROs can go, and while the varying conditions on the day – the wind speed makes a huge difference in Kona – can have a huge impact, Iron distance GOAT Mark Allen believes a lot of it comes down to advancements in equipment.

Speaking to TRI247 recently, Allen discussed some of the factors helping to contribute to such fast finish times: “Obviously bike technology – that gives people a lot more time… aerodynamics has evolved to a point which is massive. The materials of the clothing that they wear saves watts on the bike. The nutrition that the athletes have now is much more absorbable – they’re able to get in more calories per hour.”

Mark also highlighted an important factor which could see the 2024 men’s race in Kona post record breaking times. Kona this year is ‘late’ compared to previous years, which means conditions could be that bit cooler and the wind may be a little weaker. Paving the way for ultra-fast splits.

What’s a good IRONMAN World Championship Kona finish time for Age Group triathletes?

The average Ironman distance triathlon finish time across all races is thought to be around the 13.5hr mark for age-groupers. So how does that average compare to the finish times in Kona? On the one hand, everyone that toes the start line has had to qualify by finishing high up enough in the field at another IRONMAN event. So you’d expect the standard of the field to be pretty high. But the tough Kona conditions can certainly play a role in slowing even the most experienced age groupers down.

Average IRONMAN World Championship Kona finish time for age group women

2023 was a women-only event in Kona for the first time ever – making history in more ways than one, with 16 of the PROs going under 9 hours. Lucy Charles-Barclay breaking the course record. There was also an incredible 97.2% finish rate in the age group women’s field, with every single woman who started the race making the swim cut off.

The average finish time across all age-group women was 13:10:55. The winner of the age-group women’s race overall was Maëlle Deruaz, who finished in an impressive 9hrs 14 minutes 12 seconds.

To get an idea of how you might fare in your age-group, we’ll list the overall average finish time for each age-group below, plus the time you’d have needed to beat to get in the top 10 in your age group.

Average and top 10 women’s finish times from the 2023 IRONMAN World Championship Kona by age group

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Average, good and exceptional IRONMAN Kona times for women

Average IRONMAN World Championship Kona finish time for age group men

In 2024, it’s the men’s turn to head to the Big Island. But for now, we’ll need to go back to the 2022 results, which is the last time the men’s IRONMAN World Championship took place in Kona.

The average finish time across all age-group men was 12:25:51. The winner of the age-group men’s race overall was Christian Storzer who finished the race in 8:31:26.

Take a look at the average times by age-group below to find out how you would have stacked up, and to see what time you’d have needed to finish in to make the top 10 in your AG.

Average and top 10 men’s finish times from the 2022 IRONMAN World Championship Kona by age group

Average, good and exceptional IRONMAN Kona times for men

How fast do you need to go to win your age group in Kona?

Harbouring dreams of age group world champion glory? Take a look at the table below to find out what finish time you would have needed to hit if you’d raced in 2023/2022 to win your age group. It goes without saying that there’s no guarantee you’d win in years to come with these times – it all depends on who shows up on the day, and what conditions the Big Island delivers! But the below gives you a ball park idea so you can decide if shooting for the win is feasible.

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