Ultimate spectator guide to Kona Ironman World Championship triathlon

So here’s my spectator Guide to watching and enjoying the  Ironman Wold Championships live and in-person .  This guide will focus on the  best spots to watch, when and where to be , recommended camera/video gear to use, and how to enjoy the day and soak in the event.   

Of course  vacationing in Hawaii on the Big Island is a great backdrop for the event, I  always wanted to see the Ironman Triathlon live and in-person, and this is the year we decided to do  it.

2022 Update: This year’s race is now a multi-day event (women’s and men’s divisions take place on different days  October 6th & 8th, 2022) Every year race schedule may change always check official sources for latest schedule.

Spectator Race Map:

Refer to the color-numbers in the Photos and match them to this map to see specific spots where the photos were taken. For such a big race it’s surprisingly pretty spectator friendly, in a nutshell basically all the action happens around the Swim Start/Race Finish as shown below.. in terms of spectating the only challenging spot is the swim start, otherwise there are plenty of  unobstructed views of the athletes competing. 

Race week in Khaulia-Kona (pre-race)

First the excitement and athletes arrive usually a week or two before the race.  Usually held on the second  Saturday  in  October, The week before the race, is your opportunity to see all the athletes in their last little bit of preparation, on the beach on the road etc.

If you know the pro’s you’ll likely run into them throughout downtown Kona , Ali’i Drive and various other venues as many times, they are at sponsor events in the Ironman village. The main road where the race center’s around is Ali’i Drive. This is where the start/finish line is and also most of the race activity takes place. The week before the race you’ll find this street a buzz with triathletes getting there last bits of training and race prep in, supporters and tourists visiting the numerous roadside restaurants ,bars and shops , and everyone just enjoying the sunny Kona weather.

Alongside Ali Drive about a quarter mile before the finish, is the Ironman village, this is the official race expo venue. Here’s where you’ll find all the big corporate brands representing a host of triathlon related gear, from high tech race bikes, running gear and swimming apparel, to tons of nutrition products, recovery products ,performance products and more race related apparel and gadgets.

Like most race expo’s this is a good opportunity to get score some nice discounts on selected gear, usually you’ll find 10-50% off selected items or your can always ask the vendor for special expo pricing and most will provide some sort of deal. The village is typically opened the week before the race and throughout race weekend.

The main hub and the official race hotel venue  King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel . This hotel serves as the principal staging area and main meeting venue for most of the official race activities (athlete meetings, press room, volunteer organization, sponsor events, Ironman shop,  etc.,).

Right outside the hotels backdoor is the the Kailu Pier which will be transformed into the transition area on race day. Here’s also the start of the swim venue. Yes, the swim course is open every day, you can actually go and swim part of the course as there are buoys laid out to give competing athletes  chance to  fine tune their swim in Kona’s water.  

Other Pre-Race Events 

If you arrive a week or more before the race, you can spectate or even take part in some pre-race events. Among some of the most popular are the following, be sure to click on the links below to get the latest dates and event times.

• Ironman Under Pants Run: A short fun run where competitors, families , friends take part showing off their fashionable under garments. A lot a fun and a good  excuse for the trim and toned to show off what all that hard work looks like under their tri-suit.
• Ironman Parade of Nations:  a fun jovial atmosphere where competitors and supporters from different countries parade through Ali Drive.
• Ironman Pro’s Press Conference: Usually held on the last few days before the race (Check Ironman.com for date and time ), a chance for the Pro field to talk about their expectations for the race.
• Breakfast with Bob: Bob Babbitt , long time Ironman commentator and endurance racing junkie, hosts daily interviews with top men and women pro’s discussing their pre-race thoughts and expectations .
• Ironman Banquet of Champions:  Typically held on the day after the race. A large dinner banquet that celebrates the past days winners and other VIP’s. 

For a complete list of Events and their schedule check the latest  IRONMAN World Championship Schedule of Events.

Race Morning (rise and shine Oct 6 & Oct 8):

Race morning starts around 4:30 (when Transition opens to athletes), if you get there early you can hang out by the entry to T1 and watch as various pro’s arrive and begin their setup.  You can’t totally see their bikes as transition area at the pier is pretty well cordoned off.

Day of The Event :: Logistics and Roads

If you’re driving in , parking can be challenging, since many of the roads which allowed easy access to the area are now closed to traffic for the race. So you’re best bet is  to park  north of Queen K. Highway, unless you dont expect to get out later. Potential  places you can park  are the Walmart Shopping center , or  Kona Coast Shopping center, or Lanihau Center , or available street parking near these locations. Please obey any signs which may limit parking time since these places are open for regular business during the event. From these areas it’s about a 10 minute walk to the pier. Please be cognizant that the locals are just going about their day, and be considerate of their time and space. You can check here for road closures.

Swim (starts ~6:30a )

This is arguably the toughest part to watch. For a couple of reasons, most of the area around  the pier where the athletes assemble and enter the water is cordoned off. Only athletes, race officials and  credentialed media and some VIP’s get up-close access, everyone else is relegated to the sea wall lining the pier and the bay. Also because of security concerns extra precautions are taken by police to block off sensitive areas.

Most folks perch themselves of the sea wall lining Kailua Bay along the Kailua Pier.  You need to arrive early to get a spot on the sea-wall which, gets pretty crowded, 3-deep on  a 4′ section of the wall as the race start approaches.

You’ll know the race is starting as more and more folks , many  family and friends of age group athletes, start piling up on the wall. This is why watching the swim start is the least spectator friendly part of the race. Primarily because its an in-water start about 50 yards from the pier and everyone looks similar.

If you want to watch from the wall , you need to get there EARLY (at least by 5:30am) and sit and reserve a spot, even then you’ll just see the back of the swimmers.

If you’re looking for a photo of a friend of family before the start, it’s virtually impossible to spot a particular athlete because of the large mass start  and difficulty picking out someone from about 50 yards away when everyone looks the same..  Tip:  If you really want a swim start photo of a competitor you will need to coordinate ahead of time for them to line up next to a bouy or swim up to a part of the seawall right after the enter the water, there’s a short warm up window before the race begins. 

As of 2022 This year’s race is now a multi-day event (women’s and men’s divisions take place on different days  October 6th & 8th, 2022 (note in subsequent years this may change always check official sources), Each wave has its own 17h cut-off time based on their start time .
Old format: 2019 : Starting this year there will now be Multiple age group waves , in addition to the pro men and womens waves . Read official 2019 Ironman Champs Swim Start. 

The age group mass start doesn’t look as impressive from the back, as it does from overhead as you typically see in the NBC footage. All you see is a big foam wave during first few seconds, then everyone starts to spread out.
But nonetheless with all the helicopters buzzing overhead and the excitement of the crowd you’ll be able to soak in the start.

Once the race is under way , you can also watch the pro race unfold on the big Jumbo-tron, positioned behind and above the finish line. So while you can’t see the entire 2.4 mile course you can catch the progress of the race just watching the screen near the finish, as well as listen to the announcer update you on the progress, or just grab your mobile phone and watch the same stream via Ironman.com/live site.

Bike Course (usually leave T1 about 7:20a)

If you want to catch the pro’s early on the bike after the swim, begin making your way to the hot corner about 10-minutes before the lead men exit the water.  Most pro-men complete the swim somewhere between 47min – 58min The most spectator friendly area for the bike during the early bike miles is Pilani Drive right near  and around the hot corner, this is a nice concentrated area, where you can catch cyclist 3 times.

First as the athletes come barreling out of T1 towards the hot corner and turn left  under the inflatable arch (Oakley sponsored this year) onto Kuakini Hwy.  Within about 3-5 minutes they’re back , just turn around and and walk towards the hot corner  then carefully (listen for whistle to warn of incoming riders), go onto the downside of Pilani just above hot corner, on the descent part of Pilani Drive where the cyclists come screaming down and turn left on to Kuakini Hwy. Be extra careful crossing the road during this time, as there’s a lot of riders full of adrenaline .

Within another 5-10 minutes they are back one more time,   on the same road and cross to the other side the road and cheer the cyclists as  they climb up Pilani road , as they head out to the Queen Ka’ahumanu highway (aka the Queen K highway) . They stay on this highway about 50+ miles all the way to the turn-around town of Hawi. It’s not practical to try and follow them out there since you’re talking about  100+ mile journey trying to keep up at 30mph.

Now you have about 4 hours or so  before the first of the pro men starting streaming back into T2. If you’re following an age grouper, check out the live Ironman Tracker and keep an eye out for their arrival.  This is a good point to take a break during you day.

If you’re really into photography more than just the area near transition, get yourself a bike (or a moped) and head out into portions of the Queen K. You can head down the Queen K which is mostly closed to vehicular traffic and catch some of the riders in the early miles or on the returning side as they head back into town.

Another good spot for photos that doesn’t have too many folks , but it close enough  to transition is a short half mile walk on Kuakini Hwy, just make a left at the hot corner and head down Kuakini a few hundred yards (across from the public pool) and sit  under the shade of a few trees. Or you can just wait near the hot corner again (but it gets pretty crowded) and watch them come in.

Run Course (usually leave T2 about 11:40a)

Depending on which athletes your most interested in following you can head back towards Kuakini Hwy  past Pilani road and walk along the sidewalks as the athletes begin to stream out of T2, and onto Kuakini  hwy for a short stint and then the turn right  down Hualali  to onto Ali Drive and head out to the turnaround in Keauhou.

This will be about lunch time and plenty of folks will be lining Ali’i Drive , so you can take a few minutes to grab a bite and enjoy the action up-close (right on Ali’i drive) or from the comfort of the many eateries lining Ali’i drive..

It’s here on Ali’i drive where you can catch most of miles 1-10.  And because of the  turn-around you can easily catch a view of the athletes twice.

If you’re feeling adventurous and really want to see the suffering grab your bike (moped) and head on out to the Energy lab turn around (about 8 miles) , during close races it’s usually during this section where moves are made.

Of course you can just sit back on Ali ‘i Drive, viewing the race unfold on the Jumbo-tron, that’s what I did.

Finish Line (leaders finish around 2:30p OR EARLIER)

The best spot to watch the run finish up close  is along Ali ‘i Drive near the finish line, there are stands there in front of the finish line , where you can sit, but all along Ali Drive near before the barricades and the finish chute, there are plenty of places to watch and cheer as the athletes make their way down Pilani and one final turn onto Ali ‘i Drive. You’ll know the race winner is approaching as you’ll hear the helicopter as well as see the race progress on the big screen.

Pro men’s race is usually between 8:00 to 8:20 in length (This year the men’s winner Patrick Lange – set a new course record of 8:01 , thanks to mostly favorable bike conditions and a stellar 2:41 marathon run). than there’ about an hour plus before the first of the ladies comes down Ali’i drive.  Again the big Jumbo-Tron is you’re friend just park your-self somewhere within sight of it , or of course you can stream the live action to you mobile device from http://www.ironman.com/live .

Finish Line Party (till midnight 17hr mark)

Even if you just go to watch the pro’s or a specific family / friend compete and they finish in the late afternoon, make it a point to come back for the closing hours of the race. It’s a super memorable experience.

Starting at about 10:30pm, as the last of the athletes make their way to the finish, excitement builds thanks to a literal finish line party.

Race organizer start the party with plenty of pop and dance music coupled with give away plus Mike Riley (voice of Ironman and others) encourages the crowd to bring home those last few finishers before the 17hr cut-off.

Its a pretty inspirational experience , you can feel the emotions as folks that labored for better part of a day are reaching their objective and will be rewarded with the sweet greeting of…

You are … an IRONMAN!!!

as they finish.. some cry, some bow, some kiss the ground, some are too fatigued to do anything … however they cross the line, you know its a moment they will remember.

As it has become Ironman tradition the day’s men’s and women’s pro winners return back to the finish line to greet the last of the finishers and give them their medals, its really an emotion packed finish line.

From the cheering crowd, the announcers rallying up the crowd, the music,  the joy ,excitement and release of emotion by the finishers from the days extreme exhaustion,  I can see why this sport can become cult-like in a good sort of way..   While I was there to spectate and see the pro’s , it turned out for me the closing hours were the highlight of the event, definitely a must see, it will give you a new perspective on the human spirit.

When the final 17:00h cut-off for the last age group wave ends sometime shortly past midnight, the music subsides, and a traditional Hawaiian fire dance (closing ceremony) right on the finish line plus a goodwill speech by an island elder in ??lelo Hawai?i , the native Hawaiian language, closes out the evening.  Any athletes still on the course can cross the finish but missing  the cut-off,  will not be recognized as official Ironman finishers.. 

Photographic Gear, Cameras and Drones….

If you’re into photography and want to really capture the days events, you’re best best is to bring a DSLR or  high-end mirror less camera with a fast lens.

Like any sporting event, the action is fast (especially on the bike), so a nice fast lens like an f/2.8 is nice to have, but thanks to predictably sunny weather you can get away with slower zoom lens. Also consider an ND-filter as much of the pro’s race takes place during middle of the day, when the sun casts some harsh light.

Most of the photos on this page where taken with a Sony a6000 & a G18mm-105mm f/4 lens. I also snapped a few quick photos of with my smart phone (mostly during the evening finish line), So between a good quality smartphone and decent DSLR or a mirror-less camera  with good lenses, you should have plenty of photographic firepower to catch the days events. Also don’t forget to bring a few extra batteries or chargers, its  along day, and I went through two full-charged batteries on my Sony before the end of the day..

What to wear / When to eat…

Wear your usual casual clothes, but cargo shorts with pockets and a backpack (if you’re bringing photo gear) is a must. Other than that perhaps just a water bottle or cash will suit you just fine.

Do plan some breaks through the morning especially after about 9:30 when its mostly quiet while the majority of pro’s and age groupers are out on the bike course. 

Between noon and 1pm ,  is a good time to grab a bit plus its a perfect time  to watch the leading runner on Ali’i drive. Then if you’re there to wait for family or friends, the time between 5pm and 9pm is when the bulk of the finishers come across the line.  The Official Ironman Tracker App is the best tool to determine where they may be on the course.

There’s plenty of places to eat in and around Ali’i drive for dinner too. If you come back later in the evening you’ll have no problems finding some grub.. It’s funny how just a few blocks from the finish line  its just another busy Saturday night in Kona with people going about their business. While local businesses like the economic activity of the event, most locals are not thrilled by the road closures and traffic issues on race day.

Respecting the Big Island and the locals

Post pandemic (and even before) there has been a lot debate amongst the local community whether the Ironman event (now 2 days) and subsequent visitor influx helps or hurts the island. The question of whether the Ironman event is worth the hassle? has been asked countless times.. It’s natural that any big event taking place in a small beach town (that’s what Kona is at the end of the day) will impact and inconvenience the locals, who have to work around detours, deal with usually large crowds , and sometimes have unfortunate confrontations with some of the visitors. Obviously the economic impact is positive, but its not shared equally by all the local residents. Typically only those businesses that offer accommodations, athletic services (bike shops) , food benefit the most whereas other parts of the of the island economy not so much… as this recent article points out.. Ironman’s two races in Kona could pump $100 million into economy — but is it worth it?

If you’re not native to Hawaii, its important to keep the idea that you’re a guest in their community and be considerate of their home, much in the same way you would like folks visiting and competing in your town to be. The old adage applies here, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” , treat Hawaii with respect and courtesy.

Consider Volunteering

If you’re not necessarily there just for photos or cheering and want to contribute to everyone’s experience consider volunteering and being part of the race. There are various volunteer shifts for all sorts of activities, finish line, transition, medical, security etc, head over to the volunteer application section of Ironman’s web site.

Final Thoughts

Overall watching the big race live in person that  you see on TV , you won’t be disappointed. There’s a lot of emotion and excitement as most of the crowd there knows someone taking part or is an avid fan of the sport, so if you’re into triathlon come see what for yourself what the big show is like! if you found this guide useful let me know, and share any new insights with fellow spectators.