2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship Releases Details of Star-Studded Field

An elite male triathletes field, including four former IRONMAN World Champions, will assemble in Kona, Hawaii, for the men’s edition of the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon.

Held on Saturday, October 26, both professional and age-group men will contest for their respective IRONMAN World Championship titles on the revered Kona course.

“After a fantastic women’s race in Nice, France in September, we are looking forward to a great day of racing in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i as the top male triathletes from around the world take centre stage,” said Scott DeRue, CEO of The IRONMAN Group.

“This year’s men’s professional race is shaping up to be a tremendous competition with multiple IRONMAN World Champions and many of the biggest names in the sport. As a true clash of the titans, we are expecting some unforgettable performances at the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon that will be fun for all to watch unfold.”

The VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon will bring together over 50 of the world’s top professional male triathletes to compete for the coveted title of IRONMAN World Champion, 6,000 IRONMAN Pro Series points, as well as a piece of the US$375,000 professional prize purse, with the winner taking home US$125,000.

Live race day coverage of the men’s 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship will be broadcast for free across multiple platforms for global viewers including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN, and YouTube, as well as Outside TV in the US and Canada, L’Équipe in France, ZDF in Germany among others.

As the reigning IRONMAN World Champion, Sam Laidlow (FRA) will wear bib number one for the first time.

Norway’s Gustav Iden, who stormed home to a maiden IRONMAN World Championship victory in 2022, is also a two-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion (2019, 2021), has not raced a full-distance triathlon since his 2022 victory in Kona due to injury.

Fellow Norwegian and 2021 IRONMAN World Champion, Kristian Blummenfelt will also return to Kailua-Kona after finishing third in 2022.

Patrick Lange (DEU), two-time champion from 2017 and 2018, will be on the hunt for a third IRONMAN World Championship title. The German has finished on the podium four out of the six times he has raced the world championship and holds the IRONMAN World Championship run course best time of 2:32:41, which he set in Nice last year on his way to finishing second.

The four IRONMAN World Champions will face fierce competition from multiple challengers, including: Magnus Ditlev (DNK), Rudy Von Berg (USA), Léon Chevalier (FRA), Matt Burton (AUS), Rasmus Svenningson (SWE), Lionel Sanders (CAN) and Trevor Foley (USA).

The inaugural IRONMAN Pro Series adds another layer of interest to the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship event this year. The men’s VinFast IRONMAN World Championship race in Kona offers a maximum of 6,000 points to the winner, 1,000 more points than the other full-distance IRONMAN triathlons in the series.

Eight out of the top 10 professional athletes in the men’s standings, including everyone in the top five will also battle it out for series points and a piece of the end of year bonus prize money.

Beginning in the crystal-clear waters of Kailua Bay, athletes taking part in the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship will tackle the 2.4-mile (3.8km) ROKA swim course before heading out on the 112-mile (180.2km) FulGaz bike course, renowned for its long sustained climbs, strong crosswinds, and exposed terrain.

The final leg of the race sees athletes take on the 26.2-mile (42.2km) HOKA run course, an out-and-back that takes athletes past the crowds on Ali`i Drive, up Palani Road to the Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway which leads them to the long-awaited HOST Park at the National Energy Laboratory Hawai`i Authority (NELHA). Athletes will complete their journey to the roar of spectators as they cross the historic Ali`i Drive finish line.

Professional men’s field, subject to change

 
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