IRONMAN Announces New Event in World Championship in Hawaii

IRONMAN has announced the creation of the ‘Kukui’ Swim Wave for the 2019 Vega IRONMAN World Championship which takes place on Saturday, October 12, 2019.

The Hawaiian Kukui is a candlenut tree that symbolizes enlightenment, and IRONMAN notes that its name will now represent Legacy and Wild Card athletes… ‘Like the kukui, these athletes represent enlightenment through their determined and inspirational journeys to the Vega IRONMAN World Championship start line.’

IRONMAN adds that the Legacy and Wild Card athletes’… ‘stories of perseverance and their ability to overcome challenges serve to motivate and inspire us all to remain steadfast as one pursues their dream. The Kukui has many uses in Hawaiian culture and due to its symbolic value and importance became the official state tree of Hawai`i in 1959.’

Earlier this year, a new swim start protocol utilizing waves that separate the Kona field into 11 groups was announced for the Vega IRONMAN World Championship. After a comprehensive analysis of athlete data, the change was made with the goal of reducing peak athlete density flowing onto the bike course.

The creation of the Kukui Wave will seek to further assist this goal, providing Kona Qualified athletes with swim waves devoted to age-group divisional competition. The new start times will not change the existing cut off standards for the Vega IRONMAN World Championship – 2 hours and 20 minutes for the swim and 10 hours and 30 minutes for the bike. Athletes are also required to reach the finish line within 17 hours to be official finishers of the race.

New start times (PT)
Time of day / division
06:25 MPRO
06:30 FPRO
06:35 PC OPEN / HC
06:55 M18-39
07:00 M40-44
07:05 M45-49
07:10 M50+
07:15 F18-39
07:20 F40-54
07:25 F55+
07:30 Kukui

Among the athletes who will be highlighted during the new Kukui Swim Wave will be:

• Christopher Dykzeul – Christopher is a 13-time IRONMAN finisher, 30-time IRONMAN 70.3 finisher, and IRONMAN New Zealand Hall of Fame inductee. As a Legacy athlete, he is also a former actor/TV presenter, including 4 years and more than 1,000 episodes on New Zealand’s number one soap opera, Shortland Street.
• Lisa Johnson – Lisa is an Army veteran who started triathlon as a way to overcome PTSD. She has completed 15 full-distance IRONMAN races and looks to fulfil her dream of competing in Kona.
• Kelly Kingsfield – Kelly has been in pursuit of an IRONMAN Legacy slot since 2011, while battling Sjogrens Syndrome and Gastroparesis. No doubt an incredible feat, not only has Kelly earned that slot but will be racing with her husband, Jeff Kingsfield, who also earned a Legacy slot.
• Francois Rivard – Francois is a father of four, including three girls and one boy. Since his first sprint triathlon in 1989, the 49-year-old from Drummondville, Quebec, has finished over 200 triathlons. Francois sadly lost his son in 2008 after a battle with leukaemia and now spreads his love for the sport with the youth in his area through the formation of a school program for children to get involved in triathlons. He is a 2019 Legacy athlete competing at the IRONMAN World Championship for the first time.
• Roderick Sewell – Born with severe leg deformities that would prevent him from walking, Roderick’s mother made the difficult decision to have both of his legs amputated above the knee before his second birthday. Despite moving from shelter to shelter starting at the age of seven, Roderick’s determination led him to pursue his athletic goals which started with handcycling, and then to running track, playing basketball, and swimming. Roderick has gone on to accomplish many other “firsts” in his family: from homelessness to the first to graduate college, to bringing home a Gold and a Bronze medal from the 2014 Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships, his accomplishments continue to grow with Roderick focusing on becoming an IRONMAN.
• Wayne Skipworth – Wayne joined forces with his wife Heather and Missy and George Mackey to co-found IRONM?ORI, an initiative and club set up to tackle growing issues of ill health amongst the Maori population. Since its inception in 2009, it has grown to host events and community health projects including cycle rides, swimming and spin classes that have positively impacted countless lives. Wayne has completed nine IRONMAN New Zealand triathlons and will reconnect the strong bond of Hawai`i and New Zealand culture through his racing.

The IRONMAN World Championship is an iconic one-day test of body, mind and spirit, with approximately 95,000 athletes competing to qualify at more than 40 global IRONMAN events each year. Last year’s record-breaking race welcomed approximately 2,500 registered athletes from 82 countries, regions and territories, marking the largest international field in race history.

www.ironman.com/worldchampionship