Athletes representing 62 countries and territories on six continents make up the diverse group that will compete in the 37th running of the IRONMAN World Championship on Oct. 10. The historic endurance event is comprised of a 2.4-mile open-water swim, 112 miles of cycling and a 26.2-mile run.
Athletes representing 62 countries and territories on six continents make up the diverse group that will compete in the 37th running of the IRONMAN World Championship on Oct. 10. The historic endurance event is comprised of a 2.4-mile open-water swim, 112 miles of cycling and a 26.2-mile run.
Reigning world champion Sebastian Kienle, of Germany, and three-time World Champion Mirinda Carfrae, of Australia, will be racing alongside an eclectic group of athletes that includes the American star of blockbuster films Rudy and The Lord of the Rings, Sean Astin, who is competing on behalf of Run3rd; British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay; Italian CART racing legend and Paralympic handcycle champion Alex Zanardi; U.S. Representative Kyrsten Sinema, the first sitting member of Congress to participate in the IRONMAN World Championship; and American Lew Hollander who, at 85 years old, will be the oldest competitor to ever toe the starting line.
“We continue to be amazed and humbled by the growth of IRONMAN and the sport of triathlon worldwide,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of IRONMAN. “All 2,300 athletes who have traveled from around the globe to the sport’s most prestigious stage share one common mission – to cross the finish line on Ali’i Drive and hear those four magical words – ‘You are an IRONMAN.’”
With triathletes ranging in age from 19 to 85 having qualified to compete in the World Championship, the average age of 2015 age groupers is 43.2, well above the average age of professional triathletes at 33.7. The overall average age is 42.8.
The United States is the most represented country with 768 competitors, accounting for nearly 32 percent of registrants this year. Athletes from 48 U.S. states are represented, with the greatest number coming from California (138), Colorado (54), Hawaii (49), Texas (44) and New York (44).
Australia has the second-most athletes competing with 250, followed by Germany (175), Great Britain (148), Canada (114) and Brazil (98). Countries including Portugal, Singapore, Norway, Estonia and Brazil experienced the largest percent growth in athlete representation since 2014.
By the numbers
· 72 percent of participants (1,717 athletes) are male
· 28 percent of participants (664 athletes) are female, marking the largest female field in history at the IRONMAN World Championship
· This will be the largest athlete field ever at the IRONMAN World Championship
· 99 race participants (57 males, 42 females), or four percent of the total field, are professional athletes
· More than 5,000 volunteers will help make Kona a success