The Big Island will play host to the best endurance athletes on earth at the 2015 edition of the IRONMAN World Championship on Saturday.
The Big Island will play host to the best endurance athletes on earth at the 2015 edition of the IRONMAN World Championship on Saturday.
The pro men kick off from Kailua Pier at 6:25 a.m., followed by the female pros five minutes later.
In the field of more than 2,300 athletes who will be racing Saturday, 99 race participants (57 males, 42 females), are professional athletes.
Sebastian Kienle capped his stellar 2014 season with his first IRONMAN World Championship, breaking the finishing tape on Alii Drive with a time of eight hours, 14 minutes and 18 seconds.
The German is hailed as one of the strongest cyclists to ever take on the Big Island course, and pulled away from the field with a bike more than 10 minutes faster than the rest of the top 10.
Kienle is keeping his expectations for Saturday’s 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run pretty straightforward.
“I hope I’m a little bit faster. Every bit counts,” Kienle said.
The defending champ has a solid chance for a repeat, but will be tested by a packed field. His most notable competition is fellow German, Jan Frodeno, who finished third last year despite a flat tire.
“Frodo” shouldn’t need any help from celebrity competitor Sean Astin — known for his role as Samwise Gamgee in Lord of the Rings — to find the front of the pack. Frodeno’s year has included capturing the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in August and winning the IRONMAN European Championship in July with a record-breaking 7:49:48 performance.
If Frodeno does manage to capture the title, he will be the first triathlete in history to claim an Olympic gold medal (Bejing, 2008) and an IRONMAN world championship.
“Like everyone else, I’m very anxious to race,” Frodeno said. “I’m looking forward to that gun going off Saturday morning.”
Other top pros in the field include last year’s runner-up American Ben Hoffman, 2013 champ Frederik Van Lierde of Belgium and veteran Andy Potts.
Potts is coming off a career-best fourth place finish in Kona last year, but was among the last of the pros to arrive on the island this year. However, the 38-year-old American isn’t too worried about lacking familiarity with the course.
“I find that when I come into any race situation too early, I get a little stale. The excitement wanes,” Potts said. “Coming in late, I stay with what I know. I’ve been around the block a few times. It’s not like I have to scout the course or anything.”
On the women’s side, defending champion and course record holder Mirinda Carfrae is seeking a fourth title, which would tie her with legendary triathlete Chrissie Wellington.
“New year, and back on the Big Island,” Carfrae said. “It’s another stellar lineup here. Everyone looks fit and healthy. I’m excited to get out there and see how fast I can go.”
Carfrae is the fastest with her feet on the ground. Her stellar marathon is often where she makes her move to the front of pack in Kona. Last year, she closed a 14-minute T2 deficit with a run split of 2:50:26, passing Daniela Ryf on Mile 23 and securing the world title.
Ryf, last year’s runner-up, will not make things easy on Carfrae. She has already reeled off a series of impressive full-distance wins, and is fresh off her second consecutive 70.3 world title.
“Last year I came here and put everything on the line. I didn’t know what to expect,” Ryf said. “This race has been my goal all year and I’ve had a lot of good races already. Last year I was a little stressed. This year, we had a bit more time and that helped my preparation.”
Odds are that the Swiss triathlete will lead off the bike, but she will need to maintain her gap on the run, something she has more confidence in this year.
“I have one more year of training in my legs,” Ryf said. “I’m hoping this year to finish strong. That is what I’m going for this year. I prepared the best I could, and now I have to show it.”
Rachel Joyce, Julia Gajer, Caroline Steffen, Jodie Swallow and Meredith Kessler are among a packed field of female pros with a shot at Kona gold.
Some uncharacteristic weather may also play a factor. Winds have picked up tremendously this week because of weather systems around the state. Weather systems or not, wind is almost always an issue heading out to Hawi on the bike, but athletes may also be greeted by some wet weather. As of Thursday afternoon, the forecast for Saturday predicts a high chance for rain.
“Having previous experience here, racing in hot conditions, no matter what the course throws at you, you have to be prepared as a professional,” said Potts. “Whether it’s hot, windy, cold or rainy — you have to be prepared. You hope that your preparation through the years of competing in the sport allows you to be successful on race day and it’s not the conditions dictating the race, but the athletes.”