It’s that time of year again. Time to witness a highly competitive age-group field battle it out along the Kohala Coast for bragging rights to one of the most talked about races in the state.
It’s that time of year again. Time to witness a highly competitive age-group field battle it out along the Kohala Coast for bragging rights to one of the most talked about races in the state.
Locally known as Honu, Saturday’s Ironman 70.3 Hawaii triathlon race has built upon a reputation of being one of the most challenging among the Ironman 70.3 race series.
The race will begin with a 1.2-mile swim at beautiful Hapuna Beach State Park — a nationally ranked beach recognized for its warm, crystal clear waters, fine white sands, and resident Honu (Hawaiian green sea turtle) who often frequent the crescent-shaped beach.
From there, competitors will take off on a 56-mile out-and-back ride toward the quaint town of Hawi. Hills, heat, humidity, along with gusty headwinds and cross-winds, will allow one to truly experience what it feels like to be riding on the northern half of the Ironman World Championship course.
Competitors will then finish off with a two-loop, scorching run course that starts and ends at the beautiful Fairmount Orchid. The run will travel throughout the resort grounds — over manicured golf greens, along the shoreline, past ancient petroglyph fields and ancient fishponds, and over paved roads and cart paths.
And with 50 qualifying slots up for grabs to the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee, it’s sure to be a heated battle amongst competitors to cross the finish line in the top-tier of their respective age groups.
This year’s event will also feature a few new changes that are worth mentioning.
Race organizers have decided to implement a “rolling swim start” as part of the SwimSmart Initiative to help improve athlete satisfaction and reduce athlete anxiety during the 1.2-mile swim portion of the event.
This means athletes will begin their race on the beach — not in the water as they did in years past — and will seed themselves within their respective age groups according to their estimated swim finish for the 1.2-mile segment.
The new format will only allow a few athletes at a time — at designated intervals — to enter the waters of Hapuna Beach starting at 6:30 a.m. to begin their 70.3-mile journey waiting ahead.
Another exciting change is the addition of a relay division. This year marks the first where a three-person relay team will be able to compete alongside the individual’s race.
Hawaii-born and former professional triathlete Tim Marr, who won the inaugural Honu race as an Olympic Distance event in 2004, will be toeing the line as part of Team BioAstin and is excited for the opportunity.
“I think it’s cool,” Marr said. “I think it’s something that will be a lot of fun and I’m glad that they decided to do a relay division. Now that I’m done racing as a professional and I don’t intend to do a half Ironman anymore, it makes it pretty cool to still be able to be part of the race and still have that competitive drive.
“This race will always hold a special place in my heart because I did win it that first year. The fact that they introduced this relay division has definitely drawn me back as I’ve done it 10 times (as an individual), so this will be my 11th year at this event.”
With 50 qualifying slots to be distributed among top age-group winners already up for grabs for this year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee, race organizers have decided to dangle another carrot.
New to this year, 10 slots to the IRONMAN World Championships held annually in Kona are game to anyone who registered before the May 1 deadline. Registered entrants who meet this deadline are automatically entered into the “Honu to Kona Drawing,” with 10-winners announced at Saturday’s post-race celebration and awards ceremonies.
Official rules can be viewed at https://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2017/03/win-a-kona-slot-at-ironman-70.3-hawaii.aspx#axzz4iar6F4lx