The Ironman World Championship has once again been rescheduled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Ironman, in conjunction with Hawaii officials, announced Thursday morning that the Supersapiens Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona will now be held Feb. 5, 2022. It had been scheduled for Oct. 9.
Like 1982, Ironman expects that there will be two editions of the Ironman World Championship in 2022 (February and October).
“The resurgence of the virus and new Delta strain has had significant impact on the island community of Hawaii. Combined with substantial border closures and travel restrictions for qualified athletes, there is not a viable pathway in October to host the Ironman World Championship,” said Andrew Messick, President and Chief Executive Officer for The Ironman Group. “After extensive consultation with governmental and community leaders in Hawai`i, we believe that the best course of action is to delay the event until February of 2022.”
The first Ironman World Championship was held in 1978 on Oahu. In 1981, the race moved to Kailua-Kona.