For the second year in a row, the Big Island will not be hosting the Ironman World Championship due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Ironman, in conjunction with Hawaii officials, announced Thursday morning that the annual 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run in Kailua-Kona has been rescheduled for Feb. 5 of 2022. Originally set for Oct. 9, Ironman officials cited the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic amid the recent spread of the Delta variant as the primary reason for the postponement.
The Big Island recorded 163 of Hawaii’s 752 new cases on Thursday. There are now 1,504 active cases in Hawaii County, with the seven-day average increasing to 118.3 new cases per day as the island’s hospitals approach ICU capacity.
“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 CEO for The Ironman Group. “After extensive consultation with governmental and community leaders in Hawaii, we believe that the best course of action is to delay the event until February of 2022.”
Ironman now expects 2022 to be the first year since 1982 to hold two editions of Ironman World Championship (February and October).
The decision to postpone the event comes on the heels of Mayor Mitch Roth’s request to Gov. David Ige to reinstate pre-travel testing requirements for all trans-Pacific passengers (see story on page xA). Park closures and public gathering restrictions are among the additional measures being considered by Roth’s administration.
“We are honored to work alongside the fantastic Ironman staff, amid a global pandemic, to reach an equitable solution that ensures our island’s premier sporting event may persist at a later date,” said Roth. “Since the first race in 1978, the event has become an integral part of our county’s global identity, and we look forward to welcoming the athletes and spectators from around the world to our shores once again when it is safe to do so.”
The first Ironman World Championship was held in 1978 on Oahu before moving to the Big Island in 1981.
To help the Big Island community combat food insecurities during the pandemic, the Ironman Foundation created the Kahiau Together initiative in July 2020 to provide locally sourced meals and food bundles for those in need. The drive-through events will be held Sept. 1 at Kamehameha Park and Oct. 4, Nov. 22 and Dec. 20 at Kona International Marketplace.